How did Boston’s western suburbs become the largely white and affluent communities they are today? Lily Geismer, Associate Professor of History at Claremont McKenna College, examines the results of post-war federal policies and local suburbanization and their impacts on race and class in residential patterns in Lincoln and surrounding towns. Geismer is author of Don’t Blame Us: Suburban Liberals and the Transformation of the Democratic Party and Left Behind: The Democrats’ Failed Attempt to Solve Inequality. Elise Lemire, author of Black Walden, writes in the introduction to Don’t Blame Us: “This is local history at its finest, both particular in its questions and far reaching with its answers. I will never see my hometown of Lincoln, Massachusetts, in quite the same way again.”
Co-sponsored by First Parish Lincoln’s Racial Justice Advocates, Lincoln WIDE (Welcome, Inclusion, Diversity, Equity), an organization of Lincoln residents, and the Lincoln Historical Society. Click here for the Zoom link (meeting ID: 943 6533 7243, passcode: 392036)
“If I Had Known Then What I Know Now” will be presented via Zoom by the Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable on Tuesday, Feb. 8 at 3 p.m. Loved ones of domestic violence survivors will talk about the signs they missed, the knowledge they lacked, and what they’ve leaned that helps the better recognize signs of abuse in relationships today. Click here to register.
Harvard ornithologist Scott Edwards will discuss “Bicycling, Birding and #BLM Across America in a Summer of Chaos” on Wednesday, March 2 at 7 p.m. The talk is part of the “On Belonging in Outdoor Spaces” speaker series on access, inclusion, & connection in nature (spring 2022 funding provided by the Ogden Codman Trust). Discussing his 76-day, 3,800-mile bicycle trek across the U.S. with “Black Lives Matter” signs affixed to his bicycle, Scott will reflect on the people, landscapes, and birds he encountered and convey the challenges, generosity, and hope that inspired and surprised him throughout his journey. Click here to register and receive the meeting link.
See a screening of a TED Talk by Heather McGhee as well as an interview by Laura Flanders with McGhee discussing The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together on Thursday, March 3 at 7 p.m. on Zoom, sponsored by the First Parish in Lincoln’s Racial Justice Advocates. In her book, interview, and TED Talk, McGhee shows not only the cost of racism for everyone — not just people of color — but also offers us a road map for a better future for all. An expert in economic and social policy, McGhee has been applauded for her remarkable data-driven research and her thoughtful interviews with a variety of people and experts. Click here for the Zoom link (passcode: 034126).
The Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable presents “Transforming the Culture of ‘Power Over’: Compassionate Accountability” on Tuesday, March 8 at 7 p.m. The virtual event will help participants make key distinctions among safe relationship cycles and the dynamics that occur within relationships based on abusive values of dominance and superiority. It’s presented by the Roundtable’s White Ribbon Group and follows its successful event in March 2021, “A Call to Families: Discussing Healthy Masculinity with Young People.” Speakers will be JAC Patrissi, Jason Patrissi, and Regi Wingo of Growing a New Heart, an organization that aims to facilitate respectful and ethical power relationships and communications in families, workplaces, and communities. Click here to register.
Dr. Thea James, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at Boston Medical Center/BU School of Medicine, will discuss “Race & Health Equity in Boston: How We Can Achieve Healthy Communities for All” on Thursday, March 10 at 7 p.m. via Zoom. Questions she’ll address include: How did health inequities in Boston arise, and how have they persisted? What are the links with challenges in housing, economic development, and other social issues? How can communities in Greater Boston create effective partnerships to build healthy communities? Hosted by the FPL Racial Justice Advocates and Outreach Committee; cosponsored by the Lincoln Public Library, Lincoln WIDE, and the Lincoln Council on Aging and Human Resources. Click here to register.
“Redressing Injustices of the Past: Building Wealth in Communities of Color” is the title of a Zoom talk by Glynn Lloyd, Executive Director, Foundation for Business Equity on Thursday, March 24 at 7 p.m. Income inequality and financial insecurity are foundational to structural racism. The Federal Reserve cites the median net worth of a White family as $171,000 compared to $17,600 for a Black family. How are banks and financial institutions making amends for the redlining practices of the past? To what extent do lending barriers still exist for Black and Brown families and businesses? A pioneer in the field of transformative urban economic development, Lloyd helped found the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts and most recently the Coalition for an Equitable Economy.
Hosted by the First Parish in Lincoln Racial Justice Advocates and co-sponsored by the Lincoln Public Library and Lincoln WIDE. Click here to register.
Staci Rubin, Vice President, Environmental Justice at the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF), will give a talk titled “Environmental Justice is Racial Justice: Centering Equity in the Climate Movement of our Region” with on Thursday, March 31 at 7 p.m. Introduction by Lincoln resident Andy Falender, Senior Advisor at CLF. Click here to register for this virtual meeting. Sponsored by The First Parish in Lincoln and the Conservation Law Foundation. Cosponsors include Lincoln Public Library, Lincoln Land Conservation Trust, Lincoln WIDE, Mothers Out Front Lincoln, 350 Mass MetroWest Node, St. Anne’s Climate Justice Ministry, and MetroWest Climate Solutions.
The Sudbury-Wayland-Lincoln Domestic Violence Roundtable will host a conversation about the book and TV series Maid on Tuesday, April 5 at 7 p.m. via Zoom. In addition to being one of the most popular shows on Netflix, Maid is also a best-seller written by Stephanie Land about her experiences as a single mother and housecleaner after fleeing an abusive relationship. The discussion will focus on the portrayal of domestic abuse and a survivor’s journey after leaving their relationship.
Reading the book or watching the series is recommended but not required to attend. Copies of Maid are available at the Lincoln Public Library as well as Wayland and Goodnow libraries. The books were donated by the Roundtable in memory of Nalini Goyal, a Roundtable member and a founding member of Gifts of Hope Unlimited. The program is free and open to all, but registration is required.
The First Parish Church’s racial justice journey continues on Thursday, April 7 at 7 p.m. on Zoom with a screening of the award-winning PBS documentary “The Power to Heal.” Central to the struggle to secure equal and adequate access to healthcare for all Americans is how a new national program, Medicare, was used to mount a dramatic, coordinated effort that desegregated thousands of hospitals across the country in a matter of months. Before that less than half of U.S. hospitals served black and white patients equally, and in the South. It raises questions that resonate today: Is healthcare a human right? Must the federal government intervene to ensure equality? Click here for the Zoom link (passcode: 981552).
Join an informational presentation and discussion, “Sorting Out the Midterms: How to Support Key Senatorial and Congressional Candidates in the National Midterms,” via Zoom on Thursday, Sept. 22 from 7–8 p.m., hosted by the Lincoln Democrats and Force Multiplier (FM) with speakers Tom Hallock and Ed Loechler, two of FM’s founders. Click here to register. This is not a fundraiser; no fee to attend.
The Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee is hosting four virtual public forums to review the Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan draft and collect feedback to improve the plan. There will also be a short presentation about the master plan at the State of the Town meeting in November.
The master plan, which was drafted by BPAC in consultation with the Planning Department, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, and other town committees and departments, aims to make Lincoln to be more safe, green and accessible for residents and visitors traveling by foot and bike.
The public forums each focus on one region of Lincoln, but the BPAC will review the overall plan at each forum and are happy to discuss any region of town at any meeting if participants desire.
- Thursday, Oct. 13 at 7:30 p.m. — North Lincoln (Route 2 and north). Zoom link.
- Thursday, Oct. 20 at 7:30 p.m. — South Lincoln (Route117 and south). Zoom link.
- Wednesday, Oct. 26 at 7:30 p.m. — East Lincoln (east of Lincoln Road/Bedford Road, south of Route 2 and north of Route117.) Zoom link.
- Wednesday, Nov. 2 at 7:30 p.m. — West Lincoln (west of Lincoln Road/Bedford Road, south of Route 2 and north of Route117.) Zoom link.
The Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee is hosting four virtual public forums to review the Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan draft and collect feedback to improve the plan. There will also be a short presentation about the master plan at the State of the Town meeting in November.
The master plan, which was drafted by BPAC in consultation with the Planning Department, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, and other town committees and departments, aims to make Lincoln to be more safe, green and accessible for residents and visitors traveling by foot and bike.
The public forums each focus on one region of Lincoln, but the BPAC will review the overall plan at each forum and are happy to discuss any region of town at any meeting if participants desire.
- Thursday, Oct. 13 at 7:30 p.m. — North Lincoln (Route 2 and north). Zoom link.
- Thursday, Oct. 20 at 7:30 p.m. — South Lincoln (Route117 and south). Zoom link.
- Wednesday, Oct. 26 at 7:30 p.m. — East Lincoln (east of Lincoln Road/Bedford Road, south of Route 2 and north of Route117.) Zoom link.
- Wednesday, Nov. 2 at 7:30 p.m. — West Lincoln (west of Lincoln Road/Bedford Road, south of Route 2 and north of Route117.) Zoom link.
The Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee is hosting four virtual public forums to review the Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan draft and collect feedback to improve the plan. There will also be a short presentation about the master plan at the State of the Town meeting in November.
The master plan, which was drafted by BPAC in consultation with the Planning Department, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, and other town committees and departments, aims to make Lincoln to be more safe, green and accessible for residents and visitors traveling by foot and bike.
The public forums each focus on one region of Lincoln, but the BPAC will review the overall plan at each forum and are happy to discuss any region of town at any meeting if participants desire.
- Thursday, Oct. 13 at 7:30 p.m. — North Lincoln (Route 2 and north). Zoom link.
- Thursday, Oct. 20 at 7:30 p.m. — South Lincoln (Route117 and south). Zoom link.
- Wednesday, Oct. 26 at 7:30 p.m. — East Lincoln (east of Lincoln Road/Bedford Road, south of Route 2 and north of Route117.) Zoom link.
- Wednesday, Nov. 2 at 7:30 p.m. — West Lincoln (west of Lincoln Road/Bedford Road, south of Route 2 and north of Route117.) Zoom link.
Join Nate Klug, co-minister of the First Parish in Lincoln, for a beer or soda at the monthly “Theology on Tap” discussion on Friday, Oct. 28 from 4:30–6 p.m. at the Tack Room. The month’s topic: “What is a saint?” Just in time for Halloween (All Hallows Eve) and All Saints/All Souls Day, we’ll review some of the wildly various notions of sainthood that different religions have put forward over time. What did Martin Luther mean when he said that everyone was “equally saint and sinner”? Who do you think of as a saint in your life – and why? No sainthood required to join the discussion, just a thirsty spirit!
The Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee is hosting four virtual public forums to review the Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan draft and collect feedback to improve the plan. There will also be a short presentation about the master plan at the State of the Town meeting in November.
The master plan, which was drafted by BPAC in consultation with the Planning Department, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, and other town committees and departments, aims to make Lincoln to be more safe, green and accessible for residents and visitors traveling by foot and bike.
The public forums each focus on one region of Lincoln, but the BPAC will review the overall plan at each forum and are happy to discuss any region of town at any meeting if participants desire.
- Thursday, Oct. 13 at 7:30 p.m. — North Lincoln (Route 2 and north). Zoom link.
- Thursday, Oct. 20 at 7:30 p.m. — South Lincoln (Route117 and south). Zoom link.
- Wednesday, Oct. 26 at 7:30 p.m. — East Lincoln (east of Lincoln Road/Bedford Road, south of Route 2 and north of Route117.) Zoom link.
- Wednesday, Nov. 2 at 7:30 p.m. — West Lincoln (west of Lincoln Road/Bedford Road, south of Route 2 and north of Route117.) Zoom link.
The Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Antiracism (IDEA) Committee will hold a public forum on Thursday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. in the Lincoln School Learning Commons. Learn about the group’s work to date, plans for the coming year, and community engagement opportunities. This is a hybrid meeting, so you may join us in person or online over Zoom (passcode: 638410).
The “On Belonging in Outdoor Spaces” series returns with three upcoming events:
- Lincoln School teacher and social justice activist Claudia Fox Tree — Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m.
- Leah Penniman, co-founder of Soul Fire Farm and author of Black Earth Wisdom — Wednesday, March 8 at 7 p.m.
- José G. González, founder of Latino Outdoors and co-founder of the Outdoorist Oath — Wednesday, March 29 at 7 p.m.
The free speaker series, which launched in 2021, seeks to feature individuals whose work is advancing efforts to strengthen belonging and connection between communities of color and the outdoors. Click here for more information and to register. This year’s series is sponsored by the Ogden Codman Trust, Freedom’s Way, and the Lincoln Cultural Council. The host organizations are Farrington Nature Linc, Lincoln Land Conservation Trust, Mass Audubon, Walden Woods Project, deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, and the Food Project.
The First Parish in Lincoln is opening up its “reflection” sessions on the school-sponsored 21-Day Challenge on Anti Racism, Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (AIDE) to anyone in Lincoln who would like to attend. On Monday, March 6 at 7 p.m. on Zoom with Becca Fasciano (one of the Lincoln School teachers who designed the program) and Ken Hurd will lead a discussion on topics including microaggressions, institutional racism, wealth and education disparities, and our inequitable justice system. Click here for reading materials on these topics, and click here for the Zoom link (passcode: 366258).