Wicked Local
On Saturday, May 15, Bedford voters will be asked to change the name of Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day.
A yes vote will add Bedford to a growing list of cities and towns in Massachusetts making the switch. This is really a chance to honor the tradition of the people and start to repair the damage done, said Anne Caron.
Caron and Heather Leavell are the local driving forces behind the proposed change. Leavell, a recent transplant from Melrose, had been working on the change in that town for several years. Successful, she wanted to effect a similar change in her adopted community.
By WHAV Staff |
March 10, 2021
A 13-member committee made up of a diverse cross-section of local leaders is joining Essex County Community Foundation in advancing racial equity and racial justice within the organization and throughout Essex County.
The Foundation said in a statement that the decision to embed racial equity and justice as a foundational piece to all of the organization’s work came last year as COVID-19 began to “disproportionately ravage communities of color, awareness of violence against Black people increased and events surrounding the presidential election revealed the depth of our nation’s veiled racism.”
“The events of the past year have revealed the depths of racial inequity that exist in our country, and right here in Essex County,” said Foundation President and CEO Beth Francis. “It became clear that it was time for the Foundation, as a leader in the community, to mobilize and take action, and we are so fortunate to have such a passionate gr