World of Wellesley (WOW) is committed to fostering an anti-racist and anti-bias community where diversity, equity and inclusion are fully embraced.
On February 14, 2021, the Wellesley Chinese Language School, Wellesley Chinese Association Network and World of Wellesley hosted Making the Invisible Visible: A Dialogue to Stop the Hate. We united to address acts of hate, racism and xenophobia experienced by Chinese members of our community and we will continue in our collaboration with the Wellesley Chinese Language School and the Wellesley Chinese American Network to bring about change.
On February 15, 2021 World of Wellesley received a letter from Ann-Mara Lanza, Town Meeting member and candidate for Select Board, about a hateful, racist email she received from a fellow Town Meeting member who is running for re-election. The name of the Town Meeting member who sent this racist email was not included in the letter we received. We were deeply saddened to learn about this racist act. The statements in the email are not only factually wrong, but they specifically target Black people. This email is indicative of the sickening reality that we have a great deal of work to do to ensure that all members of the Wellesley community, regardless of their race, ethnicity or nationality, are treated with the dignity and respect that we all deserve.
Our community leaders and elected officials, regardless of their age, socio-economic status, religion, sexual orientation and political affiliation, must be held accountable as role models who practice diversity, equity and inclusion. The contents of the email are below and demonstrate the fact we have a great deal of work to do as a community in addressing bigotry, fear and ignorance. In addition, Ann-Mara Lanza discussed this racist email in a recent episode of the Chatting It Up With Rama show on Wellesley Public Media.
If you are interested in collaborating with World of Wellesley to raise awareness and address racism and bias in our community, please contact us at info@worldofwellesley.
Contents of email sent to Ann-Mara Lanza, Town Meeting member and candidate for Select Board, from a fellow Town Meeting member who is running for re-election What I love about our community is that it is EXACTLY how I want it. I do not need you or anyone else to dilute our community with your ideas of diversity. You have enjoyed the safety of this town enriched by successful and generous people. Now you want to destroy it by making changes that will destroy the safety that we have. I grew up here and brought my kids here because I wanted them to be safe biking to school and not have to worry about locking their doors. I don’t have any desire to change this community. It was wonderful when I was a child and it is wonderful now. You have a hell of a nerve to change a community after you got everything you needed out of it because it will not impact you. You are going to destroy what we have, now that your kids will not be impacted. Maybe if your kids were in kindergarten you would think differently than you do now, but your altruistic ideals are nothing but a destruction of what this town is and unnecessary. People work hard to be able to buy a home in a town which is safe and filled with people who share your ideals. Just because you think you are “good” by forcing diversity, does not mean you are. You are simply imposing upon the rest of us what you want. Not what we want. I hope you do not get elected and I hope you will realize that when people choose a community, it is not because they want a change. There are plenty of people of all different back grounds. Black people make up 8% of the entire population. They like to be in their own community where they can share their traditions, culture, just like we do. Why are you all so focused on what towns are doing. If you don’t like it here, move to Dorchester. Don’t destroy our choices to be in a safe and rich town. MOVE and indulge yourself into a more diverse community if that is what you want. We don’t want your values to destroy what we have. I hope you LEAVE Wellesley!!!!!!!!