Organizers from NELCWIT brought together more than 20 organizations in Franklin County and the North Quabbin. Our initial meetings focused on discussing how we can dismantle racism in our communities. We did research and outreach to find out what other groups in our area are doing to fight racism in order to be more effective in creating action plans that did not duplicate efforts. From there, the Coalition identified two primary areas of focus: creating welcoming communities for people of color, and accountability for racial justice. Members of the coalition then volunteered to serve on one of these two committees. 

The committees each meet once a month to collect information on these areas of focus and create concrete strategic actions that fight systemic racism. The Coalition comes togethers as a wider group once a month to hear report backs from the committees, give feedback, offer insights on strategies, and vote on the proposed actions. 

At our monthly Coalition meetings, we also feature presentations from groups/ organizations/ individuals that are working on their own anti-racism projects. Our goal is to learn about groups taking action against racism and possibly find ways to collaborate and support each other. We are excited to hear from groups anywhere in the country, but especially in our region of Western Massachusetts. If you are interested in giving a presentation, or you know of a group or individual who may be interested, please reach out to Juan Carlos at juancarlos@nelcwit.org. We offer small stipends to groups and individuals who present at our meetings.

The original organizers of the Coalition, all staff at NELCWIT, now serve as the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee meets twice a month to plan the Coalition meetings, brainstorm and recruit presenters, and guide the direction of the Coalition's work.