FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 25, 2021
CONTACT INFO. :
Office of the Mayor
Patricia Resende
(401) 529-3207
Mayor’s Community Advisory Board rolls out 2021 initiatives, encourages community participation
EAST PROVIDENCE, RI – The East Providence Mayor’s Community Advisory Board (MCAB), created in August to promote communication between communities within the City and the administration and to discuss systemic racism and to promote the values of diversity and inclusivity within the City, has rolled out its initiatives for 2021.
Since its formation in August 2020, CAB set the ball in motion naming its officers. Those officers include: Chairperson Michelle Nuey, Vice Chairperson Tatiana DosSantos and Secretary Krista Moravec.
“Since our inception we have engaged in deep, meaningful conversation,” Nuey said. “Now, we’ve determined on which areas we would like to focus our attention; how we will express our communities’ concerns; and how we will offer suggestions to Mayor DaSilva and his administration.
“But in order to do that, we are looking to the community at large for their participation,” Nuey added. “Our meetings are a safe place for community members of diverse backgrounds to share their stories, experiences and most importantly, share solutions.”
The Board, which includes a total of 17 individuals from a broad range of social and professional backgrounds, has narrowed down its initiatives to a number of areas of focus for the year, rolled out a new speaker series to be held during its monthly meetings and launched a social media presence.
“My hope for the board is that we can make a difference in the lives of East Providence people of color. This is my passion. I'm honored to serve alongside so many amazing people and for my amazing city,” Vice Chair Tatiana DosSantos said.
“We need to get comfortable being uncomfortable,” Mayor Bob DaSilva said. “This is the first step in a lengthy, but necessary, process of creating a healthy dialogue to promote the values of diversity and inclusivity, not only here in the city, but throughout the state and our nation.
“I look forward to working with Community Advisory Board members and Elmer Pina, the city’s newly named Municipal Integrity Officer to continue that dialogue with the community,” Mayor DaSilva added.
The Community Advisory Board’s 2021 focus areas and goals include:
- Community Engagement
- Social Media platform
- Surveys/Needs Assessment
- Community Presence
- Concerns related to systemic racism and institutional bias
- Education
- Develop extracurricular opportunities which promote diversity, cultural awareness, anti-racism education
- Police/Community Relations and Agency Integrity
- Advancements to enhance police integrity, accountability, community policing
- Recruitment and retention strategies
- Understanding use of force, field and vehicle stops
- Bias-based policing and implicit biased training
- Creation of educational tools
- Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association 20 for 2020 campaign
- Institutional Diversity & Equity/Representation across systems
- Representation Across Systems
- Representation on city boards, departments and committees
- Informing and identifying pipelines that enhance representation
- Addressing systemic racism through awareness (Redlining)
Meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month (currently via Zoom). For more information on meetings, please visit the city website at www.eastrpovidenceri.gov.
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