BRATTLEBORO — The program in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Monday at 4 p.m. at the Centre Congregational Church will feature Dr. Dottie Morris, associate vice president for Institutional Diversity and Equity at Keene State College.
Morris has recently been hired to train all Brattleboro town employees in Unconscious Bias and Cultural Humility as part of a commitment to inclusivity and diversity in the community. The Select Board and senior management team also participated. By the end of January, Dr. Morris and Dr. Mary Gannon will have led five more full-day sessions and all 130 other town employees will have participated. In February, the town will launch an employee Diversity and Equity Committee to be led by town Human Resources Director Sally Nix and initially guided by Dr. Morris and Dr. Gannon.
Town Manager Peter Elwell will introduce Dr. Morris at the MLK event and briefly explain this ongoing work and commitment. Senator Becca Balint will also share current commitments by the state legislature The event is sponsored by the Brattleboro Area Interfaith Leadership Alliance and is an opportunity for people of all ages, faiths, races and ethnicities to come together to remember the work of King, to celebrate all that unites us and to learn about current initiatives and to talk with local community organizations working against racism. The program will include music by the Kurn Hattin Children's Choir and a choir of the community, representatives of many faith traditions, local legislators, and members of Youth4Change. Admission is free, but a goodwill donation will be taken with proceeds shared between the Vermont Partnership for Fairness and Diversity, the Windham County NAACP and the Root Social Justice Center. Everyone is welcome.
