Who are we?
We are Medfield residents who are active allies of marginalized communities looking to make Medfield a more just and inclusive community.
Our Mission
Our Goal
Our Story
Our Steering Committee
Our Community Partners
FAQs
Our Mission
To educate, empower and partner with our local community to identify and dismantle systems of inequity in Medfield.
*current working mission statement
Our Goal
Medfield Together is an inclusive and anti-oppressive organization that works in partnership with our local community. Through education, action, and honest self-reflection, Medfield Together strives to make our community more welcoming and safe for all – regardless of race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, ability, national origin or age.
Our Story
Medfield Together started in 2019 as conversations between friends where we shared observations, realizations and lessons on our individual anti-bias and anti-racist journeys. As parents, a mutual concern was ensuring our children were aware of the issues of racism and inequities and would grow up to become part of the solution.
Questions about the inclusion of the Indigenous Peoples’ perspectives during Thanksgiving celebrations at school prompted us to learn more about the Thanksgiving curriculum. This led to our first outreach efforts as a group with stakeholders in the community.
As many of us have younger children, our first conversations were with the elementary school administrations, who were very receptive to our questions of how issues of equity and race were being taught in the schools. While our discussions initially centered around the Thanksgiving curriculum and the inclusion of the Indigenous Peoples’ perspectives in these celebrations, we expanded to touch upon how other marginalized groups have been represented and included in the broader curriculum. Several of our members joined the Civil Rights Self Evaluation Committee to learn about broader equity concerns of students, parents and teachers. We saw an opportunity to support the schools in tackling systemic racism.
In 2020, as we and many people in Medfield were trying to grapple with George Floyd’s death and the many instances of racism happening outside of our town lines, we felt that it was time to formalize our efforts. Our goals were evident: to show solidarity with the Black community, while addressing the racism and oppression that exists in our town. During this time, our circle expanded to include a broader set of parents and residents who had also shared our concerns and were ready to take action. Although the issues that brought us together as a group surrounded racism, we are aware that other damaging forms of oppression exist in our community and will include them when considering where to focus our efforts .
Together, we hope to make Medfield a more just and inclusive community.
Our Steering Committee
Lisa Chin
Patrick Duffy
Sarah Kiser
Alex Maider
Julie Maviglia
Keba Schwanbeck
Danielle Tata
Lauren Zembron
Our Community Partners
We are grateful for the partnership with local businesses and organizations in the community! Our work would not be possible without them. If you are local group or business and are interested in collaborating, please fill out the Contact Form.
More About Us
Is Medfield Together a Political Action Committee (PAC)?
No, Medfield Together is not a PAC. Our mission is dedicated to education and sharing information with the general public. The resources and educational materials that Medfield Together shares are focused on equity, inclusion, and justice. These topics are often pulled into political dialogues, but Medfield Together is not a political organization. In 2021, the organization chose one candidate for the School Committee to endorse. However, we have since decided to no longer do this, and instead provide general information on election issues and candidate questionnaires related to the organization’s mission. Medfield Together did not endorse any candidates for any elections in 2022 and will continue to follow this protocol in 2023 and beyond. Medfield Together will not direct community members how to vote, but will encourage community members to exercise their right to vote.