Melrose residents rally for change after alleged racist incidents

Following alleged racial incidents at Melrose Public Schools, nearly 100 people, including families and students from Melrose and Boston, attended a rally Tuesday morning to raise awareness about bias and harassment in schools.

“It was a way to show people in the city who maybe don't know these things exist, or who don't support the idea of ​​everyone being treated equally, or who maybe don't support not METCO's idea, 'Hey, your neighbors are here, standing with us, and you're going to have to adjust your behavior and your ideology,'” said Demia Wells-Allen, a mother of four who has two more children in the district and who helped organize the rally.

The rally follows an incident in which a fifth grader, a black METCO student, had his braids cut by a classmate and the opening of a civil rights investigation into the intimidation of a black student at METCO.

METCO, or Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity, is a state-funded program that has enrolled tens of thousands of students of color in Boston in predominantly white suburban school districts. The program aims to create opportunities for students to experience the benefits of learning and working in a racially and ethnically diverse environment.

Friends of Melrose METCO and the Melrose Racial Justice Community Coalition organized the rally.

In an open letter to the Melrose community, the two organizations wanted Melrose Public Schools administrators, the mayor, school committee, city councilors and Melrose residents to become aware of weekly incidents of bias and bullying in schools.

The organizations are calling for greater accountability and transparency from Melrose schools, robust cultural sensitivity training for faculty and administrators, and more frequent and in-depth conversations with students about the school's values .

“We have a lot of work to do to prevent future incidents of racism. We are committed to doing this work within schools,” said Interim Superintendent John Macero, in a statement, who attended the rally outside Melrose City Hall. “We are also committed to hearing and listening to all of our stakeholders, especially our students of color and their families in Boston and Melrose, as we review and revise district policies and procedures.”

Macero said the district must work together to articulate expectations through education, restorative practices and consequences where appropriate.

The district partnered with the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents to join their organization called IDEAS (Initiatives for Developing Equity and Achievement for Students) to plan the next steps for more robust cultural sensitivity training for staff.

“It’s important that we as a district move in the right direction and become inclusive for everyone,” Macero said.

Speakers at the event included Mayor Jen Grigoraitis, Melrose City Councilors Maya Jamaledine and Ryan Williams, the fifth grader whose braid was cut by a classmate, and the student's mother .

“The turnout has been incredible from the Melrose community,” Wells-Allen said. “It seemed like everyone was open to what we were asking. »

Even though people were open to their requests, she said there was still work to be done.

Aiyana Spencer-Lakes, who pulled her son out of the Melrose METCO program this year, agrees.

She said many staff members are tenured and may not be willing to work.

Although she withdrew her son, Spencer-Lakes, herself a former METCO student, still has a cousin in the district and many friends and family members who were former students.

“Their experiences there were so traumatized that to this day they can't talk about it without getting emotional,” Spencer-Lakes said. “That’s why I’m still involved because I don’t want to stand idly by and continue to let our children be traumatized and altered.”

At the rally, both parents were surprised to see how many Melrose residents had no idea about these racial incidents. The parents told them they were outraged and asked how they could support them.

“I was happy to see them take the microphone and call each other out, like, ‘Look, we need to do better as a community,'” Spencer-Lakes said.

Wells-Allen and Spencer-Lakes would like to see the city of Boston and METCO held accountable.

Spencer-Lakes encourages Roxbury-based METCO to question how they dropped the ball on the Boston students they enrolled and sent out of town.

“They’re still our Boston babies,” she said. “The city needs to show them some love.” »

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