Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh introduces a new initiative for Boston and gives some honest background as to why talking about racism matters to him. November 19, 2016 was the first of many expected public discussions about the issue of racism in Boston. Special guests and audience members addressed how citizens can acknowledge the mistakes of the past and then look to our future as they work together to become a more socially cohesive and resilient city. Located in Boston's beautiful Cutler Majestic Theater, the Mayor and members of his team lay out plans for a year-long project aimed at bringing small facilitated conversations about racism, healing and policy work out into all of the neighborhoods of Boston.
**Mayor Martin J. Walsh** was sworn in as the City’s 54th Mayor on January 6, 2014. In April 1997, Mayor Walsh won election to the Massachusetts House of Representatives, representing the 13th Suffolk District in Boston. During his 16 years in the House, he authored landmark public construction law reforms that increased flexibility and accountability, helped pass transit-oriented mixed-use “smart growth district” legislation, and was a strong supporter of infrastructure and zoning improvements. During the state fiscal crisis, he was a key broker in compromise legislation giving municipalities more tools to negotiate substantial savings on health insurance benefits while protecting the rights of hardworking people to receive the decent pay and benefits they have earned.
**Dr. Atyia Martin** was appointed by Mayor Martin J. Walsh as the Chief Resilience Officer for the City of Boston as part of the 100 Resilient Cities pioneered by the Rockefeller foundation. She is adjunct faculty at Northeastern University in the Master of Homeland Security program. She is the former Director of the Office of Public Health Preparedness at the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC). She has a variety of experiences working in emergency management, intelligence, and homeland security.