The city of Boston hosted its inaugural summit focused on helping municipal workers center equity and inclusion in their daily work.
Nearly 90 city employees gathered at the Boston Public Library for the one-day event hosted by the Equity and Inclusion Academy on Monday. Presentations and discussions aimed to help staff learn how to foster a sense of equity and inclusion as they serve the city’s diverse population.
“For some people, City Hall just seems so far away,” said Nakia Hill, director of strategic communications for Boston’s Community Engagement Cabinet. “So it’s really important that we remain connected and that we’re in communities so that people have access to information.”
The summit is part of the Equity and Inclusion Academy’s learning series, which includes workshops from various city groups, such as the Equity & Inclusion Cabinet, the Boston Public Health Commission and Age Strong Commission.
The academy began last year as a pilot program with just over 40 participants. David Martinez, chief of staff for the Equity and Inclusion Cabinet, said the academy is now in full gear. To date, 120 city of Boston employees have participated.
“Our learning is a collective learning,” he said. “It’s not me just talking at [people] but how do we glean from, how do we gain for each of our different experiences.”
Librarian Michael Brownsaid the academy has better informed them of the numerous resources available throughout the city.
“One of the biggest issues with the city is a lack of understanding where things are,” Brown said. “And being able to sit through these trainings for each department — [which] specifically addressed where to find information, and who to contact, and what they’re doing — made such a big difference on me.”
