Our History

Founded in 1993, the Arlington Human Rights Commission (AHRC) exists to advance issues related to the fair and equal treatment of Town residents and to address complaints arising out of these issues. Central to the AHRC's mission is to work collaboratively with other Arlington community groups to celebrate the ever-changing makeup of our Town, to emphasize through educational outreach the dangers of intolerance, and to encourage and bring about mutual understanding and respect among all people within the Town.

AHRC focuses on eliminating prejudice, intolerance, bigotry, unlawful discrimination, threats, coercion, and intimidation on the basis of an individual’s race, ethnicity, color, religious views, national origin, sex, gender identity or expression, citizenship, age, ancestry, family/marital status, sexual orientation, disability, source of income, and military status. The commission strives to reach these goals by: educating the Arlington community through programs that celebrate diversity; working with Town government, the school department, town commissions and boards to promote tolerance, mutual respect, and the peaceful enjoyment of life in our community; responding to complaints by Town residents who believe that their human rights have been violated; initiating investigations where unlawful discrimination may have occurred; and offering resolutions to conflicts between Town residents.

Take a look back at some of our activities and events over the past years.

2012-2014

regular monthly meetings
sponsor of Martin Luther King, Jr.birthday celebration
Town Day participant
received/investigated complaints
encouraged and received public comments/concerns at AHRC meetings
updated AHRC website
established AHRC on Facebook
supported Council on Aging’s “True Story Theatre”
continued the liaison program with school principals and with the METCO Director
presented the Bill Shea Everyday Hero Award
donated books on diversity in honor of Bill Shea to the Thompson School library
donated books on gender equality to Robbins Library in honor of Nancy Sweeney
celebrated the 10th anniversary celebration of gay marriage with presentations by two couples
reestablished relationship with Massachusetts Association of Human Rights Commissions
celebrated the 20th anniversary of AHRC
supported a weekend retreat for high school students on issues of racism and identity
purchased Miss Representation film and related materials
met with Town Manager to discuss diversity concerns
Hate crimes/incidents monitoring
worked with Police Dept. on data collection
regular meetings with school personnel to discuss polices & curriculum promoting tolerance and diversity

2010-2011

regular monthly meetings
sponsor of Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday celebration
Town Day participant
received/investigated complaints
encouraged and received public comments/concerns at AHRC meetings
sponsored non-violence training session for the community
sponsored a meeting of Town groups concerned with diversity & inclusion issues to better coordinate their activities
provided liaisons to the Middle School’s Building Respect Task Force and to the Superintendent’s Diversity Task Group
provided mediation and guidance resources to the Police Dept.
established a liaison program with school principals and with the METCO Director
attended meetings in Boston with METCO parents
consulted with Special Education Parents Advisory Committee
attended meetings to develop policy on bullying
maintained working partnership with the Arlington Police Dept
co-sponsored a Civil Discourse Program for Town officials
chaired the Response Coordination Team
Hate crimes/incidents monitoring
worked with Police Dept. on data collection
regular meetings with school personnel to discuss polices & curriculum promoting tolerance and diversity

2008-2009

regular monthly meetings
sponsor of Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday celebration
Town Day participant
received/investigated complaints
encouraged and received public comments/concerns at AHRC meetings
Hate crimes/incidents monitoring
worked with Police Dept. on data collection
regular meetings with school personnel to discuss polices & curriculum promoting tolerance and diversity

2006-2007

regular monthly meetings
sponsor of Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday celebration
Town Day participant
received/investigated complaints
encouraged and received public comments/concerns at AHRC meetings
maintained working partnership with the Arlington Police Dept.
Hate crimes/incidents monitoring
worked with Police Dept. on data collection
regular meetings with school personnel to discuss polices & curriculum promoting tolerance and diversity

2004-2005

regular monthly meetings
sponsor of Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday celebration
Town Day participant
3 Arlington Dialogues (subjects: Special Education, book discussion by Janis Kearney
of her Cotton Field of Dreams, and Racial Profiling post 9/11 )
received/investigated complaints, especially re racist graffiti
encouraged and received public comments/concerns at AHRC meetings
published a pamphlet on Public Accommodation Law for Arlington Businesses
met with Chip Berlet re actions to combat racist graffiti
met with Police Chief re racial profiling and other issues
maintained working partnership with the Arlington Police Dept.
Hate crimes/incidents monitoring
worked with Police Dept. on data collection
regular meetings with school personnel to discuss polices & curriculum promoting tolerance and diversity

2002-2003

regular monthly meetings
sponsor of Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday celebration
Town Day participant
Arlington Dialogues (subject: USA Patriot Act)
received/investigated complaints, especially dealing with discrimination and harassment issues
AHRC 10th Anniversary Celebration (activities: hosted reception for town officials
and community groups & sponsored a Town Hall event with speakers on human/civil rights)
hosted book discussion of Andrew Zantar’s Have No Fear
sponsored a “Career Day” at the Middle School
supported Mass. Court decision on gay marriage right (including articles of support in the Arlington Advocate)
maintained working partnership with the Arlington Police Dept.
Hate crimes/incidents monitoring
worked with Police Dept. on data collection
regular meetings with school personnel to discuss polices & curriculum promoting tolerance and diversity

2000-2001

regular monthly meetings
sponsor of Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday celebration
Town Day participant
3 Arlington Dialogues (subjects: Affirmative Action, Racial Profiling, Bullying and Harassment)
received/investigated complaints
sponsored Facing History & Ourselves workshop
supported Sudanese Lost Boys Project
examined issue of discrimination against homosexuals in the Boy Scouts of America and local BSA chartering agreements
maintained working partnership with the Arlington Police Dept.
sponsored evening with Prof. Henry Lewis Gates reading from his memoir, Colored People
Hate crimes/incidents monitoring
worked with Police Dept. on data collection
regular meetings with school personnel to discuss polices & curriculum promoting tolerance and diversity

1998-1999

regular monthly meetings
sponsor of Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday celebration
Town Day participant
Arlington Dialogues (subject: being a minority in Arlington)
received/investigated complaints
contributed films to Arlington High School Media Dept.
contracted with MCAD to investigate Arlington cases filed with MCAD
sponsored Town’s Winter Celebration
Hate crimes/incidents monitoring
met with new Police Chief
worked with Police Dept. on data collection
regular meetings with school personnel to discuss polices & curriculum promoting tolerance and diversity and minority recruitment of teachers
met with Town’s Personnel Director & with Chair of Safer Schools Task Force

1996-1997

regular monthly meetings
sponsor of Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday celebration
Town Day participant
secured staffing from the Town
received/investigated complaints
attended State Hate Crimes conference
met with Empowering Cultural Diversity & Anti-Defamation League representatives
sponsored diversity awareness curriculum pilot program at Pierce School
attended MCAD training sessions
contracted with MCAD to investigate Arlington cases filed with MCAD
sponsored Town’s Winter Celebration
Hate crimes/incidents monitoring
worked with Police Dept. on data collection
regular meetings with school personnel to discuss polices & curriculum promoting tolerance and diversity, especially in teacher recruitment
held Strategic Planning Session for Commissioners

1994-1995

regular monthly meetings
sponsor of Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday celebration
Town Day participant
obtained Town funding support
received/investigated complaints
offered mediation services
sought grant for pilot program in elementary schools on issues of disability discrimination
supported hiring guidelines to increase female participation in Town funded projects

2011-2012

regular monthly meetings
sponsor of Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday celebration
Town Day participant
received/investigated complaints
encouraged and received public comments/concerns at AHRC meetings
provided liaisons to the Middle School’s Building Respect Task Force and to the Superintendent’s Diversity Task Group
co-sponsored event/film on LGBT discrimination issues re older people
continued the liaison program with school principals and with the METCO Director
awarded Everyday Hero Award to Ottoson’s “Building Respect Task Force” and “Friends of the Gay/Straight Alliance”
chaired the Response Coordination Team
Hate crimes/incidents monitoring
worked with Police Dept. on data collection
regular meetings with school personnel to discuss polices & curriculum promoting tolerance and diversity

2009-2010

regular monthly meetings
sponsor of Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday celebration
Town Day participant
received/investigated complaints
encouraged and received public comments/concerns at AHRC meetings
2 Arlington Dialogues (subjects: The Fine Line Between Church & State and “Freedom Writers”)
hosted 3 events in “Stand against Racism” project
helped support “Community Conversation about Race” with Rep. Jay Kaufman
held a public rally in support of further tolerance
addressed issues re dating violence and bullying (with the Police Dept. and the School Committee)
maintained working partnership with the Arlington Police Dept, especially on a response to a possible visit by an extreme white-supremacy group to Arlington
co-sponsored a Civil Discourse Program for Town officials
Hate crimes/incidents monitoring
worked with Police Dept. on data collection
regular meetings with school personnel to discuss polices & curriculum promoting tolerance and diversity

2007-2008

regular monthly meetings
sponsor of Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday celebration
Town Day participant
3 Arlington Dialogues (subjects: Racial & Ethnic Disparities in Health Care, Armenian Genocide, & Bullying)
received/investigated complaints
encouraged and received public comments/concerns at AHRC meetings
maintained working partnership with the Arlington Police Dept.
Hate crimes/incidents monitoring
worked with Police Dept. on data collection
regular meetings with school personnel to discuss polices & curriculum promoting tolerance and diversity

2005-2006

regular monthly meetings
sponsor of Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday celebration
Town Day participant
3 Arlington Dialogues (subjects: David Gumpert on Holocaust history, Michelle Deakin on Gay Marriage, and Alan Greenfield on Genocide in Darfur)
-presented first “Everyday Hero Award” to Kate Cremens-Basbas
hosted meeting with local churches/synagogues to create a Campaign for Understanding
received/investigated complaints
encouraged and received public comments/concerns at AHRC meetings
met with Selectmen re graffiti issues
supported Arlington-Teosinte Sister City Project
met with Police Chief re racial profiling and other issues
maintained working partnership with the Arlington Police Dept.
Hate crimes/incidents monitoring
worked with Police Dept. on data collection
regular meetings with school personnel to discuss polices & curriculum promoting tolerance and diversity

2003-2004

regular monthly meetings
sponsor of Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday celebration
Town Day participant
2 Arlington Dialogues (subjects: Gay Marriage & Meet the Candidates—views on human rights)
received/investigated complaints
published article in Arlington Advocate on Arlington couples affected by gay marriage
decision
supported school programs
met with Town’s METCO director & attended meeting of Arlington METCO parents
met with Police Chief re distribution of hate literature & racial profiling issues
maintained working partnership with the Arlington Police Dept.
Hate crimes/incidents monitoring
worked with Police Dept. on data collection
regular meetings with school personnel to discuss polices & curriculum promoting tolerance and diversity
provided information about AHRC & a questionnaire in the Town Census mailing

2001-2002

regular monthly meetings
sponsor of Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday celebration
Town Day participant
2 Arlington Dialogues (subjects: Bias in Children’s Media & Parenting Children in a Violent World)
received/investigated complaints, especially sexual orientation harassment issues—organized a community meeting on the issue
supported Facing History & Ourselves workshop
maintained working partnership with the Arlington Police Dept.
Hate crimes/incidents monitoring
worked with Police Dept. on data collection
regular meetings with school personnel to discuss polices & curriculum promoting tolerance and diversity

1999-2000

regular monthly meetings
sponsor of Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday celebration
Town Day participant
2 Arlington Dialogues (subjects: Gay/Lesbian issues & Affordable Housing)
received/investigated complaints
sponsored Nessie Godin’s talk in Town Hall on Remembering the Holocaust)
maintained working partnership with the Arlington Police Dept.
sponsored book discussion group and Interactive dialogues on race and sexism
Hate crimes/incidents monitoring
worked with Police Dept. on data collection
regular meetings with school personnel to discuss polices & curriculum promoting tolerance and diversity

1997-1998

regular monthly meetings
sponsor of Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday celebration
Town Day participant
Arlington Dialogues initiated (educ. & informative public forums)
received/investigated complaints
published & distributed brochure on AHRC & its powers and purposes
published brochure to assist victims of Hate Crimes
sponsored teacher training and implementation of Facing History & Ourselves in Middle School
sought wider outreach through cable TV
renewed contract with MCAD to investigate Arlington cases filed with MCAD
sponsored Town’s Winter Celebration
Hate crimes/incidents monitoring
worked with Police Dept. on data collection
regular meetings with school personnel to discuss polices & curriculum promoting tolerance and diversity
met with Town’s Personnel Director & with Chair of Safer Schools Task Force

1995-1996

regular monthly meetings
sponsor of Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday celebration
Town Day participant
secured staffing from the Town
received/investigated complaints
met with Somerville Human Rights Commission
met with Arlington Vision 2020 Task Group
hosted meeting of Mass. Assoc. of Human Rights Commissions
sponsored diversity awareness curriculum pilot program at Pierce School
supported successful warrant article to increase female employment in Town financed projects
attended MCAD orientation conference
contracted with MCAD to investigate Arlington cases filed with MCAD
co-sponsored Town’s Winter Celebration
Hate crimes/incidents monitoring
workshops on diversity and race held for Commissioners
regular meetings with school personnel to discuss polices & curriculum promoting tolerance and diversity

1993-1994

regular monthly meetings
sponsor of Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday celebration
Town Day participant
established relationship with MCAD
received/investigated complaints
established relationships with local media outlets, school administrators, Affirmative Action Advisory Comm., and law enforcement personnel
sponsored panel discussion on diversity in the public schools

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