The Hull Times

View Original

‘A Feast of Conversations’ to bring neighbors together to talk about hope for the community

By Carol Britton Meyer

The Hull No Place for Hate Committee will host “A Feast of Conversations: Let’s Be Honest About Hate” with co-sponsors Wellspring Multi-Service Center and the Hull Lifesaving Museum on Sunday, April 30 (National Honesty Day), from 2 to 4 p.m. Participants will gather at the Nantasket Beach Resort, 45 Hull Shore Drive, for this free event. Weinberg’s Bakery will provide coffee and light refreshments.

“Our hope is to bring neighbors together to discuss the many ways that hate can show up in a community and to empower community members for positive and constructive actions,” NPFH Chair Valerie Carlson told The Hull Times. “Hull is a welcoming community, and the fact that the select board created the Hull No Place for Hate Committee is proof of this.

“However, there are incidents and attitudes in Hull – as in many communities – that make some

of us feel unsafe and threatened. The No Place for Hate Committee wants us all to be informed and proactive about hate in order to protect our diverse population from threats and to help us all feel and be safe.”

The Feast of Conversations will provide an opportunity for members of the community “to hear about each other’s various experiences and expectations for the community,” NPFH founding member Pam Wolfe said, noting that this event is especially suitable for teens and up.

Hull No Place for Hate invites everyone to participate in this community conversation featuring

guest speakers Becca Levitt, assistant regional director of the Anti-Defamation League; Hull Police Civil Rights Officer Detective Andrew Reilly; Wellspring President and CEO Vinny Harte; a member of Hull High School’s PRISM (Pride, Raising awareness, Involvement, Support, and Mentoring) student group; and Sasha Parodi, event planner for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council.

“After we hear from our speakers, we will break out into small groups to engage in conversation, with the goal of laying the groundwork for dealing with hate crimes and incidents in the future,” NPFH Clerk Celia Nolan said. “Facilitators from Hull No Place for Hate and Wellspring will guide the conversation about our own experiences and expectations for our town.”

NPFH’s goal, according to Nolan, “is to continue making Hull welcoming and to keep the conversation going in service of our Select Board-approved mission as a ‘non-partisan town committee dedicated to building bridges of understanding within our community while seeking to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion among all people.’”

NPFH’s goals are to:

• Promote a just and inclusive community;

• Provide support and education on diversity;

• Celebrate our differences.

RSVP to the April 30 event at https://bit.ly/FOCRSVP23, scan the QR code that appears with this article, or email hullnoplaceforhate@gmail.com.