Shrewsbury Takes Steps To Address Diversity, Inclusion In Town

SHREWSBURY, MA — Shrewsbury is taking steps to make the town more diverse and inclusive. Following the town and the police chief's statement in reaction to the death of George Floyd in police custody, the town signed a Juneteenth proclamation and plans on forming a task force to discuss racial inequalities.

On Monday, Shrewsbury officials signed a proclamation making June 19th officially Juneteenth in town. Juneteenth is a holiday commemorating the end of slavery. "Juneteenth today celebrates African-American freedom and achievement, while encouraging continuous self-development and respect for all cultures," according to Juneteenth.com in an explanation of the holiday.

The Board of Selectmen will be discussing the creation of a task force on June 23rd as recommended by Selectmen John Lebeaux on June 9th.

At the meeting, the board will discuss any and all steps necessary to consider questions of diversity, discrimination, and racism in Shrewsbury and how to best address them. The task force will meet intensely over a period of about 90 days to study the issues and provide a series of recommendations to the board.

Membership of the task force will be composed of a mix of residents and government leaders that reflect the makeup of the community. The task force will offer opportunities for public comment through written and, if technologically feasible, oral comments.