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In 2006, following the arrest of two African Americans - a teenager and a town councilman -
the town of Stratford, Connecticut, launched community-wide dialogues on racism.
Three years later, Citizens Addressing Racial Equity (C.A.R.E.) is seeing the results of their team's efforts.
The real heart and soul, I believe, of this initiative has been the dialogues.
where we have talked first, and then moved toward action.
And what you'll be experiencing tonight is how the four sessions actually build on each other
and how you move from talking, discussions, and understanding toward real action.
One action team is working to create a more inclusive environment in Stratford Public Schools.
As a result, a new administrator of color was hired and strategies for improving retention rates for teachers of color are being explored.
More people of color are being hired to fill other leadership positions, including the first black deputy chief and new members of Stratford Town Hall.
In an effort to divert young, first-time non-violent offenders from the Juvenile Justice system,
a new Juvenile Review Board was created to keep youth in the community.
In the future, these citizen-driven action teams will continue their racial equity work in policing, education, and town leadership.