To the Editor:

Newtown Allies For Change has been busy since our Rally 4 Change event in June. Our Facebook group now has 1,250 members, most of whom live in Newtown and neighboring towns. Our Pledge and Call for Action petition has almost 2,000 supporters. We have hosted online events ranging from discussions on antiracist books to racial incidents in our schools. It’s time now to act and start making progress on the requests of so many in this town to foster a more diverse and inclusive community.

We have sent an invitation to elected officials and organizations in town to meet with us to discuss solutions that will improve the quality of life for people of color in our community. Specifically, we have extended an invitation to the Legislative Council, Board of Education, Board of Selectmen, and Board of Police Commissioners. We know that some of these groups have independently started having discussions on these topics. Our goal for these meetings is to better understand what these groups are doing now to combat racism and support people of color in Newtown, while discussing how we can all work together in the future to make this town safer for everyone.

We look forward to meeting with the Legislative Council, Board of Education, Board of Selectmen, and Board of Police Commissioners in the coming weeks. We plan to share updates on the outcome of these meetings.

On behalf of Newtown Allies For Change,

Christine Wilford, 30 Georges Hill Road, Newtown

David Weiss, 13 Horseshoe Ridge Road, Sandy Hook

September 9, 2020