Monday night’s Greenfield Human Rights Commission meeting was one of many conversations, we suspect, that the community will be having about race. But this one will likely stand out as perhaps being more than just talk — opening the way to better communication and understanding.
Credit has to go to the commission for extending an invitation to Greenfield Public School Superintendent Jordana Harper, School Committee members and Police Chief Robert Haigh Jr. following the arrests and suspensions of eight high school students as a result of an altercation there.
The same credit should go to Harper, Haigh and School Committee members for accepting the invitation, despite knowing they would likely be placed on the defensive by critics who saw racism in the handling of the fight, which involved some students of color.
Yes, the superintendent and chief defended what took place, offering reassurances that race didn’t play into the response by school administrators or the police officer assigned to the school as its resource officer.
What the commission and those attending the meeting heard, however, was that both the schools and the police are taking seriously community perceptions about school discipline and racism. Just as important, we think, was the message that school leaders and police are engaged in an internal proactive assessment of how discipline is handled in the context of race.
Haigh reiterated that the Greenfield department is going to undergo fair and impartial police training that uses a scientific approach to examine biased, often unconscious, behaviors with the goal improving responses.
Harper explained that the high school employees, including the resource officer, took part in restorative justice training earlier this year. Using these practices moves the school away from reliance on traditional forms of discipline and moves the school toward community relations and dialogue instead.
Such an approach, Harper said, helps influence not only how discipline is handled but the culture inside the school as well.
What Harper and Haigh had to say also indicates a willingness to engage in a conversation on discipline and racism. It shows a sensitivity to concerns about what’s happening in Greenfield, and how racism, intentional or not, can influence perceptions and behavior and to the need for more constant awareness.
We don’t think any one expects behavioral changes to take place overnight. With continued dialogue and a willingness to identify better approaches to discipline, though, the community can see changes for the better, making Greenfield “an example of equality, justice …,” as one commissioner put it.