Last month, I participated in a panel discussion hosted by the Brookline Community Foundation focused on economic inequality. In my remarks, I shared that we’ve already seen what it looks like for this community to be fully behind something because we’ve done it before. In response to climate change, we’ve seen Brookline rally around the development of fossil fuel free buildings — seeing widespread community conesus on making the investments and commitments needed to ensure a safe and healthy future.

We need that same energy when it comes to racial and economic justice.

It’s no secret that Brookline needs to do a lot more to create truly equitable opportunities for everyone in our community. Decades of increasingly restrictive zoning laws rooted in redlining have contributed to the current housing crisis. Educational opportunity gaps continue to negatively impact students in one of the wealthiest school districts in the state. And every day, I hear from community members longing for the kind of change we can proudly pass onto our children and grandchildren.

Just as addressing climate change is a moral imperative, so too is galvanizing the same level of support for racial and economic justice in Brookline.

That’s why I am proud to announce that I have joined Brookline for Racial Justice & Equity (BRJE) as the organization’s inaugural Executive Director. This new role will complement my ongoing work as an equity-focused educator at Boston University and as chair of the Commonwealth’s Racial Imbalance Advisory Committee.

For seven years, BRJE has been a beacon of community organizing, innovation and coalition-building with one singular purpose: eliminating racism in Brookline. With deep recognition that the prejudice we experience today is rooted in our institutions, systems and histories, BRJE has worked across Brookline to create greater racial and economic justice through community organizing, community building and policy advocacy.

Now as an official 501(c)3 nonprofit, BRJE is positioned to do more for and alongside our community. In the coming months, we’ll be relaunching the organization and expanding our efforts — focusing on creating convening and community feedback opportunities, debuting a new roadmap towards a racism-free Brookline, and more.

Our vision of a Brookline free of racism is only possible through partnership and community. Today, I’m asking you to join us.

As we gear up to relaunch BRJE, I’m asking you to sign up for our new mailing list. We don’t want you to miss any updates, and more importantly, we don’t want to miss your insights and ideas into our work.

Do you know others who share our vision? Share this announcement and invite them to join us.

One of the reasons I took on this role and believe in BRJE is because I know we have you behind us — people who share our vision and commitment to ending racism not just in Brookline, but well beyond the boundaries of one community. Together, there’s no stopping us.

Onwards,

Raul Fernandez

Founding Executive Director

Brookline for Racial Justice & Equity