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Commission plans wider outreach after survey returns only 70–80 responses; schedules interviews, events and college/high‑school outreach
Summary
The Reparations Study Commission reported roughly 74–75 quality survey responses and outlined an expanded community engagement plan — in‑person interviews, events at churches, the library and campus outreach to reach more Black residents and students.
Commission staff and volunteers told the Reparations Study Commission they have received roughly 74–75 substantive survey responses since the January 16 launch and that responses include only a small number of people identifying as Black or African American.
Sage (Anthony Arena DeRosa), commission staff, said the survey has produced a great deal of commentary but limited participation from the populations the commission wants to reach. “We’ve had 75 quality responses,” he said. Commissioners and staff described a multi-pronged outreach plan that includes in‑person interviews, partnering with local churches and synagogues, flyers and social‑media graphics, events at Forbes Library and other community locations, and student volunteers for campus and high‑school outreach.
Why it matters: Commissioners stressed that written surveys alone miss people who lack internet access or do not respond to links. Multiple commissioners proposed training volunteers to collect responses on paper at senior housing, housing‑authority sites and faith institutions and to offer short, scheduled in‑depth interviews targeted at Black residents. The commission also plans to recruit and schedule 15‑minute interviews and will circulate a standardized interview questionnaire to volunteers.
Planned engagements described on the record included an MLK Day launch, a Forbes Library event, an online New England reparations day program, and school and college outreach at Smith College and Northampton High School. Commissioners asked for a sign‑in and attendance tracking process so the commission can report how many residents are reached and the demographics of attendees.
Ending: Staff said they will circulate draft interview questions, a template outreach email and a calendar of confirmed events. Commissioners volunteered to canvass institutions and attend partner events; several commissioners offered to draft social graphics and to recruit interviewees from their networks.
