Sudbury DEI Commission adopts diversity statement, asks Select Board to consider formal adoption

The Sudbury Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission voted to adopt a drafted position statement declaring the town's commitment to diversity and asking the Select Board to consider making the language an official town position.

Commissioners debated several edits before the vote, including adding "learn" to a key phrase so the sentence reads "live, learn, work and play," and whether to replace the term "newcomers" with explicit language referencing "those who have been historically marginalized or excluded." Chair Janine Taylor said the change was intended to make the statement bolder and clearer about who the commission sought to welcome.

"Our commitment to inclusivity extends to newcomers and those who have been historically marginalized," Janine Taylor said during the discussion. Raul, a visiting participant, urged the group to name exclusion directly so the statement acknowledges historic harms.

After final edits, a commissioner moved that the commission adopt the draft statement and ask the Select Board to adopt it as the town's official position. The motion passed in the recorded voice vote of members present.

Commissioners said they plan to route the adopted statement to the Select Board through the town staff liaison to request guidance on next steps and any public vetting the Select Board may want. The commission also agreed to post the statement on its social channels and use it in outreach materials.

The commission made clear this action is a positional statement from the DEI Commission and not yet formal Select Board policy. Chair Janine Taylor said staff and commissioners will follow the usual process for recommending a document to the Select Board and ask for direction on whether the Select Board wants to place the adopted wording on its agenda.