To the Editor:

I was one of the fortunate Newtown residents who attended the “Community Conversation: Race and Faith” on Monday, April 25.

I would like to publicly thank C.H. Booth Library and the Newtown Public School System for sponsoring this forum. It was both heartening and encouraging to hear four voices from Newtown’s faith community state unequivocally that it is a core tenet of their faiths to value and care for all people. Seems pretty basic, but these days it’s best to proclaim such things loud and clear.

The evening was structured as a panel discussion designed to “consider and respond to matters of race, equality, equity, and diversity,” followed by questions and comments from the audience. The panelists were all well-informed, honest, compassionate, and direct in their answers to the moderators’ questions.

I am grateful to the panelists, whose expertise, wisdom, and roles as leaders in our community is what led me to attend this event; it was important to me to hear their thoughts about our nation’s “original sin.” The exceptionally well-skilled moderators posed thoughtful questions and kept the format and pace of the evening on track. I learned a lot during the two hour event and have continued thinking about it since.

One takeaway of mine: Even though it may be hard for those of us who are white to hear this, our brothers and sisters of color are not experiencing Newtown the way that we are. It’s painful to hear this because we pride ourselves on being a kind town. However, as one of the panelists said, we need to “listen and believe” those courageous neighbors who are publicly (or privately) sharing their family’s experiences of racism in Newtown with us.

During the public participation segment, one audience member suggested that if the faces in the pews are all white, then faith leaders need to take an honest look at why that may be the case. Implicit in one of the questions from the moderators was that houses of worship should strive to be “unambiguous” in their message that all are welcome, all are valued, and all are loved equally by their creator.

It broke my heart to hear yet more stories about racism in our Newtown schools, but it warmed my heart to see these four representatives — of four different faiths — with their heads together at the end of the event. It is my sincere hope and expectation that they will soon begin to work together to make Newtown a place where all children will feel comfortable at school.

I hope that when called to look within themselves, that congregations will answer with the same honesty and compassion that representatives of their faith showed that night.

Respectfully Submitted,

Wendy Leon-Gambetta

Newtown