‘Evil Racism’ still lurks

Many of the region's minority leaders say North Central Massachusetts still has a long way to go when it comes to giving minorities the same opportunities that whites already have.

"Racism is alive and well." said Adrian L. Ford of Fitchburg, administrator for the North Central Massachusetts Minority Council. "Racism separates us and divides us and causes wasted talent and despair."

Ford sees racial inequality as a major part of everyday life in North Central Massachusetts, despite the recent election victories of Gov. Deval Patrick and Fitchburg Mayor Lisa Wong.

"Of course that's progress," Ford said. "But they are stars, the kind of people who can make it in America, not everyone else can.

"There are still a lot of regular folks who are dealing with racial disparities," he added.

Ford, who along with several other minority leaders spoke about race relations following the recent celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, says he sees a "soft" segregation existing in the region, forcing minorities out of the mainstream.

"Our communities are still very much segregated, even through we work together and even though the laws (such as Jim Crow segregation laws) have been lifted," he said.

There are disparities in health care, education, employment and how people are treated in the criminal justice system, he said.

Much of the problem lies with the fact white people are always in power, Ford said.

"It's normal to go to a meeting and everyone in charge and making decisions are white," Ford said. "Why is that normal when one third of Americans are ethnic or racial minorities?"

Sergio Paez, a Leominster resident and member of the Twin Cities Latino Coalition, said the problems of race relations come from a lop-sided power structure.

"We are talking about people who are not being represented within their communities," Paez said.

A lack of representation, at local and state levels, keeps minorities from obtaining the American Dream, Paez said.

Paez is the director for English language services for the Worcester School District, a position he held in Leominster.

"We're still very far from where we need to go," Paez said.

A lack of representation

He said a lack of representation within government leads to a lack of opportunities.

"The city government and the councilors are very nice people, but they don't represent the voice of minority people," Paez said. "We need more access to the decision-making process, access to what they want to improve their lives."

Paez wants new benchmarks for measuring progress for racial equality. A good indicator would be to look at how many minorities are able to get advanced degrees and then find employment within their own communities.

Building a professional class within minority communities will give them access to the American Dream, Paez said.

Getting to that professional class will mean making sure minority students get the same education and chances to go to college and graduate that their white counterparts have, Paez said.

"If you are being deprived of an education you are being deprived of a better economic life," Paez said.

Former Fitchburg City Councilor Jay Cruz said minority communities need to band together and take a greater role in government.

"The government is not its own body, the people are the government," he said.

The more minorities who vote and participate in government, the better representation they'll receive, Cruz said.

Fitchburg's new mayor, Lisa Wong, the state's first Asian-American female mayor, said the changing demographics of Fitchburg's schools are a harbinger of big changes to come.

"Our schools are now 50 percent minority," she said. "We need to make sure there are opportunities for the people entering the workforce."

Wong acknowledges she is now a role model for many minorities in the city, and said she is proud to serve as one.

"We certainly want to make sure there are positive role models out there and show that there is progress being made," Wong said.

Wong said she wants to encourage and foster minority involvement, not just politically, but economically.

She said minorities can make progress and gain representation through buying a house or starting a business in their communities.

"I want to make sure those kinds of opportunities are open to everyone," she said.