SWAMPSCOTT — Former Gov. Deval Patrick spoke to members of Congregation Shirat Hayam Wednesday evening in a virtual fireside chat dubbed “Race in America.”
In the conversation, moderated by state Rep. Lori Ehrlich (D-Marblehead), who is a member of the congregation, Patrick discussed what he believes the country can do to move forward from its history of racial discrimination. He especially emphasized committing to integration and expanding voting rights.
“We have projected ourselves as the world’s greatest democracy,” said Patrick, who was Massachusetts’ first Black governor. “We have been election observers around the world and been the ones who have done thumbs up or thumbs down about whether the election was fair and open. We hold ourselves up as a model of democracy for much of that time, and today our democracy has been incomplete.”
The event was the first in Shirat Hayam’s “We Shall Not Be Silent” speaker series, organized by the group Tzedek LaKol (“Justice for All” in Hebrew).
Patrick discussed recent legislation in other states, especially in Georgia, that has made it more difficult for citizens to vote and has especially impacted voters of color. He said that this is one example of a shift in power that disenfranchises people around the country.
“It is harder to maintain your voter registration in some places than your driver’s license, which is ridiculous,” he said. “Either it’s a real democracy or it’s not.”
Patrick said he was happy to see the growing movement among younger people to speak out against discrimination and disenfranchisement, such as the 2020 protests after the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis. He said that seeing this made him feel hopeful that the country can move forward.
“I try to say to folks, be impatient, because frankly it was that same kind of impatience against extraordinary odds that created that momentum over the decades,” Patrick said. “It feels like a younger generation has put its collective foot down and said, we’re not going to accept the way things have been anymore.”
However, he added that one of the most important steps toward a more accepting future is for individuals to make an effort to seek out viewpoints and experiences that differ from their own.
“There is a kind of a beautiful risk-taking that goes with living with an open heart,” he said. “It can be painful. It has been painful for me from time to time. But in the sweep of my life, the benefits of living with an open heart have so far outweighed the costs.”
The “We Shall Not Be Silent” series will continue with Rabbi Tiferet Berenbaum of Brookline in a talk titled “What Does Judaism Teach Us About Racial Justice?” at 4 p.m. Sunday, April 18. Lynn pastor, the Rev. Dr. Andre Bennett, will give a talk at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 27 titled “Racial Justice: Local Perspectives, Local Impact.” All of the events are free and open to all.
For more information or to register for the talks, visit shirathayam.org.
