Brookline’s Raul Fernandez Advocates For More Public Policymaking

BROOKLINE, MA —Following a community conversation on racial justice Monday, Brookline Select Board Vice-Chair and current State Representative candidate Raul Fernandez released a statement advocating for more public conversation surrounding policymaking.

“Policymaking shouldn’t happen behind closed doors — even if those doors are on Beacon Hill,” said Fernandez. "The fact is, the people whose lived experiences align most closely with the structural problems we face have the best chance of solving them. That’s why we’re taking a different approach in this campaign, and it’s why we’re being intentional about ensuring that our policies are shaped by the communities they’ll affect.”

“Our first policy conversation focused on Racial Justice because it’s not just one policy area among many — it’s the lens through which I see every issue,” he continued.

Monday’s conversation included comments from Select Board member Miriam Aschkenasy, macro social worker and community organizer Emy Takinami, and Brookline High School student and racial justice researcher Azavia Barsky-Elnour.

“From Emy calling out the lack of urgency with which our legislature has handled the wealth gap, to Miriam talking about how we need to contextualize our thinking about power and systems to account for centuries of structural oppression, to Azavia sharing her deep research on how racism in schools affects students of color, our policy platform will be far stronger thanks to their contributions,” said Fernandez.

“I’m grateful that Raul is prioritizing real community input in his policy development process, and especially the fact that he is ensuring those who are impacted by these decisions have a seat at the table,” said Takinami. “I’m looking forward to listening in and learning more from the rest of the conversations in this series, and am excited to see how racial justice will be woven into all of these discussions.”

For more information on Fernandez’s campaign for State Representative in the 15th Norfolk District, click here.