We seek to promote in-person dialogue about systemic issues that affect human dignity with a goal of fostering a more inclusive community.
The Hingham Unity Council is a non-partisan, nonprofit group started by members of the Hingham community in fall 2019. All are welcome to participate in our conversations and planning. Please read more about our vision, purpose and guiding tenets here. At this time, we are focusing on programming to address issues affecting our town such as diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, socioeconomic disparities, and standing with our LGBQTIA+ community. If you are interested in getting more involved, please contact us.
News
Why is it important to Celebrate Juneteenth? – Call for Student Submissions
As part of the celebration of Juneteenth in Hingham this year, the Hingham Unity Council is inviting all students who live and/or attend school in Hingham to participate in a competition where they can express the importance of celebrating the holiday and what Juneteenth means to the community through a work of visual or performance art, an essay or other written work. Students in grades K- 12 are invited to submit an essay, poem, a piece of visual art (drawing, painting, sculpture - any medium of expression is welcome!), a video or original song or other performance to the Juneteenth committee.
HUC Letter to Advisory Committee regarding Accessory Dwelling Units
Dear Members of the Advisory Committee: I am writing on behalf of the Hingham Unity Council (the “HUC”) regarding the proposed changes to the Town’s ADU by-law. The HUC supports the removal of the familial restriction on these rentals as originally proposed by the ADU Study Committee appointed by Hingham Town Meeting. We have attended all of the Planning Board’s public hearings on this proposal and have yet to hear any fact-based explanation for retaining this restriction. If anything, we heard only additional data supporting its removal. We believe the strongest arguments in support are: Housing diversity/affordability. Goal 4 of Hingham’s Master Plan and the Hingham Housing Plan both emphasize the urgency of diversifying our Town’s housing inventory, especially as our overall population is aging, with a national trend toward solo aging. Page 90 of the Housing Plan states: “The recent adoption of the ADU bylaw is a good start and certainly a step in the right direction. However, restricting occupancy to family members largely sidesteps one of the primary purposes and benefits of such units - to provide homeowners with additional income that is particularly important for elderly homeowners, single parents, and others who are spending too much of [Read More ->]
HUC Statement in Support of our AAPI Community
The HUC stands in solidarity with our Asian/Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) community on the South Shore, in Monterey Park, and everywhere. You belong here, and you are not alone. We hope everyone will join us as we continue to work to dismantle the structures and conditions in our society that perpetuate harassment, violence, and hate against individuals of any race, gender, class, disability, sexual orientation, religion, age or national origin.
A Letter from the South Shore Unity Council
Today, the letter below is being sent by all of the SSUC partner organizations (which includes HUC) to their town leaders and community members. We wanted to share it with you as well. Dear Residents and Leaders of Boston’s South Shore Communities, We are writing to introduce ourselves to you as organizations that are deeply dedicated to the principle that every single person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect no matter who they are or where they come from. In 2019, we came together to form a coalition called the South Shore Unity Council. Through programming, events, and other community initiatives, we seek to bridge differences in experience and perspective in order to build a culture that respects and values the individuality and humanity of every individual. We will not stand quietly by in the face of disrespect or mistreatment of our neighbors based on race, sexual orientation, gender, religious affiliation, disability or any other reason. We condemn recent acts of racism and anti-Semitism, actions targeting the LGBQTIA+ community, Muslims, and others, as well as the dissemination of white supremacist propaganda in our communities. We stand with our neighbors of diverse backgrounds and are committed to ensuring our [Read More ->]