Logo credit: Kervin Noel and Jaelin Forestier

Listen. Learn. Take Action.

A Project Civitas initiative, Project Listen provides a platform for all members of the Lynn community to share their thoughts on: 1) race and racism in America; 2) post-COVID-19 pandemic relief and recovery; and 3) civility. You may have heard of the “Story Corps,” which airs on National Public Radio. They invite friends and family members to reminisce and ruminate on their relationships. The goal of Story Corps is “to build connections and create a more just and compassionate world.” Or you may have heard of the Shoah oral history archive at the US Holocaust Memorial and Museum, which interviews survivors, liberators, and witnesses to the Holocaust in order to document that unimaginable crime against humanity… and so that we may finally learn the lessons of genocide and be able to truly say the words “never again!”

“Oral histories” – that is, the process of collecting, preserving, and sharing people’s stories – are important research tools for historians, scholars, and students. But on a more basic level – they simply chronicle the human narrative. Our experiences, our struggles, our triumphs, our tragedies – in short, our stories.

Storytelling is a political act and vital to understanding the: 1) deep and pervasive roots of racism in this country particularly in the realms of police brutality, privilege, systemic racism and more.; 2) challenges and coping strategies during and post the COVID-19 pandemic particularly in the realms of effects of the pandemic on life and mental health, success stories of coping, and more; and 3) inspiring stories of civility as they pertain to our country’s healing from its persisting economic, political, and societal divisions.

We all have stories to share. Project Civitas would like to invite you to share your story. Through these stories, we will build a stronger and more cohesive Lynn community that recognizes and celebrates its diversity.

Listen deeply to these stories. Listen without judgment. This will be the beginning of your journey. After you have listened, take the next step of learning, by reviewing the extensive resources collected here.

PARTICIPATE.