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Southold anti-bias task force aims to educate young people, empower kids against bullying

Southold’s anti-bias task force is reaching out to the next generation to help stamp out discrimination and put the brakes on bullying in schools.

Newly elected co-chairs of the committee Val Shelby and Sonia Spar spoke to the Southold Town board Tuesday about their goals, including an effort to be reach out to young people and engage them in creating bias-free environments in local schools.

The anti-bias task force is also working to teach kids about the dangers of cyber bullying, Spar said.

Meetings have been held with all North Fork school districts, Spar said.

Artwork has been done by elementary school children, illustrating ways to promote a bias-free environment; middle school students have also addressed the topic through creative writing assignments.

Educators hope to discover firsthand how young people perceive discrimination.

One idea, Shelby said, is to have the kids create and film 30-second public service announcements that can be shown on the town’s public access station. “We want to give them a platform,” she said.

In other news, the anti-bias task force also reported honoring outgoing Mattituck School Superintendent James McKenna last year; each year, a different member of the community is recognized for his or her efforts to serve as an example in the fight against discrimination.

Also honored was Helen Prince, a teacher at a labor camp.

“The most important thing is to foster engagement with schools, and focus on education, because the kids are the future,” Shelby said.

After a brutal machete attack and shooting in Southold last fall by gang members, Spar said the anti-bias task force is also working with the police department and the public to ensure members of the Latino community “feel comfortable” speaking to a police officer. The hiring of a Spanish speaking officer was a positive step, Shelby said. “We want to respond to incidents of discrimination,” she said.

The youth, meanwhile, will create the PSAs as an awareness-raising tool; a meeting could be held down the line to bring together parents together with educators, teens and town officials share their views on the issues. High school seniors can volunteer to help and receive community service credit, Shelby said.

Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell commended the ant-bias task force for their “robust meetings” that have long galvanized the community.

Russell told the town board that he plans to have representatives from all town committees come before the board with reports of accomplishments and plans for the future.

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