“Small town, big heart” is the slogan for Swampscott Unites, Respects, Embraces Diversity (S.U.R.E. Diversity), a volunteer community group dedicated to promoting an understanding of diversity. According to S.U.R.E. Diversity member Ralph Edwards, many people think that just because the small town is probably 90 or 95% white, there’s no diversity.
“I’m an old person, I use a walker,” Edwards said, adding that there’s also age, ability, gender, sexual orientation, and ethnicity to consider, not just race. “So we are a diverse community in so many ways that we want to bring that out and help people better understand and appreciate the person.”
Edwards said that the organization supports METCO students and members of the Students of Color Association (SOCA). It also puts together the annual Heritage Festival, which showcases tables from different countries and cultures with examples of their cuisine, and features dance and student performances. It has also held events regarding autism and transgender people.
One of the organization’s current projects, Tell Us Your Story, encourages residents to tell their origin stories.
“Where did your family come from? Where did they come? Why did they come? How did they come? And what does it mean to you?” Edwards said. “Because it helps us to show the diversity within Swampscott.”
Edwards added that the organization had a map at one of its events and asked people to put a pin on a map, to show where their ancestors come from. More than 60 places were identified.
Edwards said that Tell Us Your Story can get people to recognize and remember that “Hey, except for the Black folks and the Indians, you know, your family went through this as well.”
Tell Us Your Story currently has pins from former Select Board member Peter Spellios, Select Board Chair David Grishman, Town Moderator Michael McClung, Seaglass Village Executive Director Alyce Deveau, and many more. S.U.R.E. Diversity is working to get more people to send in stories so it can archive the stories in the Swampscott Public Library.
Edwards’ story is also in Tell Your Story, where he talks about how his great-grandmother, Myra Brent Wilton, fled Boyce to Alexandria, La. after the family church was burned down by the Ku Klux Klan. Wilton then purchased land and materials to build a second church called the Wilton United Methodist Church. Edwards’ grandmother and his grandmother’s siblings then went on to raise their families near the church in Alexandria.
Sharon Thomas is one of the organization’s newer members. She is a parent of a multi-ethnic child who is Chinese, Vietnamese, and Mexican. Thomas had a friend who was already in the group, and had heard a lot of what the organization is doing to raise awareness of diversity “within this seemingly very Caucasian community.”
“It’s near and dear to my heart to be engaged in something that promotes health and wellness of people of color,” Thomas said.
In the future, Thomas says S.U.R.E. Diversity will host the Juneteenth Jubilee on the Swampscott Town Hall lawn on June 12 from 1 to 3 p.m. There will also be the Garden Art Walk on Saturday, June 29, a community event where people can enjoy touring the neighborhood and looking at close to 70 public and private gardens, many of which will feature artists and musicians. As part of the walk at noon, the Swampscott Public Library will host a Tell Us Your Story activity, organized by S.U.R.E. Diversity, inviting locals to share stories about their heritage and ancestry. Musicians Tony Gallo and John DiTomaso will accompany this activity with songs about community, and artist Elisa Vanelli’s garden sculpture, “Tree of Life,” will be featured in the library gardens.
