Ty Depass Testimonial

while i have know Chuck personally for at least 40-years–way back to the stop-the-highway campaign–i want to focus on the last 8-years, or since he was elected District-7 Councilor. i’m a founding-member of the D7 Roundtable, which was launched in 1999 to provide the Counselor-elect with an independent vehicle for feedback, accountability, and communication. however, the Roundtable quickly evolved into something more: a grassroots think-tank and public policy forum, convened monthly (until Feb.’08) to discuss, debate, and strategize on the range of issues affecting residents of Greater Roxbury.

Chuck’s leadership was always a touchstone for us — who else besides Chuck (okay, Mel King) could get an all-volunteer group of already overextended community activists to commit 2-Saturday mornings each month to meetings? and his insistence that discussion produce action became the centerpiece of our community practice.

moreover, as chair of Council’s education committee Chuck facilitated citywide discussion and debate of education policy reforms affecting the 84% of BPS students who are children of color, thereby providing a voice to otherwise marginalized families.

likewise, his leadership on behalf of un- and under-employed workers–many of whom hold CORI’s restricting aspirations for careers or higher education–and his steadfast opposition to BU’s BioTerror Lab, demonstrate his selfless commitment to community service. and we have all benefited from his insights into the impact of the war in Iraq on the lives and livelihoods of families from Boston’s poorest and most under-served neighb’ds.

regardless of the allegations against him, we believe that Chuck has never betrayed our trust, and remains deserving of our support. — Ty dePass, for the Board of D7 Roundtable