By Anna Bedell
The Diversity Council has a new chair. Jaymie Bianca will be leading her first meeting this week on Tuesday, July 26.
Bianca, who is a Bristol native, has been attending the Diversity Council meetings since 2019, but it wasn’t until the summer of 2021 that she began attending on a regular basis. She became a member of the council in December 2021 and was elected chair in May. The June meeting was canceled. This will be her first as chair.
Since the beginning of 2022, several members of the council have resigned, including former chair Alicia Washington and vice chair Erica Pearson. Two new members have been added: Ronaldo Ortiz and Denise Powell.
Bianca talked with TBE in June.
“I just love the Diversity Council’s mission, which is to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion to the city of Bristol,” said Bianca.
“With my experiences combined with the experiences of my family, friends and acquaintances in the city, I knew this was something that I wanted to partake in.”
Bianca said she is eager to getting going, especially to work with the amazing people on the council. She’d like to do something good for Bristol, to help the community.
“The Diversity Council is very active in our city,” Bianca said. “We have a lot of different plans.”
Bianca said the council is starting a youth coalition to engage high schoolers who are going to be seen as the “youth extension” of the Diversity Council.
“That’s super exciting because it’s not only going to help promote the Diversity Council in schools, but it’s going to help promote the Diversity Council in the city of Bristol among our youth,” said Bianca.
This summer the Diversity Council has a booth at the Bristol Farmers Market and plans to have one as well at the West End Association Festival at Rockwell Park.
Members of the group, she said, attended Pride Night at Muzzy Field in June, as well as the Pride celebration at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church also in June.
“I really see us being engaged in events that promote diversity, equity and inclusion for Bristol as well as engaging our youth.”
Bianca who graduated from Trinity College in 2021 with a triple major – educational studies, human rights and English – intends to put all of her degrees to use.
“I use my English degree when I am helping students in their classes (she teaches in a program at Bristol Central High School) and when I am crafting agendas for meetings or even when I am crafting flyers and graphics for the Diversity Council,” said Bianca.
“I use my education degree when I’m helping students, in my approaches and interactions with other people and human rights.”
Bianca said her education has taught her about the different issues that our country is presently facing, as well as the issues our communities are facing.
“It really informs the way I approach different situations and the way I approach the Diversity Council,” said Bianca. “Having that multifaceted experience at Trinity really prepared me for life after college.”
Her education hasn’t stopped with Trinity. She is currently taking a couple of classes at Tunxis Community College.
“I’m pursuing a certificate of Civic Engagement that has really helped inform my role as chair of the Diversity Council, and my role in society and as a human being,” said Bianca.
Bianca works at Bristol Central High School as a tutor in its AVID (Advancement via Individual Determination) program. She helps students with college applications, scholarships and study skills.
“I also tutor students individually and am a ‘Fellow for Ignite’ which is a female empowerment and political leadership nonprofit,” said Bianca.
The next meeting will be on Tuesday, July 26, at 6:30 in Meeting Room #3 at the Bristol Public Library. The meetings are also available virtually. A link to the agenda and meeting is available here.
Items on the agenda, according to Bianca, include West End Association Rockwell Park, Youth Coalition, Impact Avenues, Farmers Market and Cultural Festival 2023. Business will include the development of a comprehensive resource list, new members and recruitment, the Aug. 3 Community Conversation, and Diversity Council Cards.