Manisha has always enjoyed creative nonfiction writing. The personal essays and posts in this blog cover a range of topics Manisha is intrigued by or cares deeply about, including identity and intersectionality, community building, city planning and development, climate action, civil rights, US history and current events, progressive politics, and civic engagement.
- Heroes, holidays, monuments, and flags: reframing our history is not erasing it.
The more I learn about this country’s history, the more I learn about its celebrated heroes and holidays, the more I learn about hidden heroes whose stories haven’t been widely told and about historical events that haven’t been widely celebrated, the more I feel robbed. With each passing year, I have been quietly grappling with my growing frustration over the chasm between the aspirational ideals of the United States of America and its reality. How can we rid our future of this systemic racism if we can’t stop romanticizing and glorifying and glossing over the past? How can we confront the realities of our present systems if we can’t be honest about how they came to be? There are many interpretations of history, but certain narratives dominate. And these dominant narratives perpetuate racist systems. - From Melrose to Baltimore with Love: Community Service & Pride of Place Make America Great
This post was written as a response to the ugly Tweets and comments from the 45th President of the United States regarding “The Squad” as well as Baltimore in July 2019. I posted this on July 29, 2019 on the Manisha for Melrose website as well as in local media and my social media pages.… Read more: From Melrose to Baltimore with Love: Community Service & Pride of Place Make America Great - Halloween can tell you a lot about your neighborhood
This was originally posted on the Massachusetts Housing Partnership blog on October 31, 2018 when I was a Senior Program Manager for the Community Assistance Team there. I’ve reposted here for archival purposes, should MHP choose to remove the post at a later date! MELROSE — While preparing for my son’s first time trick-or-treating after… Read more: Halloween can tell you a lot about your neighborhood - Let’s extinguish the seeds of hate: Manisha’s statement on the events in Charlottesville
This was originally published on the Manisha for Melrose campaign website, posted during my 2017 Alderman-At-Large (City Councilor-At-Large) campaign on August 13, 2017. I was also the Vice Chair of the Melrose Human Rights Commission at the time. My thoughts are with the people of Charlottesville and those on the front lines rising up to… Read more: Let’s extinguish the seeds of hate: Manisha’s statement on the events in Charlottesville - Promoting Active Transportation and Accessibility in Melrose
Originally posted on “Manisha for Melrose” campaign website on July 11, 2017. Many links are no longer active and have been removed. Have you ever: Tried crossing the street at a crosswalk with a traffic light while walking in Melrose, and either waited for a long time for the signal to change to a walk… Read more: Promoting Active Transportation and Accessibility in Melrose