Blog

Long form essays as well as shorter posts on the “blog” page of Manisha Bewtra’s website. Themes include diversity, anti-racism, equity, political representation, progressive causes, parenting, interpreting history and current events.

Heroes, holidays, monuments, and flags: reframing our history is not erasing it.

Blog / By / / , , , / 16 minutes of reading

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.

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From Melrose to Baltimore with Love: Community Service & Pride of Place Make America Great

Blog, Politics / By / / , , , , , , , , / 4 minutes of reading

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.

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Halloween can tell you a lot about your neighborhood

Blog, Planning / By / / , , , , , , , / 6 minutes of reading

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

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Let’s extinguish the seeds of hate: Manisha’s statement on the events in Charlottesville

Blog, Politics / By / / 1 minute of reading

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

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Promoting Active Transportation and Accessibility in Melrose

Blog, Politics / By / / 3 minutes of reading

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

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Manisha and her son, pictured here with fellow Melrose Human Rights Commissioners in 2017 before the Memorial Day Parade in Melrose, MA

Melrose: Leading the Way to a Welcoming Future

Blog, Politics / By / / 5 minutes of reading

This post was originally published on my “Manisha for Melrose” campaign website, when I was running for Alderman-At-Large (City Councilor-At-Large) on June 20, 2017. At the time, I was the Vice Chair of the Melrose Human Rights Commission as well. At the time, I felt that initiatives by the City of Melrose demonstrated the truth

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Manisha's family went out to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts shortly after procuring a new city-friendly stroller.

Smart Growth Shopping: Choosing a City Stroller

Blog, Planning / By / / / 2 minutes of reading

This essay was originally posted on the Metropolitan Area Planning Council’s Planning 101 blog on January 7, 2013 when I was a Senior Regional Planner there. Sometimes the best way to illustrate abstract concepts such as how to live a “smart growth”-oriented lifestyle is by telling stories from personal experiences. I wrote about my family’s

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