Community Conversations Series to Foster Understanding and Empathy

01:27PM / Sunday, September 21, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The public is invited to attend a series of community conversations designed to foster deeper understanding, cultivate empathy and provide an opportunity to ask questions on critical social issues.

These conversations will feature insights from individuals with lived experience and experts in the fields of immigration, domestic violence, criminal justice, substance use disorder, housing insecurity and LGBTQ+ issues.

All sessions will be held on Wednesdays, 4-6 p.m., at Wander, 34 Depot Street, Suite 101, Pittsfield. The schedule is as follows:

September 24: Immigration with Berkshire Immigrant Center
October 8: Domestic Violence with Elizabeth Freeman Center
October 22: Criminal Justice with 2nd Street
November 5: Substance Use Disorder with Berkshire Overdose & Addiction Prevention Collaborative
November 19: Unhoused with Hearthway, ServiceNet and UpSide413
December 3: LGBTQ+ with Berkshire Pride and seeing rainbows

Each conversation is free to attend and all are welcome to learn in this safe and brave space. There will be dedicated time for questions and answers.

Registration is encouraged but not required. For more information and to register, visit berkshireunitedway.org/conversations.

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Pittsfield Council Revisiting DEI Office Rename

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
04:11PM / Tuesday, October 13, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The conversation about the DEI office renaming that was halted by a charter objection will resume on Tuesday.

The City Council will discuss a request from Mayor Peter Marchetti to rename the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

It proposes to rename the DEI office to the Office of Equity, Access, and Opportunity and merge the Human Rights Commission and Affirmative Action Committee into an Equity, Access and Opportunity Commission.

The Ordinance and Rules Subcommittee supported the changes in August, and in September, Ward 2 Councilor Cameron Cunningham delayed the vote with a charter objection.

Pittsfield's City Code prohibits charter states that "if a single member present objects to the taking of the vote, the vote shall be postponed until the next meeting of the city council." It also stipulates that at least four members must object if it is an emergency measure.

Cunningham also submitted a petition, which was referred to O&R under Rule 27, to replace the DEI Office and the Human Rights Commission with an equity, access, and opportunity coordinator in the Department of Community Development, with formal complaints and Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action functions assigned to Human Resources.

At the last meeting, he spent more than an hour querying the mayor and chief diversity officer about functions and effectiveness of the department, wanting more quantitative data. Cunningham proposed an ordinance that he says keeps Pittsfield's commitment to equity, access, and opportunity, "refocuses it on measurable results for our residents, and delivers it at a fraction of the current cost."

Under this petition, the equity, access, and opportunity coordinator would be a $60,000 to $80,000 per year position.

The DEI Office's fiscal year 2027 budget was about $200,000 after cuts during budget season; $106,700 for the chief diversity officer and $58,000 for the administrative assistant. The coordinator would be appointed by the director of community development and the mayor.

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