Sudbury Lived Experiences

What are we about?

Storytelling for change. We believe that for Sudbury to be a place of belonging, it must be a place of equity. Lived Experiences collects local stories to document identity-based experiences, including racism and prejudice, IN SUDBURY—from people who live, study, visit, or work in Sudbury. Our survey is anonymous and—if you want it to be—confidential so that you can tell your story without fear. Our goal is to make Sudbury a better place to live, work, learn—or just be. By understanding the experiences of individuals in our community, we can raise community awareness and collaborate with local advocacy groups and our Select Board to effect change.

Important: Only those stories that respondents have designated as "okay to share publicly" will be included on the website and potentially shared on other platforms such as the Sudbury Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (SDEIC) Facebook page, town discussions, etc. On the other hand, if you would like to share your story at a future event, you can let us know in the survey.

This survey is designed for participants ages 18 and over. If you are under the age of 18, please have your parent or guardian tell a story on your behalf.

Privacy and confidentiality: We will report on aggregate data (e.g., number of story types) from the survey, whether it is marked confidential or not. All raw data will be stored on a private server, and a limited number of project participants (researchers and interns) will have access to stories and data marked as "confidential."

Why participate?

Stories are transformative. They have the power to reshape cultural norms and dismantle power systems. From the #MeToo movement, we learned that asking someone who has already had to endure bias and discrimination to share painful experiences requires further emotional effort on their part, and this is something that we recognize. However, we believe that the process of sharing one's story is also EMPOWERING. And it creates CHANGE. Your story can help transform our community by resetting the agenda, building awareness, prompting reflection and dialogue, building new relationships across groups, and shifting norms—from complacency and resignation to responsibility and agency.

Who leads Lived Experiences?

The Lived Experiences Project in Sudbury was created by the Sudbury Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commission (SDEIC), in consultation with Dr. Nichole Argo, co-founder of the Lived Experiences Project in Needham, MA. The mission of the SDEIC is to support diversity, achieve equity, and foster inclusion for every member of this community, respecting all aspects of identities.

The Lived Experiences Project is made possible by a gift from the Sudbury Foundation. Before being made public, this survey was reviewed by a diverse group of Sudbury residents on the SDEIC Lived Experiences Subcommittee.