Massachusetts State Senator Julian Cyr introduces United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) to a full house. Photo: Director Devin Reston
Senator Warren Answers her Dukes County Constituents Questions, Photo: Director Devin Reston
Senator Warren Arrival2017 Retrospective
In 2017, the Martha’s Vineyard Social Justice Leadership Foundation (MVSJLF) hosted two community forums on immigration and worked with the staff of United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) for the Senator’s first public event on Martha’s Vineyard. We believe these events, supported our mission statement is to do all things related to developing strong leaders of social justice by advancing education and awareness of the opportunities and individual rights available to all members of the Martha’s Vineyard community. The MVSJLF is a multicultural, anti-racist organization that affirms human dignity and struggles against all forms of oppression.We believe we can be a leader and regional agent in our community by mobilizing community partnerships to assist us in collaborative planning and policy development. By providing our residents with expert advice and access to their elected public officials, supported our efforts to assure equal treatment of all citizens living on Martha’s Vineyard and helped educate them on resources to address issues of social justice concern.
An over-capacity crowd of 1300 attends Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) Town Hall at 9:30AM on July 15th at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School Performing Arts Center
After being invited by the Martha’s Vineyard Social Justice Leadership Foundation, Senator Elizabeth Warren hosted a town hall on Saturday, July 15 at the Martha’s Vineyard Performing Arts Center in Oak Bluffs at 9:30AM to a sellout crowd of 1300 people. This was her first public event in Dukes County. The lines snaked around the high school and in an effort to include the folks, who were unable to get seats, Senator Warren made her way up the line answering her Dukes County constituents questions about what’s happening in the United States Senate and how she’s fighting for Massachusetts families. Our Board of Directors is extremely appreciative of the hard work of our Directors, Officers, and Senator Warren’s staff to make this event a reality. As the second smallest county in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, it was important to give voice to island residents to share their opinions with Senator Warren. Community Forums on ImmigrationWe also hosted two community forums on immigration policy partnering with the ACLU-Massachusettes who sent their legal experts to discuss the important immigration policy changes and how they will affect our island community. Our local Massachusetts State Representative Dylan Fernandes also joined the panel. We appreciate Dylan’s and his State Senate colleague, Senator Julian Cyr hard work on Beacon Hill for the Cape and Islands. We look forward to continuing our efforts in 2018, we are exploring the affordable housing issue, responding to our community survey about the social justice issues of most concern to our rural island community.
MVSJLF Chairwoman Laurie Perry, Director Devin Reston with MA State Senator Julian Cyr, who represents the Cape & Islands
Director Devin Reston advocating for social justice issues with Maura Healy Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Devin comes from a strong entrepreneurial background with varied experiences in creating and building startups in the fields of optical hardware, energy beverages, and medical software. He studied corporate finance as a business administration masters student at the University of Iowa Tippie School of Business. He is currently a year-round resident of the island working as a business consultant and in real estate sales.
He is committed to the economic sustainability of the Martha’s Vineyard community, and the efforts to combat climate change, which he believes is a social justice issue. He believes in the equality for all individuals and against discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, age, veteran status, intellectual and physical disabilities, genetic information, and military service.
