Support Local Black-Owned Businesses and Organizations!

By | July 24, 2020
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Would you like to make a difference in supporting racial equity in Vermont? One easy way to do this is by shopping at Black-owned businesses and financially supporting Black-owned organizations. Richmond Racial Equity will periodically be posting Black-owned Vermont businesses to shop at, as well as Black-owned organizations and fundraisers. Check these out: 

Clemmons Family Farm, one of only 17 Black-owned farms in Vermont, that is also a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting African-American and African diaspora arts and culture.

 
The SUSU Healing Collective’s BIPOC Land and Food Sovereignty Fund. This fundraiser has surpassed its initial goal to provide CSAs for BIPOC Vermonters, and funds are now being allocated towards the purchase of land for BIPOC farmers in our state. To read more about the SUSU Healing Collective click here.
 
Additionally, if you are a BIPOC farmer/farm worker in the Northeast who has been financially impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, or you know someone who may qualify, check out the Northeast BIPOC Farmer Relief Fund. Applications are being accepted until August 10th. 

Recent data on SROs from The Economist, July 2020

By | July 24, 2020
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I read an article in this week’s Economist on the subject of School Resource Officers (SROs) – timely, and not surprising. A link is below; the article is a little over a page long. Because you may hit a paywall, I have added a PDF of the article to the resources section in our website. In short, there are some contradictory studies on the value of SROs but studies predominantly identify that SROs do not increase school safety. Some have shown that they have a negative effect on high school graduation rates and college enrollment. Guidance for changing these programs recommends asking teachers and administrators about their use of SROs, e.g. why are they called into classrooms and how often. Anecdotal evidence suggests that teacher/student relationships have a bearing on SRO use and outcomes. Here’s the link:

https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/07/18/do-police-officers-in-schools-help-or-hinder-teachers

July 24th-July 25th Events!

By | July 23, 2020
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Hello all,

Every weekend is a good weekend to do some allyship work! This weekend we have some great options: protests/rallies and watching some amazing films!
Two events tomorrow (July 24th): 
Protest Trump’s Police State in Portland and Everywhere- 6-7:30 pm at the Federal Building in Burlington. It is hosted by Community Voices for Immigrant Rights. 
Event Description:

Protest Trump’s Police State in Portland and Everywhere!
Stop the Deployment of Federal Agents in Our Cities
Assemble Friday July 24th at 6pm at The Federal Building, 11 Elmwood Avenue, Burlington, Vermont and March on Church Street to Senator Leahy’s Office
Trump has deployed Customs and Border Protection’s paramilitary unit, Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC), to Portland, Oregon to suppress protests of the Black Lives Matter movement. Along with other Federal agents, they are driving through the city in unmarked vans, patrolling
in camouflaged uniforms without identification, and nabbing activists and detaining them without charges in undisclosed locations.
Trump is now preparing to deploy these and other federal units in over a dozen cities across the country, beginning in Chicago this weekend. He is unleashing forces that have long terrorized migrants on the border and throughout the country against all of us. The Department of Homeland Security is being turned against the taxpayers who fund it. One of its nerve centers is right here in Williston.
Our next step will be a major protest there. Portland has shown us how to respond to such Gestapo-like tactics. They have risen up in even bigger marches, refusing to be intimidated. We must do the same.
Join us to demand:
No to deployment of federal agents in our cities!
No to repression of demonstrations against racism!
No to violation of immigrant rights at the border and throughout the country!
Yes to racial justice, equality, and freedom everywhere!
We will speak out and march to stop the deployment of Trump’s federal agents from Portland to Burlington. This is just the first step. Join us for a Zoom organizing meeting on Monday, August 3rd at 6pm to plan a larger protest at Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security in Williston. (More information on this meeting will be posted soon)

 
The Black Perspective presents: Outdoor Movie Night- 8 pm at Battery Park in Burlington. 
“If Beale Street Could Talk” will be shown. 
Event description:

“Our goal in sharing these black films is to educate the greater audience of Burlington on the black experience, even more importantly black creativity and its impact on the modern day film industry.
Picnic Style, BRING MASK and keep SIX FEET distance!!”

This event seems to be free, however, please be ready to PAY the BIPOC organizers for their hard work. Bring cash. Or you can pre-pay @theblackperspectivevt Cash app: $tbpvt Google pay: theblackperspectivevt@gmail.com
Two Events Saturday, July 25th:
 
MMU Black Lives Matter Rally- 4-5:30 pm at MMU. Let’s all go and show support for local BIPOC youth. I will ask Sirena about donating. 
 
*Second Night* The Black Perspective presents: Outdoor Movie Night- 8 pm at Battery Park in Burlington. 
“Moonlight” will be shown. 
Event description:

“Our goal in sharing these black films is to educate the greater audience of Burlington on the black experience, even more importantly black creativity and its impact on the modern day film industry.
Picnic Style, BRING MASK and keep SIX FEET distance!!”

This event seems to be free, however, please be ready to PAY the BIPOC organizers for their hard work. I would pay 15-20 dollars (the amount you’d pay to go to the movies, but more would be great). Bring cash. Or you can pre-pay @theblackperspectivevt Cash app: $tbpvt Google pay: theblackperspectivevt@gmail.com
I hope to see you all at some of these events. Anti-racism work is something you do every day.
If you have questions, or need a ride to an event, let me know!
Kelsey

Black Lives Matter mural on Main Street in Burlington

By | July 20, 2020
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Sunday afternoon (July 19) saw dozens of volunteers and hundreds of participants painting a bright orange mural reading “BLACK LIVES MATTER” on Main Street in Burlington (between South Winooski Avenue and St. Paul St). My wife Carole and I volunteered to stand in the middle of all that blacktop in near-100° conditions to keep the participants painting within the lines, clean up spills outside the lines, get fresh paint, apply hand sanitizer, etcetera, etcetera. It was great fun and it was inspiring to see how many people came out on a blazing hot day to take part.

 

Burlington declares racism a public health emergency

By | July 16, 2020
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Burlington is not Richmond and Richmond is not Burlington, but it’s interesting to note that on Thursday morning, mayor Miro Weinberger and the other groups formally declared racism a public health emergency.

Quoting from the WCAX.com article on the event, “As part of the declaration, the group outlined three main goals. They include a commitment to eradicating racism within their organizations, immediate and specific actions to address the emergency in the work that they do, and a commitment to participate in ongoing actions to eliminate race-based health disparities.”

There’s much more to the event than simply that — but rather than restate it here, I’ll simply share a link and ask that if you have time, you go read it.

https://www.wcax.com/2020/07/16/burlington-to-declare-racism-a-public-health-emergency/