racial justice

The Juxtaposition: Slavery Is Abolished - No Time for Victory Laps 11/09/2022

From the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance:

Throughout this journey of PR. 2 (the constitutional amendment abolishing slavery) we have been confronted with confusion, denial, ridicule, rejection, exploitation, attacks, and lies. We never considered that the system that we were addressing would be our biggest impediment and a source of disinformation, misinformation and contention. We have fought this fight through both chambers of the General Assembly twice and yesterday the people spoke on the matter.

They voted YES.

Our intent has ALWAYS been clear - that this constitutional amendment shake Vermont into the awareness of the legacy of the institution of slavery - systemic racism AND that they would do the work of addressing it.

We'll discuss this and the rest of the states with slavery abolishment on the ballot with our guest Max Parthas from the Abolish Slavery National Network.

The Juxtaposition: Vermont, the First State to Abolish Slavery-ish 10/12/2022

From the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance:

Amending the Vermont Constitution is an incredibly long and arduous process. The road to prohibit slavery through this process has been exponentially longer. First, why is Vermont prohibiting slavery if it was already abolished? Second, what was the process that led us here? Finally, what will the impact of prohibiting slavery be in Vermont in moving forward?

Homework: Read Article 1 of the Vermont Constitution (30 seconds)

The Vermont Racial Justice Alliance remains committed to prohibiting slavery and indentured servitude in all forms in Vermont. The existing slavery exception clauses in Vermont constitution are NOT symbolic but carry the same weight as any other language in our constitution and therefore MUST be amended with prohibition language. We're grateful that the constitutional amendment process in Vermont (one of the most comprehensive in the nation) has afforded this State the due diligence required for such an important matter. Never having been a State (or nation) where slavery hasn't existed leaves us uncertain of the impact that this constitutional amendment will have over time, but we know that it is morally right to constitutioinally prohibit slavery. We do know that this reprehensible crime against humanity has left us with the insidious monster of systemic racism and we remain committed to eradicating it on all fronts. This constitutional amendment is a part of that process and will serve as a memorial in perpetuity.

The Juxtaposition: Walk In Power 08/11/2022

From the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance:

A program about issues affecting Black Folks and Black Folks effecting change.

The struggles and advances of Black folks throughout our national history of slavery and its current legacy have infused in our DNA an indisputable resilience. Realizing the untapped power that exists in us is a life altering awakening. It is liberating, exhilarating and infectious. It is our challenge to walk in this power and cultivate it in others. We’re joined today by a community member who walks in power.

Guests: Rajnii Eddins, Spoken Word Poet/Emcee and Teaching Artist; Christine Hughes, Director of the Richard Kemp Center

Originally from Seattle Washington, Spoken Word Poet/Emcee and Teaching Artist Rajnii Eddins has been engaging diverse community audiences for over 27 years. He was the youngest member of the Afrikan American Writers Alliance at age 11 and has been actively sharing with youth and community in Vermont since 2010.

Christine co-founded Uncommon Alliance, the first grassroots, local effort to initiate race data collection with the local police department. She is the Principal of New SeasonsVT and the Director of CALEOVT. She served as the first Chair of the Racial Disparities in the Criminal and Juvenile Justice System Advisory Panel. Christine also created a Workforce Development program at the Burlington CJC as a contractor for the state for 12 years. Most recently she served as Senior Employment Consultant for Hireability and VABIR over the past four years.

The Juxtaposition: Hiding Behind Objectivity 07/13/2022

From the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance:

Think of all of the time and money directed to training, education and consulting on the issue of systemic racism. Consider all of the public policy work and community oriented action currently underway. Why are we still doing this in 2022? Why can’t we win on racial justice and equity? Are we missing something? An NPR/Ipsos Poll indicates that 50 percent of White people do not believe that systemic racism exists. Amongst those, it’s less clear how many of them are actually doing something about it. How do we win in today’s climate of ongoing backlash knowing that part of our team is Hiding Behind Objectivity?

We’re joined by Vincent Mitchell, Director of Student Culture, Vermont Racial Justice Alliance.

This episode of The Juxtaposition won a Hometown Media Award for Racial Justice and Civil Rights Programming Independent Producer at the 2023 Alliance for Community Media.

The Juxtaposition: Running Victory Laps in a Race That’s Not Over 06/08/2022

From the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance:

Last year Juneteenth was declared a national holiday. How do we reconcile that with the ongoing efforts in Vermont and nationally to abolish slavery? Join us as we navigate a discussion to unpack the truth about our US history with slavery and hear from some of the abolitionists doing the work in other states and at the national level NOW in 2022.

Guest list:
Curtis Davis
ED, Decarcerate Louisiana
Author, Slave State Evidence of Apartheid in America
mindfield416@gmail.com

Max Parthes
max@abolishslavery.us
Acting Director for the Paul Cuffee Abolitionist Center in Sumpter,
National Campaign Coordinator for the Abolish Slavery National Network
Co-host/Executive producer of Abolition Today

Jamilia Land and Sam Brown
jamilialand@gmail.com
sam.nathaniel.brown@gmail.com
Co founders, Antiviolence Safety and Accountability Project (A.S.A.P)
Chairs of the California Abolition Act Coalition

The Juxtaposition: The Juxtaposition Promo 05/11/2022

From the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance:

Join Mark Hughes on the second Wednesday of every month for The Juxtaposition -- a live conversation about issues impacting Black Vermonters.

The Juxtaposition: Freedom and Unity 05/11/2022

From the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance:

There is general agreement that Vermont's motto is about the idea of balancing two seemingly opposite ideals: the personal freedom and independence of the individual citizen, with the common good of the larger community. Article 1 of the Vermont Constitution states that "all persons are born equally free and independent, and have certain natural, inherent, and unalienable rights." How do we reconcile that with the fact that Vermont was the first state to ever constitutionalize slavery.

Our guest is Debbie Ingram, Executive Director of Vermont Interfaith Action.