They talked about historical attempts by white men to oppress people of color, and detailed some of the issues they are facing under President Donald Trump. They called for a “people of color caucus.”
They also unveiled a photography display called “I am Vermont, too” and announced that an omnibus racial justice bill would be introduced in the House and Senate soon.
The photography project displays people of color describing micro-aggressions, which are subtle but offensive comments that reinforce racist stereotypes.
“I am biracial. I am half white, half black. And I constantly have people asking me where I’m from. I say, ‘I’m from Providence.’ And they say, ‘No, where are you really from?’” said Senowa Mize-Fox, an organizer with Black Lives Matter Vermont.
“They’re implying I’m an immigrant, which is not necessarily a bad thing to be,” Mize-Fox said, “but (they’re) always questioning my identity. And that can be very hurtful to me because I’m American. I was born in America. That is my identity.”
Rep. Kiah Morris, D-Bennington, said the racial justice bill will seek to create a specific office within state government that would provide oversight on racial injustice in schools, criminal justice and policing.
“There is no one that’s really keeping track of this, and so we need an entity — separate from what the Human Rights (Commission) does,” Morris said. She said the office might end up being within the attorney general’s office.
Morris pointed to Vermont’s efforts to implement fair and impartial policing practices. “There’s real disparities still on who has adopted the policies, who has an understanding of what the policy is,” she said.
Mark Hughes, a volunteer with Black Lives Matter and the executive director of Justice for All, thanked Morris and others for working on the bill.
“We didn’t walk in with a lot of money and a lot of lobbyists,” Hughes said.
The news conference was the public kickoff of a planned weekend of events. They include a reading Thursday by legislators of the 2015 gubernatorial proclamation that declared Feb. 12 “Black Lives Matter Day.”
Saturday will mark the opening of the BLM VT Community Shop and Safe Space in Winooski.
An education march is planned Sunday at 4 p.m. through Winooski neighborhoods of predominantly people of color.
More information on the events is available here.
