Greetings!

Trump is sending border patrol to cities around the country to silence BLM protesters. Join the action happening in Burlington this weekend to demand this come to an end.

-Kina Thorpe, Educational Program Manager
In This Issue (in order)
  • Protest the Deployment of Federal Agents in Our Cities
  • From the Blog: Say What You Mean
  • Stop the Sale of Marlboro College to Seth Andrews
  • Action Highlight: Investigate COVID-19 in Detention Facilities
Click here to for the quarterly Peace & Justice Center Newsletter
July 22, 2020
Views expressed by entities outside of the Peace & Justice Center do not necessarily represent the views of the PJC.

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. 

Assemble Friday July 24th at 6pm at The Federal Building in Burlington to march to Senator Leahy’s Office. Click here for the Facebook event.

Join an organizing meeting on Monday, August 3rd at 6pm (via Zoom) to plan a larger protest at Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security in Williston. Register for the meeting here.

Image from Wired.com
-Kina Thorpe, PJC Educational Program Manager

The beautiful thing about language is that it is constantly evolving. Sometimes it is hard to keep track of what words are “in” and what words are “out”. Especially in the world of social justice, we are always creating new terms to be more precise. An example of this is the current switch from using POC (people of color) to BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of color). This change highlights how Black and Indigenous communities have their own unique experiences with racism in the U.S. that differ from those of other non-white communities (slavery, genocide, etc.). While I am still personally trying to figure out what term feels right to me, one thing is abundantly clear about the need for the term BIPOC: specificity when discussing racism is a must.

Too often, the term POC (as will likely happen with BIPOC) is used as a replacement for naming a specific race. It is a catch-all phrase for non-white folks and can be important in certain contexts, but the way racism has been inflicted on people is not a catch-all. When you are talking about issues that Black people face, you need to say Black. If you are talking about issues that Latinx people face, you need to say Latinx. It does not matter what the group is, if you are talking about us you need to name us.
Black N Brown at DP represents the voices of over 200 (and growing) African American, Afro-Latinx, and Latinx alumni, parents, and faculty who were at Democracy Prep during the time that Seth Andrew was in charge there and are now speaking out against the racism they experienced under his leadership.

The Peace & Justice Center stands in solidarity with Black N Brown at DP. As an organization that is committed to anti-racism in all of our work, we are deeply concerned with the sale of Marlboro College to Democracy Builders. The behavior of Seth Andrew, and the legacy of trauma he has left, is not something we need in Vermont. It is not something that should be anywhere. If he is to be here, we must demand an earnest and meaningful reckoning with and reparations for his actions. If he is unable to take full accountability for the harms he has caused, we do not want him here.

White Vermonters have long posited that they are more liberal and less racist than the rest of the country. I find this notion anathema to the racism we see in Vermont both blatantly (incarceration rates and traffic stop data by race are worse than national numbers, COVID cases by race are disproportionate, etc) and more subtly (People of Color in Vermont regularly express that racism here scares them more than in other parts of the country because of how it's couched in "liberalism"). However, it's a wonderful goal to strive for. Asking Mr. Andrew to answer the questions posed by Black N Brown at DP is a small step in that direction.


On July 20, the Vermont Attorney General approved the deal between Marlboro College and Seth Andrews. Read more about it here.

All of the events listed below are happening  online unless otherwise stated.  This is a partial listing of event. See more in our public  calendar . The PJC is not directly involved in all of these events. If you have questions about a non-PJC event, please reach out to the organization listed. 

Thursday, July 23

Friday, July 24

Saturday, July 25

Sunday, July 26

Monday, July 27

Wednesday, July 29

Saturday, August 1

Monday, July 20
 
Wednesday, August 5

Thursday, August 6

Please  email  us events for our  google calendar  and enews.
Upcoming Events
All events are
happening online

Fair Trade Labels Presentation July 25, 2-3pm . Explore the differences between Fair Trade Certifications, Fair Trade Membership Organizations, and Direct Trade to help us better understand the Fair Trade Movement. Click here to register. Also happening on. FREE

Toxic Whiteness Discussion Group Tuesday, July 28, 12-1pm . This space is held for white people to process how white supremacy culture is harmful to them. The hope is that by joining this space, white people will allow the emotional needs of people of color to take priority in multi-racial spaces. Space is limited and registration is required. Click here to register.

Community Voices for Immigrant Rights Monday, August 3, 6-7:30pm. Join us to amplify local organizing in support of immigrant rights. Click here to register Co-hosted by PJC. FREE

Free Trade vs Fair Trade Thursday, August 13, 11am-12pm. Learn about globalization and how policies & practices have paved the way for huge companies to profit at the expense of people and the planet. Shows how the Fair Trade movement and principles seek to, at a minimum, counterbalance these atrocities. Click here to register. FREE

Seeing & Disrupting Racism: A Focus on White Fragility, Thursday, August 13, 1-2:30pm and 5-6:30pm . This introductory-level workshop defines racism and white fragility, explores how white fragility perpetuates racism, and gives ways to disrupt that cycle. This workshop was developed for predominantly white audiences, but all are welcome. Space is limited, registration is required. Suggested donation $10, no one turned away for lack of funds. Click here to register for the 1pm session and click here to register for the 5pm session.


For more info on these events visit our website or contact 
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Herbal Justice Fund for BIPOC

Railyard Apothecary has started The Herbal Justice Fund. The program allows for access to their services to BIPOC (black, indigenous, people of color) regardless of income as a way to provide reparations. You can start using it immediately, and you only need to apply once. For more information and to apply, click here .
Scholarships for BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and Womxn
in Tech

Burlington Code Academy accepting applications for their  Impact Scholarship . The scholarship was created for BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and Womxn identifying students; groups have been historically underserved and underrepresented in the tech industry. For more information and to apply, click here .
Center Hours 
(reached via email or phone)
Monday-Friday: 10am-6pm
  
Store Hours
CLOSED
 
Location
60 Lake Street, Suite 1C
Burlington's Waterfront
(Next to Skinny Pancake)  


Looking for BLM lawn signs? Click here for our request form and we will let you know when they're available.
Action Highlight:
Urge Congress to Open an Investigation into the
COVID-19 Response in ICE Detention Facilities
Image from Time.com
Vermont has done a decent job at getting COVID-19 under control here, but it is still spreading across America like a wildfire and people detained in ICE custody are still packed closely together.

Now we’re learning that ICE’s plan has devolved into a literal toxic mess: They are spraying people in their custody with disinfectant chemicals. There are reports of: itchy rashes, and other skin reactions, bloody mucus, fainting, and a lack of clean air circulation and potential long term health conditions when the chemical is inhaled.

It’s time for that to change. Sign the petition to urge Congress to investigate the COVID-19 response in ICE detention facilities.
Peace & Justice Center | 802-863-2345 |  info@pjcvt.org  |  http://www.pjcvt.org
60 Lake St, Ste 1C
Burlington, VT 05401