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The legacy of settler colonialism and chattel slavery has led to systemic racism and continues to perpetuate the systems that produce obstacles for Black Vermonters’ access to public or private economic benefits. There has been a systematic erasure or appropriation of culture of Black Vermonters. Systemic racism has created significant wealth disparities and cultural disempowerment among Black Vermonters. Racial disparities also continue to exist across the housing, education, employment, health services, transportation and justice systems. These disparities and cultural erasure and appropriation directly and indirectly affect the health and wellness of Black individuals and communities. This threatens economic development, democracy, and social health and wellness for all Vermonters.
Black home ownership in Vermont is only 21.1% (4th lowest in the nation).
People of Color are four and a half times as likely to be denied a home loan compared to applicants who are White. Nearly a quarter of Black Vermonters live in poverty, compared with 11 percent of Vermonters overall. This is a direct result of the wealth gap between the Black, Indigenous and other People of Color community and their White counterparts. The median household income for a Black Vermonter is $41,533.00 compared to $58,244.00 for their White counterparts.
The Vermont Racial Justice Alliance (VRJA) engages in research, community engagement and support, platforms and initiatives, outreach and education and cultural empowerment activities in the work of eradicating systemic racism in Vermont. VRJA has amassed a comprehensive data dashboard and advocated for the creation and expansion of the Burlington and State Racial Equity apparatuses and racial equity advisory policy for the justice system Department of Health.
Operation Phoenix (R.I.S.E.) is a (2020) VRJA Burlington-based initiative launched to “transform the lives of Black and Brown people by investing in their lives, holding space for their culture, providing them opportunity and ensuring the equity they deserve to thrive.” The tenants of Operation Phoenix R.I.S.E. are Restructuring Public Safety; Implementing Cultural Empowerment; Securing Equal Opportunity; and Expanding Racial Equity, Belonging and Inclusion. Specifically R.I.S.E. called for the City of Burlington to “partner with people of color-led businesses and community in the implementation of the Cultural Empowerment Community Collective.”
This call was echoed as R.I.S.E. informed the City Council’s Racial Justice Through Economic and Criminal Justice Resolution “Racial Justice Resolution.” The Racial Justice Resolution voiced support for a variety of social services as well as social justice, racial justice, and economic justice initiatives, including a community based cultural empowerment center, a minority-owned business municipal procurement program, and a capital access program.
The Racial Justice Resolution also established a historic Reparations Task Force and resolved a declaration that racism is a citywide health crisis. The following month VRJA, City of Burlington, Howard Center, United Way Northwest Vermont, the University of Vermont Medical Center and 30 community partners across Chittenden County joined Declaring that “racism constitutes a public health emergency in the City of Burlington and Chittenden County.” VRJA then successfully petitioned the Vermont State Legislature to resolve that “racism constitutes a public health emergency in Vermont” the following year.
VRJA research surrounding the impact of systemic racism indicates that Black people experience adverse disparities in poverty, income and wealth as well as disparities in other social determinants (housing, education, health services, etc.). In collaboration with our partners we are centering the needs of the Black community in the work of rectifying historical racial inequity. We are accomplishing this work by serving as a cultural broker in the expansion of programs and services to marginalized communities where historically they have been ineffective, inefficient or nonexistent. We are creating new systems that empower Black Vermonters denied equal access to public or private economic and other opportunity. We are creating a space in Burlington where the Black Community’s wellness culture and youth intersect.
The Richard Kemp Center expands programs and services that support Black Vermonters’ wellness, preserve their culture, support their youth and advance racial equity and justice.