The Mad River Valley Anti-Racism Initiative has arisen out of the concerns, hopes, and dedication of many of your friends and neighbors here in the Valley. Discussion is civil, patient, always courteous. We co-wonder, and we support one another's growth and discovery.
Many of us are deeply concerned about racial injustice in our society. We wish that we could do more, but don't really know where to start. It's tricky to talk about, especially in Vermont, where so few people of color live. Although we may care deeply, we often feel helpless. The good news? You can absolutely make a real and lasting difference!
Racism is often understood to be a personal flaw, embodied and perpetrated by "bad people." But the problem is more complex and embedded than that. Racism, it turns out, is institutional, systemic, and deeply-rooted. A the most helpful definition I've come across is: "racism = racial prejudice + power."
White people have a distinct role to play! No matter how carefully and tolerantly we were raised, we have been stamped by implicit bias. And we have all been conditioned since birth to avoid calling the racial status quo into question. There's just no avoiding this! Many of us are afraid of saying something stupid, or of offending someone. Though our intentions are good, we stay silent. The result? Things don't change.
If you are interested in learning more, please consider attending one of our monthly discussion groups. They take place at the Village Meeting House (ground floor of Waitsfield Church), on the 4th Sunday of every month, at 6:30 pm. There's one this Sunday 11/24! Newcomers are always welcome. Won't you join us?
Wrenn Compere, facilitator
Oct 11, 2024, 5 to 7 PM
Fall Household Hazardous Waste Collection in MRRMAOct 12, 2024, 9 AM to 1 PM
Free Community Mindfulness MeditationOct 14, 2024, 7 to 8:30 PM