Please join us at the Village Meeting House (ground floor of Waitsfield church) on Sunday evening 12/15 at 6:30 pm, to discuss issues pertaining to racial justice. Most of us acknowledge the need to combat racism, but are unsure how to help. Living in rural Vermont, an area with very little racial diversity, can exacerbate this confusion. But the truth is, there is much to learn, and many ways to make a difference.
As a White person growing up in Vermont, I learned to see my own culture and race as the norm, blind to biases and injustices that did not affect me or people around me. While I cared very deeply about others, and fervently wished for justice for all people, my focus was limited to maintaining a "good" attitude, measuring myself against the "bad racists," whose images I saw in history books, wearing white hoods. I learned to be wary of addressing questions about race, as I did not want to hurt anyone (or damage my safe, comfortable, "good person" reputation) by saying something unintentionally offensive. I was stuck.
A series of events (beginning with the murder of Trayvon Martin in 2012) compelled me to look more deeply into the painful, ongoing legacy of racial injustice in our society. I read books and delved into documentaries, interviews and articles, finally beginning to see the ways in which my own whiteness protected me from the harm and indignity faced by people of color. It was difficult, depressing learning. I was tempted to put it all down, until.... I realized that, as a white person, the fact of having this option was an injustice in itself. I could put it all down and return to a state of oblivion, while people of color had no such choice. I felt alone and perplexed with my thoughts.
When the Joslin Memorial Library and the Waitsfield United Church of Christ co-hosted a discussion of racial justice in early 2018 (facilitated by the Peace & Justice Center of Burlington), I eagerly attended. The two sessions left most of us thirsting for more, and a monthly discussion group grew organically out of this desire. We resolved to call ourselves MRVARI (the Mad River Valley Anti Racism Initiative), and we have been meeting, learning, and growing together for nearly two years now. We welcome you to join us.
I believe that many in our group would agree that it has been a liberating and hopeful process, to explore the fact of whiteness, including its limitations, responsibilities, and opportunities. For me, it has helped to dispel an unhelpful sense of guilt and stasis. It has helped me to see that I have a role to play in dismantling a system that does not align with the important ideals of equity and justice. This has felt empowering -- a welcome feeling in today's world.
Please know that newcomers are always welcome. Respectful, challenging dialogue is upheld and encouraged, always. None of us has "arrived." Rather, we are walking together along a common path, working toward an ideal of justice, even as we acknowledge -- and forgive ourselves for -- the many things that we still don't see. Won't you join us this Sunday evening?
Wrenn Compere, facilitator
Dec 21, 2024, 12 to 5 PM
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