August 24th is First African Landing Day in Vermont!
The Commemoration will take place on August 24, 2024, at Intervale Center in Burlington, Vermont. There will be ethnic food, music, dancing, speakers, exhibits, drumming and a youth "Hang-out" area. Cultural art, the Black Legacy Wall and the 1619 Traveling Exhibit will be highlighted at the Richard Kemp Center where there will also be a wellness drop-in spot. All activities will be from 11:00 till 6:00 PM. All are welcome.
Our special guest this year will be Nkechi Taifa, Esq . Nkechi Taifa is president of The Taifa Group, LLC, founder/director of the Reparation Education Project Inc., convener emeritus of the Justice Roundtable, & serves as Senior Fellow for the Columbia University Center for Justice. Taifa was Advocacy Director for Criminal Justice at the Open Society Foundations for 16 years. She also served as Legislative & Policy Counsel for the ACLU & the Women's Legal Defense Fund; Director of Howard University School of Law's Equal Justice Program; Staff Attorney for Nat'l Prison Project; Network Organizer for the Washington Office on Africa.
Vermont First African Landing Day was established in 2019 and Inspired the work of the 400 Year African American History Commission. Vermont First African Landing Day is intended to "expand understanding and appreciation of the significance of the arrival of Africans in the United States and the contributions of African Americans in the United States." The Governor has proclaimed that the 4th Saturday of August "shall be henceforth recognized and commemorated as First African Landing Day in Vermont."
The 2024 theme "Stay The Course" is inspired by the Adinkra symbol Nkyinkyim (which directly translates to "Life's journey is twisted). This year's theme speaks to the wisdom of considering the tenacity of our ancestors as we remain responsive to the continuously-changing nature of the path that we march towards justice.
The persistence of slavery and its legacy make it necessary for abolitionists and activists to be nimble and resilient in our march towards justice. This First African Landing Day we embrace uncertainty and unpredictability, understanding that change is inevitable. We take comfort in knowing that though our strategies must change, our vision of justice is the same as the first calls for freedom nearly 405 years ago. We must Stay The Course to ensure our collective liberation.
We want to leave our own legacy.
The point of any legacy is inspiring and involving others. The imperative of anti racism work is that it involves all of us. HERE is your opportunity to make an investment into some of the most intentional and impactful cultural empowerment and educational work to eradicate systemic racism being done in the state of Vermont.
Here are three ways that you can invest your time:
1) Sign up to help. Here is a Volunteer Signup Form - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfMU4ID_odC8HeEm9SnoshSlDZE0ur6jMfFYXG43UswP_vwtw/viewform
2) Attend First African Landing. Register HERE - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/vermont-first-african-landing-day-tickets-937955930437?aff=oddt[...]tor
3) Table at First African Landing Day. Request info at info@firstafricanlandingvt.org
Here are three ways that you can invest your resources:
1) Sponsor at the Silver, Gold or NEXT levels, 2.5k, 5k or 10k respectively - https://firstafricanlandingvt.org/fald-sponsors-and-supporters/
2) Personally support this with a private contribution here - https://firstafricanlandingvt.org/gifts/
3) Pass information on Vermont First African Landing Day to your network - https://firstafricanlandingvt.org/
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/vermont-first-african-landing-day-tickets-937955930437?aff=oddt[...]tor
Please be a part of this work by assisting, sponsoring, supporting, getting the word out and showing up! We'll see you on First African Landing Day!