From Freedom Summer to Ferguson: 50 Years of Struggle
Plainfield Opera House (RT 2 Across from the Blinking Light)
Monday Jan. 12th 6-9pm
 
"With a growing national consciousness of the prevalence of police killings of Black people across the United States, the issue of racial oppression and more specifically anti-Black racism has been thrust to the forefront of American popular consciousness. It is telling, that the youth-led, community-based organizing in Ferguson happened 50 years after the Freedom Summer movement descended on Mississippi to fight black disenfranchisement by building black political power. 

Critical lessons were drawn from the Freedom Summer experience, and this Monday we will have an opportunity to hear from Vermonters who were part of Freedom Summer:  Penny Patch, Gail Falk, & Tamar Cole and moderators: Paul Marcus and Sha'an Mouliert: and see an abbreviated version (50 min) of the PBS American Experience documentary, Freedom Summer.

Organizers in Ferguson and across the U.S. have mobilized massive Black-led actions across the United States and called on allies to say no more business as usual until the killings of Black people every 28 hours by police, law enforcement and vigilantes cease.  What does this mean for us in Vermont?  How do we use the lessons of history to help better inform what it means to interrupt and heal the impacts of white supremacy in all of our communities. We hope that this event will shed light on the insights from participants in the Freedom Summer on these critical questions in order to help inform the struggle against anti-black racism and white supremacy today."

Jan 24, 2025, 7 to 9 PM

Jan 25, 2025, 10 AM to 2:30 PM

Jan 25, 2025, 3 to 4:30 PM