I know that MMU's After Dark Community Based Education Programs have been posted on here as a whole but I wanted to share with you a little more information on one of these programs. How to Talk to Kids about Racism is a four week class that will happen on Tuesday nights starting on October 13th. This is a program of the Peace & Justice Center and the MMU series will be guided by Dr. Denise Dunbar and Rachel Siegel. It is designed for all people who are concerned about the impact of racism and/or white privilege on our children.
I think this is a great opportunity to reach people in the Chittenden East School District. The community that my siblings and I grew up in and where my nieces have lived off and on as well. I have so many wonderful memories of Huntington, CHMS and MMU. Also upon reflection I recognize that I didn't talk about racism within these communities and within the country as a whole when I was young. I think that because I am white and nearly everyone that I surrounded by was white, it may have been difficult to see the racism within the culture which made it even more difficult to talk about. It may be different now, perhaps with the #BlackLivesMatter Movement (among other things) working to make the current reality of racism in the US visible to all people allows for more organic opportunities to talk to kids about racism. I hope that is the case. I also think that having the opportunity to discuss racism is not the same as actually having conversations.
As a white person, who was raised in a largely white community it took me a long time to feel comfortable talking about race and still it can be hard and even stressful at times. I continue to work on this because I think it is important. I really think that joining this discussion group is a great step in becoming better able to have hard conversations that in the long run that have the potential to create lasting and meaningful change for us all. If this speaks to you or you would like to know more you can register at: http://www.mmuafterdark.com/#!product/prd1/4224716191/how-to-talk-to-kids-about-racism
Thank you for being such a supportive community to me and my family for all these years!
Your neighbor,
Kyle Silliman-Smith
P.S. If the Tuesday evening MMU After Dark class doesn't work for you visit pjcvt.org for more dates that this program will be offered or let me know you are interested and I will let you know as more dates and locations are set-up. There is a 2-Session version in Winooski on Saturdays, October 3rd and 10th from 3-6, but I am certain these conversations will not stop anytime soon so let me know if you are interested and neither of these upcoming times work for you. Thanks again!
Oct 23, 2024, 7 to 8:30 PM
MRVBC NOLS Wilderness First AidOct 26, 8 AM to 5 PM, Oct 27, 2024
Lawson's Finest Liquids Halloween Birthday Party!Oct 26, 2024, 11 AM to 8 PM