Peace & Justice Center news & events: Renaming Negro Brook, Centering BIPOC at the PJC and more

 After saying farewell to Rachel, transitioning continues at the Peace and Justice Center including a shift in our E-news as I take over. Thank you for staying with us and I look forward to continuing this journey with you!

-Jorja Lamb, Programming Coordinator

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April 13, 2021

Views expressed by entities outside of the Peace & Justice Center do not necessarily represent the views of the PJC.

Many places in the United States still hold racially rooted names and one of those places are located right here in Vermont. Negro Brook flows through Bald Mountain in Townshend State Park, located in Windham County. The name of this work has now been unwelcome for years but efforts to change it were hindered by the question of, what should it be named?

The Rename Negro Brooke Alliance, founded by Alex Hazzard and Evan Litwin, was created now two years ago with the one goal. After some time and research they decided that renaming the brook after Susanna Toby, a black women who was a resident of Townshend during the Civil War era.

From the Rename Negro Brook Alliance:
“We came to the name ‘Susanna Toby Brook’ through working with Dr. Elise Guyette, a historical researcher and author of Discovering Black Vermont, who’s been helping us research the history of early Black Vermonters in and around Townshend. Unfortunately, the origins of the brook’s name are unknown, but historically, race-based place names across the U.S. have almost always originated from a relationship that a particular racial or ethnic group had with the associated land. Therefore, we are committed to centering an early Black Vermonter from the area in the renaming, and so of the 3 Black families living in the area in the early 19th century we chose to honor the Huzzys (Susanna’s married name). As Dr. Guyette uncovered Susanna’s story, and that of her courageous husband James, we believed that her story deserved to be told and that she is the most fitting candidate to rename Negro Brook after. We invite you to watch or listen to a short video from Elise about Susanna and the Huzzy family: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1oPvMd2jcI. 

Fast forward: After countless conversations, tons of outreach from farmer’s markets to the Black Experience march on July 4th, hundreds of pages of primary source material submissions, hundreds of signatures from across 7 of Vermont’s 14 counties, we submitted our petition to the Board of Libraries Geographic Renaming Committee in late 2020 and had our first hearing on December 8th. During that hearing, some questions and differences of opinion came up, and so we, as the petitioners, are seeking to bring some of these questions to the community and hear their input. We want to hear your feelings, perspectives, desires, and reflections so that we can integrate them into decisions surrounding our petition’s future”.

Please join us to learn more and get involved in this effort regarding a brook that runs through Townsend State Park. With facilitation by Steffen Gillom. Cosponsored by Windham County NAACP, Peace & Justice Center, and Rename Negro Brook Alliance.

Actions we can all take now:

  1. Continue to educate yourself with the resources provided above here
  2. Attend the Community Meeting to Rename Negro Brook on Monday April 26th from 6-8pm.
By Aris Garcia, Community Engagement and Volunteer Manager and Arima Minard, Events and Programming Manager 

For over 40 years the Peace & Justice Center has sought to unite communities through activism and education. As time progressed the organization progressed, taking its initial focus of nuclear proliferation, and refocusing on various social justice campaigns over the years. With each new leader came a new focus for the organization always keeping in mind the goal of a peaceful and just world for everyone. Over the last decade the PJC has been working hard to examine the ways in which we are still upholding an oppressive culture within our own walls. With the leadership of Rachel Siegel, the organization has worked slowly and intentionally to work from an anti-racist lens, which has led to several tangible changes including: 

  • The creation of a Racial Justice Advisory Committee, a cohort of BIPOC individuals who are paid for their opinions of the work and direction of the PJC  
  • A commitment to maintaining a board of directors that is at least 50% BIPOC (Currently recruiting!) 
  • Financial compensation when we ask anyone for participation in an event, conversation, or coalition, if part of their qualification is a result of their marginalized identity (this has been true for trans, disabled, and BIPOC people but mostly BIPOC); including payment for mileage, wage compensation, childcare, and time 
  • No longer participating with efforts, events, or coalitions that aren’t also offering financial compensation for the same 

These steps towards real equity in a non-profit structure has opened the doors to so many other changes the organization is seeking to make.  While the Peace & Justice Center continues to dismantle the systems of patriarchy and racism internally, during this time of deep transition, as a next step we hope to shift our focus from the education of white Vermonters to the celebration of BIPOC joys and healing. While we see the necessity of being such a resource to the community, we realize that to be a truly anti-racist organization we must be prioritizing the needs of the BIPOC communities we aim to serve.  

Continue to read more here

Two Burlington filmmakers, Patrick McCormack and Duane Peterson III have created a short film to document those with experiences living under the F-35 flight path. The documentary includes more than 100 anonymous voicemails from local people explaining their lives after the intrusion of these unwelcome jets.

In their directors cut they went on to explain that they were “Exploring the relationship between picturesque residential areas and the deafening weapons systems overhead, Jet Line is a poetic portrait of a community plagued by war machines, documenting untenable conditions in a small city once voted one of the best places to live in America”. 

The film, Jet Line: Voicemails from the Flight Path, will be premiering virtually on April 15th, 2021 at 7:00pm, followed by a live Q&A with the two filmmakers. 

Register to view the film at jetlinefilm.com

All of the events listed below are happening online unless otherwise stated. This is a partial listing of event. See more in our public calendar. The PJC is not directly involved in all of these events. If you have questions about a non-PJC event, please reach out to the organization listed. 

Wednesday, April 14

  • 7-8:30pm Health Equity: Challenges in our State
  • 9:30am-12:30pm New to Medicare Classes (weekly)
  • 7-8:30pm Bennington: 350VT Local Group Meeting

Thursday, April 15

Saturday, April 17

Sunday, April 18

Monday, April 19

Tuesday, April 20

Wednesday, April 21

  • 7:15-9pm Castleton Indivisible Meeting (Monthly)

Thursday, April 22

Please email us events for our google calendar and enews.

Social justice is a lifelong movement. Our hand-selected books will help guide you by challenging your mind, your heart, and your actions to make meaningful change. Visit our online store to purchase some of our favorites, and help inspire hope for the future.

Upcoming PJC Events

All events are happening online.Registration is required.

Unpacking Whiteness Wednesday, April 15, 6:30-7:45pm (monthly). This space is held for white people to specifically process how white supremacy culture is harmful to them. We hope by joining this space, white people will be able to allow the emotional needs of people of color to take priority in multi-racial spaces. Each month has a different topic, so repeated participation is encouraged. Click here for registration and information.

BIPOC Affinity Space, April 23, 6-7:30pm (monthly). Please join us for our monthly BIPOC Affinity Space where we will continue our exploration of Self-Care and Healing. We hope to create opportunity for community that allows for expression and support in safety. Join us as we explore the pursuit of radical resistance through joy, rest and identifying our hopes and dreams. This program is led by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color), for BIPOC. Click here for registration and more information.

Seeing and Disrupting Racism, April 26, 6-8pm (monthly). This introductory-level workshop defines racism and white fragility, explores how white fragility perpetuates racism and its harmful impacts on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, and challenges participants to consider what steps they can take to disrupt racism at every level. This workshop was developed for predominantly white audiences, but all are welcome and encouraged to attend. Space is limited, registration is required. Click here for registration and information.

To learn more, visit our website or contact program@pjcvt.org

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Vermont Historical Society’s

Lively & Local: Historical Societies in Vermont, is a new exhibition opening on April 7, 2021 at the Vermont History Museum in Montpelier. The exhibit explores these communities of Vermont through different forms of art.
This exhibit showcases the photographs and stories of five different historical societies in Vermont.
Click here to read more information.

Center Hours
(reached via email or phone)
Monday-Friday: 10am-6pm

Store Hours
CLOSED — now online! click here to visit

Location
60 Lake Street,
Suite 1C
Burlington’s Waterfront
(Next to Skinny Pancake) 

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Peace & Justice Center | 60 Lake St Ste 1C, Burlington, VT 05401