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VICII: New Americans Talk about their Homelands: Ivory Coast, Somalia, DRC, Uganda, Burkino Faso 04/28/2021

TBD

VICII: Earth Day and the Environment 04/21/2021

Laura Murphy from the VT Attorney General's office presents on Earth Day and the Environment.

VICII: Spanish-American War & Manifest Destiny Part 2-1898: From Republic to Empire - Cuba, Puerto Rico, Hawaii & Philippines 04/14/2021

This week's session is led by Sandy Baird, Kurt Mehta, Grant Crichfield, and Armando Vilaseca.

Maladies & Medicines: Opioids in the Queen City 04/07/2021

The current opioid epidemic has many connections to the past. Champlain College's eighth annual Local History Event, which features two historians' research on opium, morphine, and opioid addiction in nineteenth-century Burlington. Independent scholar Gary G. Shattuck presents the history and context of opioids in the Queen City and the State of Vermont in his talk titled Behind the Curtain: Examining the Causes of Addiction in Nineteenth-Century Vermont. Champlain College Special Collections Director Erica Donnis presents The Vibrant Life and Tragic Death of Lucy Benedict Henderson. A resident of Adams and South Union Streets, Mrs. Henderson (1861-1896) was in many ways an ordinary middle class wife and mother, but she suffered from chronic illness, and eventually, morphine addiction.

#AbolishSlaveryVT Learning Session 04/07/2021

While Vermont is widely known to be the first colony to abolish slavery (in 1777), it was only a partial prohibition, applicable to adults reaching a certain age, “unless bound by the person’s own consent, after arriving to such age, or bound by law for the payment of debts, damages, fines, costs, or the like.” Despite subsequent revisions, the Vermont Constitution continues to contain only a partial prohibition on slavery. 
 
Vermont’s constitution went on to model a similar exception clause in the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Ratified in 1865, this renowned legislation likewise prohibited slavery within the United States “except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted[.]” 
 
“In the year 2021, slavery is still allowed, legally, in Vermont’s constitution. We cannot accept this any longer,” said Mark Hughes, Executive Director of the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance. Hughes and racial justice advocates across the state have been working towards a full abolishment of constitutional slavery for years.
 
In March the Vermont Senate Rules Committee voted in favor (5-0) of PR.2, a proposal to  amend the Vermont constitution with language clarifying that slavery and indentured servitude in any form are prohibited. The proposal will go to the Senate floor on April 9th for a vote. 
 
“At 244 years old, the Vermont constitution is the grandfather of all constitutional slavery. So this amendment is far more than symbolic,” said Hughes. “We must finish the work that we started last biennium and bring an end to this crime against humanity in our state and in our nation.”
 
Hughes characterized the current proposal to amend the Vermont constitution “long overdue “ and called on the legislature to also pass a Joint Resolution calling for the repeal and replacement of the 13th amendment of U.S. Constitution. The learning sessions are being offered by the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance to engage the public on the critical issues that impact the advancement of human rights and dignity in Vermont.
 
In addition to ending constitutional slavery, the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance’s ACT Legislative Agenda for 2021 includes policies to advance economic development, housing and land ownership, health equity and more for American Descendants of Slavery (ADOS). This agenda includes that reintroduction of an act relating to establishing the task force to study and develop reparation proposals for the Institution of chattel slavery (H.287)
 
Learn more about the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance and sign up for the #AbolishSlaveryVT learning sessions at www.vtracialjusticealliance.org/. 

The People's Law School: The 4th Amendment: Understanding Your Rights When Stopped by The Police 04/07/2021

The kick-off of The People's Law School - a series of free, virtual presentations on contemporary legal topics impacting the lives of Vermonters, such as the Fourth Amendment, representing yourself in small claims court, tenant rights, understanding eligibility for benefits, and family law. The People’s Law School is a partnership of Attorney General T.J. Donovan, the Association of Africans Living in Vermont (AALV), the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance, and the Vermont Institute for Community and International Involvement (VICII), and also supported by ACLU of Vermont and The Caroline Fund, which offers a fund for women and their families in emergency situations and free legal advice to anyone seeking guidance.

Positively Vermont: Community of Vermont Elders 04/05/2021

Host Dennis McMahon speaks with Ruby Baker, Executive Director, of the Community of Vermont Elders.

Community of Vermont Elders (COVE) is a non-profit organization  committed to quality of life for Vermonters as they age. It operates statewide as advocates and educators, helping to build good public policy and support older adults and service providers to build strong systems of collaboration that support self-determination, aging-in-community, and safety and protection. 
 
Contact information:
 
www.vermontelders.org
www.facebook.com/COVE802
cove@vermontelders.org
(802) 229-4731

Vermont Racial Justice Alliance Learning Session 04/03/2021

While Vermont is widely known to be the first colony to abolish slavery (in 1777), it was only a partial prohibition, applicable to adults reaching a certain age, “unless bound by the person’s own consent, after arriving to such age, or bound by law for the payment of debts, damages, fines, costs, or the like.” Despite subsequent revisions, the Vermont Constitution continues to contain only a partial prohibition on slavery. 
 
Vermont’s constitution went on to model a similar exception clause in the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Ratified in 1865, this renowned legislation likewise prohibited slavery within the United States “except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted[.]” 
 
“In the year 2021, slavery is still allowed, legally, in Vermont’s constitution. We cannot accept this any longer,” said Mark Hughes, Executive Director of the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance. Hughes and racial justice advocates across the state have been working towards a full abolishment of constitutional slavery for years.
 
In March the Vermont Senate Rules Committee voted in favor (5-0) of PR.2, a proposal to  amend the Vermont constitution with language clarifying that slavery and indentured servitude in any form are prohibited. The proposal will go to the Senate floor on April 9th for a vote. 
 
“At 244 years old, the Vermont constitution is the grandfather of all constitutional slavery. So this amendment is far more than symbolic,” said Hughes. “We must finish the work that we started last biennium and bring an end to this crime against humanity in our state and in our nation.”
 
Hughes characterized the current proposal to amend the Vermont constitution “long overdue” and called on the legislature to also pass a Joint Resolution calling for the repeal and replacement of the 13th amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The learning sessions are being offered by the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance to engage the public on the critical issues that impact the advancement of human rights and dignity in Vermont.
 
In addition to ending constitutional slavery, the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance’s ACT Legislative Agenda for 2021 includes policies to advance economic development, housing and land ownership, health equity and more for American Descendants of Slavery (ADOS). This agenda includes that reintroduction of an act relating to establishing the task force to study and develop reparation proposals for the Institution of chattel slavery (H.287)
 
Learn more about the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance and sign up for the #AbolishSlaveryVT learning sessions at www.vtracialjusticealliance.org. 

VICII: The Heritage of American Liberty - The Bill of Rights 03/26/2021

With Sandy Baird and Kurt Mehta

Ethan Allen Homestead Enrichment Program: Historical Treasures in the Vermont State Archives 03/21/2021

The Vermont State Archives are a valuable resource for researchers and historians. They contain documents and items that tell a lot about the history of the state. They also contain interesting items and stories that don't often see the light of day. Join us as Mariessa Dobrick, Records & Information Management Specialist for the State of Vermont, presents some of the known and lesser known things found in the State Archives.

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