 I am David Bowie, a member of Vermont Interfaith Action and of Christ Church Presbyterian, and I am honored to serve as your Master of Ceremonies tonight. I want to thank College Street Congregational Church, United Church of Christ for hosting us and for their front-of-the-house tech team of one. Ken White, you can tell me that apparently Ken has a side gag of being a senior pastor here at the church, but we're grateful for him serving all of us tonight. Speaking of tech, could I ask that you turn your cell phones on to vibrate or off? We have special guests tonight from the state of Vermont officials to members of three towns who will be sharing their experiences in becoming inclusive towns. And also exciting is the presence of the birthing Paris, that's what I call it, the birthing Paris of this inclusive movement. We look forward to hearing how this effort began and plans for the future. Reminds us that power is the ability to achieve purpose. And our purpose here tonight is to celebrate inclusion. Inclusion is being seen. Inclusion is being heard. Inclusion is being counted, respected in our towns and our workplaces. Inclusion is feeling safe with our neighbors, with town officials who know us and know our differences. And in fact, this is Vermont Inclusion Week all over the state and festivities are happening in different places. But tonight we recognize towns from across Vermont. Now these are towns in different sizes, different in how they're managed. But one thing that haven't come is that they have been willing to look inward before creating their document. Inward at their hiring practices, procedures and activities. Inward for their willingness to help each other manage change that feels like it's happening too quickly and yet at the same time for its marginalized citizens is not happening rapidly enough. Each town has developed a statement that welcomes all persons regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity or expression, age, disability, social economic status. 110 towns so far want everyone to feel safe and welcome in their communities. So let's give it up now as we get started. For 110 Vermont towns, their courage, their strength, they're not all here tonight but let them hear us in our appreciation for what they've done before we hear from our guests. Vermont Interfaith Action uses a format for big meetings like this and for smaller volunteer meetings. So let us open with what we call a reflection. Good evening. My name is Mary Beth Barrett and I'm a member of Christchurch Presbyterian here in Burlington and I'm a leader with Vermont Interfaith Action. And I'd like to share a reflection with you that's written by Sonia Betritinsley who's an African-American singer, songwriter and activist from Atlanta. Every day presents infinite reasons to believe that change can't happen. Infinite reasons to give up. But I always tell myself, Sonia, you have to pick your team. It seems to me that there are two teams in the world and you can find evidence to support the arguments above. The trademark of one team is cynicism. They'll tell you why what you're doing doesn't matter, why nothing is going to change, why no matter how hard you work, you're going to fail. They seem to get satisfaction out of explaining that it will always happen justice. You can't change human nature, they'll say. It's foolish to try. And from their experience, they might be right. But then there's another group of people who admit they don't know how things will turn out but have decided to work for change. I see Martin Luther King on that team, Alice Walker, Howard Zinn, activist friends. They're always telling stories of faith rewarded of ways things could be different of how their own lives have changed. They'll give you reasons why you shouldn't give up, testimonials, why you could be yet to see our own potential as a species. They believe we're partners in God's creation and change really is possible. Teams seem right. Both have evidence. We'll never know who's really going to prevail. So I just have to decide which team seems happier, which side I'd rather be on. And for me, that means choosing on the side of faith. Because on the side of cynicism, even if they're right, who wants to win that argument anyway? If I'm going to stick with somebody, I'd rather stick with people who have a sense of possibility and hope. I just know that's the side I want to be on. At least they've mentioned that we have things that we do in our meeting. And one of the things we do is share a credential. And a credential just tells you a little bit who we are as provided debate action. And Pam Lacer from First Unitarian Church was hoping to be here tonight because she wasn't able to get here. So I'm sharing her words from Pam. For monitoring action, transforming people, transforming communities. Our mission is to create solutions to systemic issues that prevent our most vulnerable citizens from enjoying a sustained quality of life. Our faith-based coalition of more than 70 members and affiliated congregations works for systemic change around issues of social, racial, and economic justice. We are currently working actively in the areas of immigration, corrections reform, racial justice, affordable housing, and homelessness. Our goal is to create the hope, the knowledge, and the political will needed to make compassion and social justice a reality for all Vermonters. We unite, listen, study, engage, and act. Together, we amplify our voices showing that ordinary people can do extraordinary things. We believe people of faith can affect real systemic change. We believe that a better world is possible. It's no time for argument. Good evening. My name is Nancy McClellan, and I'm a member of the First Congregational Church of Burlington, about interfaith action. This evening we'd like to welcome and recognize those who have come from all of our member congregations. When I call out your faith community, please stand and remain standing. Also, feel free to make a little noise and recognize yourselves. From the Burlington area, Christchurch Presbyterian, a personal church, a society of Burlington, a local church, Mount Pilier, Guilford Community Church in Brattleboro, in Vermont, and the Upper Valley. Please stand. For interest in racial equality, please stand. To bring about a successful action, which is what we call big meeting like this, Vermont Interfaith Action prepares a background paper, a research paper. It's a summary of the change we want, why we want it, the research is thorough, substantiated, and transparent. We now present this background and reason the IA is supporting this movement tonight. Good evening. My name is Karen Chatfield and I'm a member of All Souls Interfaith Gathering in Shelburne. The action's mission is to engage everyday people in the public arena, empowering them to create solutions to the problems facing our communities. Through our actions, we strive to create hope, to make compassion and social justice a reality. VIA's Racial Justice Economic Opportunities Organizing Committee was formed following the upsurge of concern for racial justice after the murder of George Floyd in 2020. This horrific act of violence and injustice spurred many of VIA's congregations to hold small group discussions and read current literature to come to grips with white privilege and systemic racism. Soon the people involved in these conversations came to realize that words were not enough. Action needed to be taken and white people needed to claim responsibility for making societal change. As a model that VIA's learned from the National Network Faith in Action, which has proven effective in over 50 years of grassroots faith-based community organizing in 20 states and 3 foreign countries, VIA leaders began the work of trying to effect systemic change around racial injustice. Our interests in making up for the ways that people of color have been historically disadvantaged in the economic areas of land and housing ownership and business and labor development led us to conduct research meetings and keeping with our model with many parties. We had conversations with Tyisha Green in Burlington's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office and with legislators Catherine Sims, Charlie Kimball, Brian Sheena and Tom Stevens. We met with Susanna Davis and Jay Green of the State Office of Racial Equity and with Wei Wei Wang, the founder of Vermont Professionals of Color Network as well as with representatives from Vermont businesses for social responsibility and a Black Entrepreneur's group. And perhaps most importantly, VIA launched our largest statewide campaign ever in partnership with the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance. We campaigned to get prop 2 passed last fall to set the foundation for tackling systemic racism by abolishing slavery without exception in the state constitution which resulted in 81.5% of the state's voters voting in favor of this amendment. Find ways that we can continue to be allies in the struggle for racial justice in accordance with our faith values. VIA leaders and staff realized that our work dovetailed nicely with a new initiative started by a team of individuals in the Rutland area. Among them was a man named Bob Harnish. Bob is a longtime resident of Pittsburgh. Retired now, he owned and managed an inn in Menden for many years so he knows something about hospitality. Bob and his wife also consider as part of their family a Puerto Rican boy and two long children. Those relationships made clear to Bob both the struggle space by many non-white people in this country and this state and the many benefits of diversity, both economic and cultural. Bob got the idea for the declaration of inclusion from one of his cousins who was the chair of the select board in the town of Franklin. That municipality was the first to adopt the DOI. Bob was excited about this and decided to take it to the select board in his hometown. After some discussion, Pittsburgh adopted a declaration in November 2020. In the next month, Bob took the declaration to Brandon, a neighboring town, and they passed it as well. As this was happening, Bob recruited a friend of his, Al Wakefield of Menden. Al recruited Norman Cohen of Rutland. Their work spread to other key people and to other towns. Since the start of this initiative in the fall of 2020, the Vermont State Chamber of Commerce has become an important partner and the Vermont League of Cities and Towns created the municipal equity toolkit to provide practical ideas. In addition, Governor Phil Scott first proclaimed the second week of May as Inclusion Week in 2021. In campaign action, staff organizer in the Brownborough area energetically brought the declaration to our volunteers there and they have made great progress in persuading towns in that area to sign on. The BIA leaders in the Economic Opportunities Organizing Committee have employed the strategy of contacting faith communities in the municipalities that Bob, Al and Norman are targeting and asking them to take the idea to their elected officials on select boards and city councils. On their own and through these partnerships, this gang of three, which I understand is now a gang of four with a new member, has made the remarkable accomplishment of signing 110 of Vermont's 246 municipalities to the Declaration of Inclusion. These cities and towns represent 65.8% of Vermont's population. Here is the simple assertion of the DOI. The town named herein condemns racism and welcomes all persons regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity or expression, age, disability, or socioeconomic status. Who wants everyone to feel safe and welcome in our community. As a town, we formally condemn all discrimination in all of its forms, commit to fair and equal treatment of everyone in our community and will strive to ensure all of our actions, policies, and operating procedures reflect this commitment. The town has been and will continue to be a place where individuals can live freely and express their opinions. Firm to declaration is an important first step in making Vermont the most inclusive state in the union. A tall order for a state that is 96% white. But it can be done. If together we are all willing to take the additional steps necessary to make inclusion a reality. Your concrete practical measures. For ideas and what these measures might look like, we are grateful to the Ideal Program sponsored by the Office of Racial Equity. Ideal stands for inclusion, diversity, equity, action, and leadership. The Ideal Program's first group launched in early 2023 with 18 towns now participating. In addition, we commend the cohort program initiated by the Vermont League of Cities and Towns. The Ideal Program and the Leagues Program coordinated their development with each program structured a little differently but focusing on many of the same issues and topics. At the same time, the Vermont Community Education, the Vermont Community Foundation, announced a new initiative. It's equitable and inclusive communities grant program. This program will provide grants up to $10,000 to towns to help them with programming. They developed to help build a more inclusive community. Later tonight, you will hear from a few of the new municipalities that have begun taking practical steps for the kind of systemic change that will make true inclusion a reality. Much has been accomplished and much is still left to do. Tonight, we celebrate our joint achievements, thank those who have made them possible, and dream together of a better future for the state we all love. For Vermont to thrive, we must support one another in the midst of our differences and draw on the strengths and gifts of everyone to build an economy and a society in which we can take pride. Friends, diversity is a fact. Equity is a choice requiring great intention and resolution. Inclusion is action. Actually, many acts by many people day in and day out. The outcome of that work is belonging. And with a greater sense of belonging within our communities, Vermont becomes more of what we want it to be. More caring, more just, and more livable for all. May it be so. In five different readings. This first reading is from Thomas, most recently adopted, and then we will be going back in time. Hopefully it will be on your screen as well. Cavendish, Rockingham, Bellos Falls, Sackston's River, Glover, Waybridge, Duxbury, Northfield, Jamaica, Marshfield, Berlin, Grandin, Dandee, excuse me, Sunderland, Montpelier, Roxbury, Swanson Village, Williston, Shaftesbury, Jericho, Orwell. Now, for those who took the time to be with us tonight and are representing one of these towns, we have a gift that you can display in your town office. It's meant to be a small replica of a welcome mat. Is it on the screen though? Okay, that's all. It will be great on mud season, though it won't wipe very much off. So after every reading of the honor roll, we'll ask reps from any of the towns we've just made to come forward or to indicate themselves on Zoom to receive this special gift. The welcome mat says, everyone is welcome here. This municipality adopted the Vermont Declaration of Inclusion by May 2023. The office of racial excellence, yes. Do we have any reps from those towns I've just mentioned? I get to keep this one. All right. But somebody in Zoom, okay. The office of racial equity was established by Governor Scott in 2019. Ms. Susanna Davis has been in this role since the office inception for almost four years now, and the office has expanded into a small, skilled staff in response to calls for more action and solution-oriented dialogue on issues of justice and equity. Her office works with local, state, federal, and nonprofit partners to advance equity in all areas of Vermont life. Now, this is the first time that many of us have met Ms. Davis other than on Zoom, so please welcome Ms. Susanna Davis. I would say that an inclusion and diversity, right, that's the magic trifecta these days, the term that has now become more than the sum of its parts, to deep, deep, reach deep into the soul of the third grader within. And if you've lost touch with that third grader within, that's your first mistake. But for those of you who have maintained contact with that inner child, go really far back and connect with little you and tell me what part of speech is, are, the words diversity, equity, and inclusion and Karen gave you a bit of a hint earlier. They're nouns. They are nouns. But that's a lie, isn't it? Because diversity and equity don't require me, right? I don't want your noun behavior. I need your verbs. They can work. Because the thing about inclusion, we're commemorating inclusion week and the declaration of inclusion with this event. And the thing about inclusion is that not only is it an action hidden in the body, but it will be uniquely and exclusively performed not by the people who have been excluded, but by the people already there. If I could include myself, then I'd, what? The way some of you operate, I don't know if I want to include myself, but a suit with which we want to engage, if I could include myself in them meaningfully, I probably would have done so long ago or perhaps my ancestors might have. So the fact is that not only is inclusion a verb, but it's a verb that has to be done by members of the dominant group. That's what it means. The responsibility of diversity work and equity work and inclusion work and belonging in all of these important terms. And the responsibility really falls on the shoulders of people who have benefited tacitly or otherwise from our not being included. We've agreed we, the self-selecting group who are here in this room or in this virtual room have agreed that the time has long past to do this work and to do it here in Vermont. The second-wide statementation, the second-oldest statementation, the statement with the, if not close to, the lowest birth rate in the country. The statement has a whole lot of per capita statistical superlatives because as it was recently put to me, we have no cabinet. Vermont is a leader in a lot of ways. There are a few ways in which Vermont lacks our neighbors around the country. This doesn't have to be one of them. You don't have to have a lot of melanin in the room to do right by melanin. You don't have to have a lot of people in our midst in order to set up systems and policies that support those people whenever they get here. It means things like broader policies, the unsexy stuff that has to get done behind the scenes, the very, very frustrating and sometimes rewarding work of legislating and judicial decisions, sitting in cramped conference rooms with colleagues you're not really that friendly with, but who have a shared vision and who want to get something done. And yes, it also includes joy. It's often the case that when people talk to me about my work, they're, they're, they're somber, sip-pol-pril movement. It's my expensive word for them. There's a lot about which to be upset. There's a lot about which to be fearful or angry. I have a lot of rage. I find ways to channel it. And yet it doesn't all have to be the rage. Well, not all, you know what I mean. It doesn't all have to be anger and sadness all the time. Yes, there's work to do. Yes, there's pain. And let's hold that pain. Let's hold each other in and through that pain. But also, let's not forget to celebrate the very people we want to. Because if I'm so caught up saying I want to see Latinos represented in blah, blah spaces and spending all my time day and night doing that, you gotta be Latino. You've gotta make time for proactive joy. This work is not for our lifetimes. But that doesn't mean that we can't also simultaneously have lives during our lifetimes. But in order to do that, there's gotta be a place where we can be and feel included. And again, that is an action word. Which means I'm doing my part on things like policy. I'm sitting in that uncomfortable chair in that cramped conference room. But I'm also waiting on you. I need you to come with it. I need you to join what a lot of us have been asking you to join for ever. You know, I'm reminded of a quote that I recently read where the speaker says, I can't promise you that it's all going to be okay. But I can promise you that there are a lot of powerful people who want nothing more than for you to give up entirely. But because this is the U.S., we are defiant and rebellious and we're having none of it. So we shall not give up entirely because that's what they want. Instead, a lot of teaching, yes, but we are also going to live as we climb. We're going to get through that door and then we're going to hold it open for the next person. We're going to do this work non-resentfully toward each other. If we have shared goals, if we have shared visions, let's share in the share. I think that's really what brings us closer to notions of things like inclusion. I was grateful to the Declaration of Inclusion organizers for their bravery in doing this work. I too have heard the stories of their visits to various communities and how some of the conversations in the towns that you'll see on the screen went pretty well and others not so much. It is nice that we can be here and celebrate with one another but just as it's not all rage, it is also not all celebration. We have to protect ourselves and we have to protect each other. Each of us has the capacity to do that just in a unique way for you to join me as we go through the rest of tonight's program to think about the different ways in which we are or are not protecting one another and doing the work of inclusion. It is absolutely everybody's job. I just get to be the one who gets paid for it. But at the end of the day, it's less about the individual triumphs, the successes, it's less about who scored points on the board. It's even less about the board itself, about the game. Who's in it, who's not, who watches from the sidelines and by the end of it, the king and the pawn both go back into the same box as we see. Thank you so much for being here and thank you for your time. Thank you, Mr. Zahar. Mr. Speaker is from a community organization mobile. He simply can't help himself. And all of us gathered here to know his genetic loy. Indeed, for months, Lieutenant Governor David Zephyr. Before I can stay out for about a few days of extraordinary long efforts as we near the end of the session. So my brain is a little bit scattered as I also have to then get back to the fire and do some work today until the doctor can get up early to just work in the morning to have the field ready for it. So we went through all that distraction itself. The reality is many folks have many hurdles out there and we know that our systems over time have put different hurdles in front of folks based on a range of differences that we have. And such a great achievement, obviously there's more to do that so many towns are taking the time now to say one of the hurdles that have been in place in centuries to the lack of diversity, the lack of inclusion, the lack of wealth equity in our system, in our society. And as we reflect on the work that each of you are doing in your towns and through the work that VIA is doing throughout your conversations to get more towns to have select warrants make these decisions to say we need to start reflecting on this and reflecting what are our policies that have embedded injustice in our society? What can we change? What can we do with grants to help individual businesses get off the ground where there isn't legacy wealth to help those families for those individuals? What can we do to change our governmental policies to make sure the doors are open and not only open but welcoming to make sure we have a range of perspectives at the table and not frankly primarily people that look like me in many different formats. Gender, skin, clothing, etc. So that when the conversations happen in our communities the conversations are inclusive, right? Diversity and inclusion is making sure people are at the table so that as those decisions are made they are not made in a vacuum. I wish I had been there for more of your speech because I always learn when Suzana speaks and I've also called Suzana for a council because of the thought process your willingness to hear the mistakes that some of us make and teach us how to be better but it's also because of your job you've also got a tremendous burden because there are many of us that call and ask you for that information, for that guidance. It's important for many of us who are asking these questions to be conscious that because we are one of the least diverse states in the country that those whom we ask how to do better are also being asked that by so many or in some ways I hope by so many of us if the state is really changing to move forward but that's also a burden and so we also need to be cognizant of that and make sure when we're asking these questions or asking for advice that that person wants to be asked that in the moment maybe they also want to break so make sure we are cognizant in that regard. I just come as someone who is hopefully going to be able to amplify the work that you're doing at the town levels and the community levels and offer one thing that I'm trying to do is go to the athletic governor's office which will be in the next few days bookshelf outside in the state house with that in some parts of the country school systems or towns or town libraries or even statewide they are books that are now being said cannot be in our schools cannot be in our education certainly the exact opposite of what we were talking about in terms of not only looking forward to what we can do better but also looking to our past to understand what has been done wrong and what people face and so there will be a bookshelf of banned books that are books worth reading diversity and equity issues gender, race and so on and my goal this summer is to go to a number of libraries I don't know how many I will be able to do and how many will be able to schedule and so forth but throughout the state so if there are some of you that feel like there's a good regional library or town hall where you can have a book reading join me in reading some of these books or segments from these books to make sure we can in Vermont show a very different message to other states as well as within our own state that these books are critical our history is critical and our future is critical and they're tied to this literacy and this education and hopefully through the various techniques and efforts that you're doing at your town levels through what we can do at the state level through what Tuzana can do through her office and so many others in this room are doing we will continue to break down these walls that have been built up over decades and centuries towards that community that I think everybody in this room wants to see where everyone feels equal at the table and has a true equal opportunity to be successful for themselves and their families so I appreciate the opportunity to be here I appreciate the work you're all doing and I look forward to working with you going forward thank you so much I take you with our honor and glory I'm trying to do what Tuzana suggests the use of the canvas that have tried to turn diversity and inclusion into verbs rather than manner so this group includes Cavendish, Washington, Shown, Chester, Eastlum Hillier, Thetford, Hinesburg, St. Albans City, Londonderry, Colchester you come down and receive your gift we invite you to come down now and those of you on the screen just give a wave I'm so far back in town I'm still around but I am pleased to introduce you to someone very much alive not yet in the history books co-founder Bob Harnish a member of the gang of four as they now call themselves please welcome Bob Harnish followed by Anzu that 100 towns have adopted the Declaration of Inclusion it means that the select boards in those 100 towns now 110 have placed the subject of diversity equity and inclusion on their agenda at a meeting that they read the material we sent and listened to our presentation and then they discussed what it means to be a more inclusive and diverse town a more welcoming town a town that condemns racism in all its forms and ultimately they voted to adopt a statement or a declaration that their town commits to being open welcoming and inclusive but today is a day of celebration and we especially want to thank our valuable allies without them we would not be having this evening event Mon League of Cities and Towns mentioned earlier and respected by every town in Vermont VLCT as it's known and it's Chief Ted Brady and also Karen Horn gave us immediate recognition and gravitas around the state and then they're a valuable tool kit for implementation which is available to every town and then it was Betsy Bishop at the Vermont Chamber of Commerce who not only endorsed the concept of inclusion as important for Vermont but insisted that we should have the website and then loaned us one of our key employees Hazel Brewster to make it happen the website and Hazel have proven to be absolutely essential to our success and our credibility and our progress Governor Scott and his staff helped enormously by issuing a proclamation of inclusion giving historical context and stating the importance to Vermont and then naming this second week of May as inclusion week I also thank Coach Kevin Christie of the social equity caucus of the Vermont House whose weekly meetings helps to keep our cause in the minds of state representatives In addition we thank the Brooklyn NAACP and Mia Schultz for their guidance and encouragement We must also recognize the town of Franklin as mentioned earlier the first town in Vermont and Dave to adopt a declaration of inclusion and Dave Benjamin in select board chair in their select board for being the first towns to adopt a declaration that select board that in an increasingly violent way each town must do its part through its citizens to promote acceptance and encouragement of diversity and to recognize that and that we all have unconscious biases which need to be recognized and last but certainly not least we recognize those folks who were putting on this celebration tonight the Vermont Underfaith Action and its CEO Dave Ingram and also Dave Odie, Mike Marricki Frank Zadowski and many others who were throwing this celebration tonight they have helped us with presentations in numerous towns especially in the southeast quadrant of Vermont in organizations like this and others I have mentioned that have truly given the inclusion and diversity initiative the wings to fly statewide and personally I just want to thank I shouldn't say my team our team ignoring that I'm very sorry that I cannot be there with the person tonight I remember the game of war when we came down the block about the future where do we go from here with the declaration and inclusion our overarching goal is still to get 247 minutes of holidays much to state to adopt the declaration our next milestone is getting 50 new towns to adopt by our total so that will bring our total up to 150 we can reach a little bit higher now higher being fruit fewer of these remaining towns have zoo leading options that are worse that in the experience the zoo has been a godsend and have helped us tremendously despite some of the wrinkles you see it and the towns that are on are list for this summer and fall they're all over the state they're in the west the Champlain Islands the western parts of Addison and Rutland counties in the east we've got towns in Connecticut River Valley and Central Superior communities to go to in the south we have reached all those as well in the southeast and southwestern parts of the state and in the north we've got the kingdom and the border that we will be visiting for those towns that we'll be seeing going to Addison there will be more in-person means but we hope that will be mixed in with other technology going forward we're producing an introduction to the DOI video we're doing that with Rutland Public Access channels called KTV they will air the video and they'll post it to YouTube for us to allow towns to watch it before their meetings or during their meetings and we're going to be creating some podcasts to help explain our mission and share stories of how it's been played across the state so the law was turning as it continues there will be an even greater need for local champions so with all the many suggestions we have we'll also make sure that you have recorded materials when they're available so that you can share with your groups and your communities also means implementation it is expected with the declaration of initiative of inclusion we believe making citizens aware of a declaration is important for the towns success in achieving its aspirations with the declaration but there are various forms implementation can take and can be done we have a pretty comprehensive implementation guide on the website and that's VT Decoration of Amantran VLCT has created a group about that Amantran Office of Greater State Quality has established a program the ideal program for local leaders and the Amantran Community Foundation has a fund grants that are available to implement our program there are types of implementation steps to inform your residents of the DOI reasons for adopting it and that leads you to your town website your town plan or frame it and put it in the wall at town clerk's office you can print it in the town newsletter perhaps the first series of articles and you can include it in the annual report in-depth implementation these steps require before thought and at time you can form a diversity equity to a leader of the town policies programs, ordinances and procedures be sure that they are free and implicit or institutional bias and report back to select board you can assess our work environment for town employees they feel safe, welcome and appreciated you can review economic development recruitment and employment practices ensure they are welcome supported and reaffirming of your commitment you can arrange for implicit bias training for staff and brainstorm with other adopting towns on creative ways to reach out to marginalized individuals and people liable and you can also review up for this idea Earth, local schools, non-profits corporations that should drop the statement of the House of Christ training this is where you can engage partners now and going forward work with school administrators to bring inclusion university and classroom to art, poetry, drama and debate clubs work with faith leaders to guide their congregation to serve their students engage with town's library director to arrange a speaker series discussion group reading group film series and include students in these programs you can create concierge to assist new people in town that those considerate move to the town and offer them ideas for housing context and meeting other needs that they might have so this is on our website this is our game plan for a long game and expect to see the game before in a town near you coming months thank you very much I just want Bob who we've already recognized and heard from to stand please Norm Cohn would you stand and Al Wakefield would you stand never doubt the difference that one person can make or two or three or four let's hear from another batch of talents I'm Leon to continue the honorable tonight Bradford Swanson Virginia Johnson Village Johnson Cambridge Athens Stratford Sudbury West Winsor Bakersfield and Pinooski and again if you are representing one of your talents here please come forward to receive a gift if you are representing one of the talents thank you very much to reinvent itself this last Saturday you remember the sun finally shown it was warm everybody was outside you could possibly be welcoming the sun's rays Milton had his second year of inclusion they weren't waiting for a declaration they were welcome please the town manager Don Turner to celebrate this event inclusion became a focus for me back in the 2017 when I first became town manager I had a gay friend who had done great work in our community around youth smoking cessation and alcohol awareness he lived in town the entire time I had known him one day I ran into him in the post office and informed me that he was moving out of town I shocked him and told me why he explained how challenging it was for him to stop to shop at a local store the name calling harassment was just too much he felt compelled to move out of town we had worked on numerous successful projects together he was well respected by most and loved by the kids I was shocked and disappointed by this news and knew then that I had to work harder so that everyone felt like they belonged in our community a community that I work live and love I did not want this to be adversarial and I knew that a cultural change is going to take time in a significant amount of effort by me and many others the town during my 10 years town manager has conducted racial equity training in both leadership excuse me for both leadership and staff we participated along with school officials and implicit bias training we worked with school leadership to adopt a racial equity joint resolution we worked with the library to offer and promote a number of books intended to help residents better understand racial equity and inclusivity the select board adopted a resolution proclaiming December 10th as human rights day it has been recognized since its inception we created a civil flag display in our local park and formed a police advisor committee in 2020 the adoption of the declaration of inclusion in 2011 was just a roadmap we needed to stay focused on why we were doing these things since the adoption of the declaration we organized a community discussion on belonging and melting in conjunction with the Vermont council and the Milton on move initiative we now, as we just heard hosted our second inclusion festival both were well attended by more than 500 people we have updated our town policies administrative codes for pronoun usage and inclusivity in addition, as of January 23 we added a stipend position for our town planner to become our diversity equity inclusivity director as my goal is that we need to have in town planning all initiatives the time of comprehensive plan and all to be viewed through the lens of DEI when they're being developed for a future generation we know that this work is hard everybody doesn't agree with it but we have to go forward and we have to work together I'm very understanding why people challenge why we're doing things but as I stand here today knowing that not everyone in our community understands or even accepts the amount of attention I've focused on this area I know it's important I see you here tonight I see the people around to stay working on it and I see the FAD4 here when they're part we must continue to do this work so all the residents feel that they belong in our community in this state thank you for inclusive talent let's have another reading Wallingford Berry City Stowe New Fane Morristown Fairhaven Shelburne Watesfield Chittenden Mount Tabor Waterbury Springfield Farland If you are representing your town please come forward to get your gift or raise your hand on Zoom to be recognized the station in Washington DC or the Natural History Museum the next town provided the buildings before that it was the first town the Republic of Vermont created in 1779 that was then what about now Bethel is one of our towns and that journey is Jesse Plotsky on Zoom thank you Jesse hello everyone I think it's my fault wow I'm very excited to hear from all the speakers tonight and just to hear this sheer volume of talent to live out here Bethel's a town of 1,800 people right in the center of Vermont in the fall of 2020 12 of us residents of a local petition to select board to address equity and inclusion specifically as it applies to race in our community as part of the petition we asked the select board to form a town appointed committee an equity committee that would have the task of one understanding, documenting and remedy what she's been quality in our community to do increasing increasing the civic engagement as people in our town by being more inclusive and re-educating and training select board members, school board members and committee members on methods for equity and inclusion in our respective roles since the formation of Bethel equity inclusion committee we have increased access to town and government by instituting hybrid select board meetings with compliance with the state non-linear race data and traffic stops which they were not doing engage select board members in deep conversation about topics such as color blindness and other educational opportunities some as part of the university community led a number of courses we are still working and there's more exciting things to come out of the UIC it was not universally welcomed by select board members or by the community and part of what we wanted to do at our founding was to create a bold study of all kinds of governance we remember told us about the declaration of inclusion we were critical when there was priority at town play to achieve that town minute and if there were other towns that we could point to that would model what this unapologetic community looks like because of some of the hesitation toward our work we first approached our town planning commission to ask for their support of the declaration as part of our town planning process attended this meeting and helped us explain the purpose of the declaration how it connects the town planning with the commission's unanimous support we then went to the select board with Bob and L and the declaration passed unanimously on September 26 of 2022 this declaration has led us to grant funding with the Vermont Community Foundation grants of equitable and inclusive communities this will allow us to grow our community education work I'm very excited upcoming with the support of the Bethel Public Library we're starting a court club that starts later this month we are hosting town conversations we're hosting a Bethel G-team celebration Bethel's second annual pride festival the June 23rd 24th and 5th and also after school programs we have a five pop transgender and non-binary people the declaration has reached into our school district to improve its equity commitments and this read-aloud at the beginning of our time meeting by the time so we are very grateful to be among y'all who are doing this work happy to chat with anybody about the continually work we're doing about Bethel and looking forward to see more conversation and action as we go forward thank you if we had a drum corps with us tonight in roll now some towns took much longer to understand the implications of being an inclusive town others were waiting for something like this to find them so it is my honor to read the earliest list of Vermont tax seriously examined and declaring themselves inclusive on your screen frankly the very first town it keeps coming up South Hero Milton Morton Milbury Branden Pittsburgh West Rutland Paulette Randolph Spring Shrewsbury Mendon Bristol and Ben Hilton our inclusive team has also encouraged organizations in addition to municipalities to adopt the declaration if they so choose we would like to recognize them as well LaMoyle County Regional Planning Commission Northwest Regional Planning Commission Broward River Area Chamber of Commerce Kilford Community Church United Church of Christ Mount Escutney School District Broward River Development Development Corporation Rutland Young Professionals Rutland Area NAACP Rutland League of Cities and Tanks excuse me Vermont League of Cities and Tanks Vermont Chamber of Commerce Vermont Social Equity Caucus Burton Snowboards, Inc Rutland Regional Planning Commission The Quichy Club First Baptist Church of Burlington Christ Church Presbyterian Burlington The Edgar May Health and Recreation Center in Springfield and once again are there any reps in the community and once again are there any reps from these towns or organizations just named and step forward Yes So we've been to Bethlehem We've been to Melbourne Montpelier is our last town and testimony Vermont's capital of course with the smallest capital building in the whole United States keep hearing all over the Zoom screen is Michael Truman a citizen of Montpelier who will tell us about their inclusion journey Mr. Sherman It's kind of a little bit of a thing to repeat in this presentation but I borrowed what she had planned so I'm glad The city of Montpelier is seen from the interface of two The city council with the council is called Justice Advice filmed as a CJAG for study and for CJAG was established in 2018 with the goal of assisting the Montpelier City Council to study the systems policies and practices in place that create or perpetuate them and then on recommendations that will eliminate those barriers In its five years of operation CJAG has created and sent to the city council a budget equity assessment tool that was adopted for use by the city departments and the city council in budget and operations planning and implementation We revised the history of Montpelier's leadership and economic growth We've convened meetings of the members of the city committees to discuss and promote considerations of barriers and participation in some parts of the community and our major attempt is a planning implementation of an 18 month study with the social and creative discourse about the existence of what barriers people face how they see themselves within the community and then the city operations more equitable and just and then we went and implemented some of those recommendations from the study, there was no working on that but this mentioned more in particular including a planning project of making available stipends for members of city committees to offset financial veterans participating in community meetings There was a lot of information about who will see those who still be competent CJ members agreed from the start of our study of the DOI that our city statement should not only conform with the template provided by the DOI organization but also reflect the character and needs of our community We invited our wickfield of the DOI organization to a committee meeting to discuss the goals, timetable and process of adapting and adopting a statement for Montelio We then worked on writing and presenting a transcript statement to the Montelio City Council that affirms the need for operational challenges to accomplish the goal of inclusion and further develops the particulates the goals of the one goal of the equity plan and vision for Montelio Now I should add to this that the saint on the river moving forward with this assessment and planning for the future the city also had a police review commission on which I would like to serve and we shared the information from the study of the DOI that came up to the end with our own study to try to coordinate recommendations that we had and observations that we were making and hearing from the members of our community so we really captured a lot of very important information in the letter and we were able to use that in making some of our goals plans for a growing forward and anticipating several changes in the membership of the city council in March, C.J.C. decided to wait until the new council so I could be seated to ensure discussion and awareness with the new council members we set out to go after the council in March 15, 2023 in preparation for their discussion and action that was made on March 27 that made it was a final revision that goes by the council acknowledging that we as a community have much more work to do and then that version was adopted by the unanimous vote adopted with that question inclusion is a useful step to move the state of Montevideo to becoming the welcoming community and part of the welcoming state that we know we can be adopting this declaration is a reminder of work to ensure the well-being of security of all in their racism and discrimination committed to fair and equal treatment of everyone in our community and strive to ensure that our actions, policies and operating procedures reflect that commitment. Thank you. To bring us home and call us out we'll now hear a summary and a chat for one of our BIA leaders. Good evening everyone my name is Reverend Don Chackfield, I'm the lead master at All Souls Interfaith Gathering and a member of congregation of Vermont Interfaith Action and we have gathered here together tonight to celebrate the fact that from Brattleboro to Franklin and from London to St. John'sbury Vermont cities and towns have stepped up to declare that their towns are inclusive and welcoming for all. As people of faith and good will we came together here tonight to thank them and to applaud them in taking this very very important first step tonight. Ten towns, that's pretty impressive that's worthy of the celebration we're holding. The question that I have for you is are we going to rest on our morals are we going to be satisfied are we going to stop here let's try that again are we going to stop here how many towns will we have signed the Declaration of Inclusion so we those towns that have already committed to the declaration will form the impetus for other towns to join them as well and as members of the Vermont Infant Action to achieve this we must keep social justice high on our list of minorities it's important that we reach out to others to engage in the effort and most important of all let us all come together to address systemic racism. We heard from Barbara earlier we got the strategy to get all cities and towns signed on to the declaration I'd just like to suggest one other element that will help us cross that finish line and it comes to us from the first century of the common era comes to us from a gentleman named Barnabas Barnabas lived in Jerusalem he was Jewish and he became a part of that first century Christian community now it's interesting to know that his name Barnabas means son of encouragement and he came to be known by his name because he lived it out he was known in a community for being a person who supported a person who encouraged it sounds like much of the work that the FAB4 has been doing encouragement and support nudging people forward to achieve what they can his name means sons of encouragement he was a reliable and constant supporter within the community so this evening our charge is to become daughters and sons of encouragement encouraging each other in this work and also encouraging the remainder of the cities and towns to become signers of the declaration inclusion and may the power of the divine empower us to make it so but you know this as well as I organizing is not an easy experience sometimes it comes from working with others in pain who are struggling to be seen to be loved struggling to merely survive so tonight we celebrate what organizing sometimes creates progress and our neighbors who brought this far if you'd like more information on Vermont Interfaith Action please go to our website or speak with anyone here with a name today and also the website for Vermont Declaration of Inclusion for Vermont Interfaith Action folks who were involved in the planning or implementation tonight we have a brief evaluation session immediately following we're going to meet in this corner please join us in person if you're here and follow us on Zoom stay on Zoom if you are one of those I want to thank our speakers who are in person and on Zoom for sharing your towns experience and your personal experience and your hopes for the future to all of us if you feel alone in this work look around the room look at our Zoom mates you are not alone no one is coming here to save us not Susanna not David Zuckerman not even Al Norm Bob or Bart but we're the ones that we've been waiting for so thank you for attending please drive home safely and God Bless