 We welcome Today to this African landing day The third annual event this year sponsored by the racial justice family alliance and all the organizations that come together to make this a wonderful We pray that God will bless each and every one of you for your attendance We thank you for your attendance and we're just happy to be here Let us pray But God we think we thank you father God Those acknowledged and those not God as we stand here Bless you brother for everyone who was able could please stand and rise for the Black National Anthem lift every voice and sing Tell earth and head And to all of you you may have a seat I am going to be a very interactive with you all because y'all are cousins. So this is family reunion time, right? This is why we're here to rejoice to celebrate to come together to make a difference to share Our values to share our thoughts right to share our love for one another and moving forward and making a difference for the generations before us For my generation and for the generations to come and so today the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance brings you the first African landing day out of the darkness into the light We're going to highlight our journey as one that demands we learn and teach the truth about our national history This year Vermont's first African landing day highlights the perspectives of our elders our queens our youth and our brothers Today we celebrate educate and nourish our souls through traditional food storytelling dance drumming musical performances and more The true black history museum will also be featured throughout the day So you all make sure you take the time to go and check them out and I want to highlight as well The wellness space that we have here on the grounds today the youth center of excellence the Hampton History Museum towards freedom and traveling exhibit and Harmony's kitchen and the people's kitchen who will be providing food for our souls today Along with everyone else who will be contributing and I don't know about you all but I had to take my shoes off of some grounding Because when spirit is moving we must connect through all things and we are surrounded By so much energy not just within us, but the grounds that we are on today And even the grounds of you all's beautiful city has been a blessing to be here the past three days Because I'm visiting you guys from Atlanta Yes, I Am originally from New Jersey So it is a blessing to be here and I thank you all for having me So you guys just heard from this individual who was originally from Seattle, Washington Spoken word poet and emcee teaching artist. He'll be sharing two poems. One is from his most recent publication Literature their names are mine. Please welcome back to the stage Rodney Eddons Give them a round of applause Thank you much sister It's a blessing to be here with all of you. I want to start with the first poem to honor our ancestors because so important to Give reverence to all their contributions and sacrifices without them. We would not be here. This piece is called Middle Passage There should be oceans of tears There should be oceans of tears This ink is not my blood What right have I to speak? What right have I to speak? Think my words the salty oblivion to swallow this globe Submerging continents mother's one perfect tear for her children There were children in that small cramped space Giving birth in fetal position to steel-born cosmos Tiny infinites with mayhem as midwife below deck below death Below breath was hope hidden in heartbeat rhythm and now sometimes I see our children are below deck crammed in into small cramped space But the wooden planks are blocks and stoops and streets But our heart beating hope tells me you don't have to live that metaphor For we are the lineage of stars and suns look at the sky and see your reflection Forgetfulness would have us think the oceans dream them But galaxies do litter the seafloor no one can ever take away our before they sunk So that we saw they hung So that we saw they sunk and sung with tears in their lungs so that we saw this is not a metaphor This is not a metaphor. This ain't no metaphor middle passage Blessings give give thanks. I want to close with this final piece It's an honor of my kin folk. You know who you are somebody say Beautiful Sun Kiss people can say it like you mean it beautiful Sun Kiss people walking miracles Unfolding parables Ancient scrolls and oceans throws love be arose adorning your ears this morning will not bring morning nor thorn in tears This forever moment is shorn of fears. Say beautiful Sun Kiss people We are on the customer overthrowing overseers light years beyond heckles and jeers no more tanning our hides What dr. Jekyll steers this love is sheer Transparent and near as deer is your closest relative here. Say beautiful Sun Kiss people No conversation or us being equal just entertaining the thought is evil we we fool Fully woven lost and found traded and stolen, but look what the eye be holding say beautiful Sun Kiss people Golden black and free and ebony mahogany and mocha be chocolate hog and dies can't see Rivers running melanin Shallow men be monitoring but most high-gotted all intents and purposes and sovereign skin Watch as this here Palmer sins journey in and frolic in summer breeze is talking with the autumn wind how winter just won't break Our stride too much springing step for us to hide our victory is justified. Say beautiful Sun Kiss people Solar rise with older ties our currency ain't tokenized We're close to those focused in wise whose feet arise on open skies. We white supremacy eulogizing Blessed ministry new horizon and desperate attempts at euphemizing our brilliance if you don't lies still will never neutralize Too many youth been euthanized Fet suite is prey to tooth decay, but truthfully our root for way has truth to say adorns the night salutes the day in Beauty that the stars obey say beautiful Sun Kiss people I Relate to you so musically and oh the joy it brings like lift every voice Sing tell earth and heaven ring ring with the harmonies Liberty that are rejoicing rise high as the listening skies Let it resound loud as the rolling sea Let earth and heaven ring in sacred oath because after all we are betrothed to wondrous wonders of untold great grand good fortune That broke the mold can't buy us off with moldy bread We more than crumbs inside our heads and crust just will not satisfy when banquets alone our aisles divine We walk and gourmet grandma made Deliciousness in every shade say Sun Kiss people Say beautiful blessed bountiful Sun Kiss people I Praise a path that plants our flags squarely an earth of self-made basking a Glorious newfound approach that predators cannot encroach that parasites and wayward folks at a mere glimpse will cough and choke See this radiance is brighter still than every sun that lights a hill it calls from something deep within and Paws from vocal cords and pen say beautiful Sun Kiss people. I'm nourished just to see you You furnish my living room with life abundant killing gloom You water every plant I have and flourish my gardens green and vast Sing lullabies to my inner child and sooth all fears of fowl defile You spray me with your sense of grace and lovingly embrace my face say I am you and we are race that founded every human trace Say Sun Kiss people I Wake with your poems upon my tongue in my chest I hear your drum for my lips I hear your hum it gets me high and drunk as rum on you. I am forever spun your melanin are never shunned with you I am forever one has there been better never one say Sun Kiss people I Bequeath these owes to you and your next of Chin can of and children too and their children's children's children's view We'll yet still match your vibrant hue you supernatural sorcery to walk in temples gorgeously Shaming cathedrals far and near make a white Christ pale in the mirror Sun Kiss children you are it don't let nobody tell you shit unless they fertilize and saw you To grow a rose regal and royal to Donna rose upon a rose of red and black and green and gold So poetically bestowed it dignifies your inner throne Sun Kiss children marvelous miraculous magnificence outlandishly unabashed unapologetic sass Ultramagnetic blackness the right goddess on your epitaph. That's blasphemy surely right because we know true gods never die Sun Kiss children you kiss my eyes with all that sunshine you applying I say I am in love for true because you are me and I am you from head to toe and all between I love these princes kings and queens I even find you in my dreams and when I wake I vow to breathe and breathe the vow with every vow and continent I can't pronounce Announce the cosmos all your feats build castles for your sweet retreats whose feather pillows black satin sheets a Sacred lounge to rest your crown from all the wounds been crying out Sun Kiss people have no doubt. You're all I am what I'm about Can't tell my story without your page Every chapter be erased You saw my line so seamlessly We vibe on higher frequency So let's not love in secrecy My son kiss people you bees the key Rajini before you go Before you leave, can you please let everyone and you guys please cousins cousins give them a round of applause again? Please can you let everyone know How they can support you Aside from the QR code There is a QR code on the pamphlets if you on the brochures if you got one when you came in But let them know how they can keep in contact with you and how they can support anything you have going on Definitely I have books of my text their names are mine for sale here. You can also reach out to me on www.Rajni Eddins calm as well as check out some of the local black artist showcases We do highlighting the narratives of people of the diaspora, so I feel welcome to engage with me Thank you again for holding space for referencing and glorifying our ancestors Thank you So moving along we're gonna do a little switch up Really quit and so you guys got the opportunity to hear them warm up a little bit. We have the Champlain Mass Choir We have the Champlain Mass Choir Which is led by associate director Andrea Ogley and artistic director Dexter Chris Now they operate on both sides of the lake between Plattsburg, New York and Vermont With different styles of gospel music from traditional spiritual and contemporary, so please one more time you guys give them a round of applause Thank you Okay, so we are the Lake Champlain Mass Choir and as many of you have seen us down through the years about 10 15 years I'm we can't even keep track anymore We've been singing The best music on this side of heaven called gospel music, you know We know rock and jazz all the stuff came from gospel even people don't realize barbershop music It derived from gospel. So we all have roots to this which is really great. So feel free to join in some of you I have been with before Some of the BC people so feel free to join in if you know some of these songs If you don't know the songs eventually you'll pick it up, right? It doesn't take long to pick it up Says we know gospel fueled those former slaves just like we operate today You go through your day. You have your ear buds in ear buds in and you listen to your music So the slaves when they were working 12 69 was a day they would sing and it wasn't always because they were happy It wasn't because they were having the best time of their life But while they were working they were singing and they created some of the best music ever They broke the African aesthetics and they brought in the European aesthetics and created something that's exclusively American which we should be all very very proud of So this first lesson we're going to sing is called out of no trouble the river. All right When the slaves are getting ready to escape to freedom they didn't want any trouble the only reason why they would say yes It's because they figured they would achieve success. So they didn't want any hold up All right, so but even before they made the journey they had to they had to agree Because they were very spiritual back then they had to agree with the spirits with the Lord that it was a good thing to do because Remember they're being told by slave owners. What you are doing is what you supposed to be doing and what I'm doing is what I'm supposed to be doing so they had to decide From the spiritual element that this was a good thing to do so they would say well open my mouth to the Lord So that's what this next lecture is called. I'll put my mouth to the Lord. It's a Raymond. It's an arrangement by Raymond Weiss As we know music evolved right and he started to bring in music with well, I mean they always had instruments there was always instruments, but You know this thing called a piano kind of came along a little late and one thing about it After the slaves were free One of the first denominations religious denominations that was formed was the Church of God in Christ and unlike many So who's on one of those I'm talking about right there you go And you know, I'm Baptist so I can say it the Baptist were a little slow The black Baptist were a little slow because they were trying to emulate their white Baptist owners Okay, and so they wouldn't bring pianos because that was only in bars But Church of God in Christ said oh, no, honey. We like that too. So they incorporated all of those styles and stuff Into it. So this song is called you should be a witness. That's a boogie woogie song. All right. Y'all ready boogie woogie with us All right, so y'all can clap you witness So what's the name of the song? You should be a witness and y'all sitting there like you and the white first Baptist church We are Church of God in Christ right now right choir All right, so help us do this song. Come on now Who did oh happy day? right Just to both of them just recently passed away. So You know, they were giants long before there was a Kirk Franklin Could be the always the other folks out there Tasha cop, you know the ones who wrote the gospel songs that we hear in church. So I'm gonna ask Nora to come out All right, is there a solo mic? I know I don't know so never alone Texas Galveston, Texas, you know two years after slavery ended, you know, they had to make the people stop Practicing slavery and you have to think about it wasn't just the slave owners. It was the whole system. It was the judicial system. It was the The police it was every part of society allowed for for slavery to continue So when the slaves who are now former slaves found themselves in a situation they had never been in they didn't know what to do It's kind of like my puppy you take him out someplace new he doesn't know what to do, you know And that's kind of the position they were in so the minute song is called. This is freedom celebrate Freedom celebrate. So we have one more song to bring all this in between At the end of the day, we got to find a way to work together We can't get caught up in our blackness so much that we forgot and so I believe that the good Lord above Want us to all sing this song together when all so I think this song is kind of you catch it Please catch on the soprano's gonna bring it in and out those tenors and I'll do the bass okay, and So please join in with us when all God's children get together Written by Pringle many many years ago Who was also church of God in Christ? The rain is holding up for us. Yeah, I should be feeling good Absolutely, so listen our spirit to move me especially in spaces like this. We have Roy the heel the second If these gentlemen who are moving the chairs to the stage are probably not gonna like me in a second Because we're gonna need more chairs And I'm gonna tell you why we're going to need more chairs There is not only in throughout the world and has been for some time a racial divide, right? Oftentimes there there is even a divide amongst men and women. Hello cousins There is also sometimes a divide amongst men and women Right and so our first panel discussion is supposed to be for our kings But what I'm going to do is I'm going to have our kings and our queens on this stage For this panel discussion because I think it is important that we be as one when it comes to making decisions and when it comes to Listening to what needs to be heard from all sources, especially our women Right where the women go the nation go so if our women are healed Then our land is healed our men are healed our children are healed And so I'm going to have the women the Queens. I'm gonna have the Queens Christine I'm gonna have you and the women along with Roy V heel the second I'm going to have all of you on the stage for this panel discussion And we should have a mic floating around as well So that we we're gonna try to have a mic floating around as well so that we all can engage if you guys have questions if you want to Voice what you feel what you think what you believe during this panel discussion. You are open to So before we start this panel discussion, we're going to have Jola vet Open up for us with a poem and then we will then follow through by introducing everyone Why you're here? Well, I mean we know why you're here, but we want to know What all it is that you do? Thank you Jola vet in the words of Naomi long my jet I've come this far to freedom and I won't turn back I'm climbing to the highway from my old dirt track I'm coming and I'm going and I'm stretching and I'm growing and I'll reap what I've been sowing on my skins Not black. I prayed and slaved and waited and I've sung my song You've bled me and you've starved me and I've still grown strong You've lashed me and you've treated me and you've everything but freed me But in time, you'll know you need me and it won't be long I've seen the daylight breaking high above the bow I found my destination and I've made my vow so whether you are bore me or deride me or ignore me Mighty mountains loom before me and I won't Come on cousins. Give her a round of applause She gave me chills. I don't know about y'all Go ahead and hold on to that Introduce yourself again, please and pass the mic around so we can know who everyone is Greetings family. My name is Jola vet Anderson Duani I'm the new Edmundite fellow at st. Michael's college scholar in residence under Dr. Dunge and the history department. Thank you so much. Thank you everybody for being here. I am christine hues I am married to mark hues who's the leader of this thing must be around here somewhere I'm so blessed to be here and so blessed to see all of you I have been here since I was a child about eight years old and it was a really long time ago I consider myself really like a survivor here like a survivor of the school system and All of that. I'm the youngest of six I have four beautiful children and three beautiful grandchildren Um, I guess, you know, maybe I'd call myself an activist I've been standing up for racial justice since I was like a junior in high school when like The clan was trying to get a rally together Here um, and it's just I'm just really blessed to be here and I'm blessed to Be alive at this time because we even though our progress is not going as fast as we would like it To we're making progress and we're moving forward. So that's me Hello My name is Roy v. Hill and I'm a humble to be here with my brothers and sisters keeping it real Keeping it real been here in vermont's in 32 years Recognizing that I'm just one Of this human family on planet earth some one of eight billion people knowing who we are Recognizing that we've come this far We the people the title african americans And a country that stands on our shoulders We the people I'm humbled also because I reached out to Three people who are on this panel They didn't know and I didn't know that we were going to come together at this moment, but their schedules were such That god brought them here Professor dande from st. Michael's college Revan Arnold Isidore thomas God sent anointed and sent to this place called vermont. They will introduce themselves, but that's just an They're coming y'all And of course one I think is the most important in many ways That is brother Joe What's your last name brother? Joe Buford Buford You see just as I indicated there We forget the community that he represents which are farmers Somebody out here had something to eat this morning. Somebody out here will have something to eat this evening And you will do so because of farmers He is Spark plug in that community sent here all the way from Oklahoma The state that tried to destroy Black folk you've heard of black wall street Standing strong. He represents that to us all Well, thankful And such that you made a reference to women 40 percent of the workers In the farm fields globally of women And we look down on them. We don't pay them what they deserve, but we raise If we don't get our groceries Which come from farmers People Spiritually they go all the way back to and after The likes of george washington carver Salvation of this nation So i'm glad you're here cia people People of character Of integrity And accountability My brother All right Greetings everyone. My name is uh, joe buford Um as as our brother hill alluded to I am originally from oklahoma I've been living here in vermont now for about going on about four years. So I'm glad to be here. I stand on the toes of my grandmother freddie joe buford and then my mom Laverda joe buford come from a single parent household So my story may in flight may be a little bit different But I think we share in a lot of the same visions and stories and some of the Disparancies that we've had to overcome and endure. So i'm glad to be here As my grandmother told me and you'll probably hear in my story in my conversation If you want the success of a day Grow crops if you want the success of 10 years grow trees if you want the success of lifetime grow people And that's what i'm here to share Greetings everybody and welcome um I have to take just a moment The panel that um bob aroy invited me to it had the word elders on it And I had to take a moment Elders group um But thank you and blessings on that. I am Dr. Catherine Dungey. I'm a professor at st. michael's college And um i'm still in that moment of I am now an elder Um But I have been in vermont for 22 years. I came up as a dissertation write-up fellow as a hinderson fellow at uvm and um Stayed on as a professor at uvm Left vermont for a hot minute and came back and then at st. mikes As have been there now for 11 years um But just being on this on this stage with all of these people with my new mentor mentee here as a mentor an elder Well, um, I'm sitting with this. Yes um, and I just want to Say a grand welcome what I do is history. I do history of the atlantic world history of the diaspora This moment The sharing of sister jersey as you as all of our cousins. We are all Related, we are all tied to each other This is the history that I do is showing those links But history just isn't just about the past. It's about our present and it's about our future as well So that is what I'm hoping to bring to you this morning What's up black people? Yo, we outside Okay Okay, so I'm jada. I use they he pronouns. So I guess I fall under like the king category Uh, yeah, I'm a student Black um Yeah, I just be chilling. No, I I'm here because I I really care about The progression and advancement of like niggas, right like it's I'm sorry. Sorry. Uh, I'm pretty sure I forgive me I'm being very vulgar But like, you know, when you get around your people, you don't know how to act, right? So You know, excuse me Yeah, it's really good to see all of y'all All we're gonna be talking we're gonna be sharing our wisdom and joy So just tap in and if you have anything to share the spirit moves you Yeah So, um That's it. Okay Jada your hard act of follow My name is Arnold Thomas. I am pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Jericho, Vermont. I've been here for Over 22 years now I came here as the first african-american denominational leader in the state Of what was then the united church of christ come people call it the congregational churches So they're kind of the white steeple churches on they seem like gas stations on every corner And um, and then I spent seven years actually about 10 years In new york city and southwestern canada kid because I just needed A more multicultural multiracial environment for a while But I still commute it back and forth to vermont because it was my home It's where my family remained And after 10 years felt that I needed to return back to vermont And so I came back and I now assume the role as pastor of good shepherd lutheran church I serve as an ecumenical pastor A ucc minister serving a lutheran church And I also moderate the racism in america form a monthly podcast of forms are speaking for BIPOC and african-american vermonters letting White vermonters know what are our priorities and our concerns and Hopefully that we will be part of the solution rather than the problem Thank you so Aside from jada correct Is that correct? Aside from jada and joe All of you respectfully our elders right and What has happened with time? in our honesty is that We no longer sit at our elders feet It used to be an honor And it also was something that the youth looked forward to because there was knowledge And there was wisdom and it was things that society could not teach us Right, but that it was things that lineage-wise is ingrained in us It was the story of our people. It was the story of the medicine workers It was the story of the root workers, right? That the children would run to sit at The feet at the steps at the tables of our elders to hear those stories so Take it with grace because I'm gonna be honest. I'm 38 and I look forward to being an elder Okay, so if my cousins can please Give them a round of applause for being here today And jada you are so necessary How old are you? Right, my daughter is 20 I had her when I was 18 and you are not so necessary because you guys are in a time where A lot of what was Does not seem as if it is But it just has a bigger smoke screen over it You guys also have more voice You guys also have More courage Right then some of our ancestors that came before us So I thank you for being here because you guys are necessary and y'all are next Right and With what's next you guys are going to have to be able to digest and hold the wisdom in a space That will keep us rooted And what our ancestors have for us. So I thank you So we're gonna go ahead and move this panel along. I have thank you guys I have some and I'm gonna move around down here because it's not any room up there for me So much um So today's panel is what does out of the darkness and into the light means to all of you, right? Our kings our queens our elders our youth Noble if I can truth has another mic If you guys can move around throughout the crowd as well just in case if someone wants to engage with you all Why you're speaking we want to allow that because this is why we're here And um, however, you guys want to pass the mics around to Facilitate this by all means do so. I'm just going to ask the questions Um, however, you want to start If you guys if you have some things that you want to implement as well just knock me off the mic. I'm here However, you know, however, you guys want to move this along so um, what does Out of the darkness and into the light means to you and you guys keep that Bookmark that. Okay. And one of the first questions is what is the value Of understanding the true racial history Whoever would like to start what is the value? Of understanding the true racial history Mike check, okay So the first question what does out of the darkness into the light mean to me? um, there are different perspectives, but the one that I will speak on is um Taking me back to the first time I heard about a book called the heart of darkness by joseph conrad and This whole perception of africa being a dark continent But not just a dark continent because of the people it was considered to be this wilderness and considered to be Uncivilized as if there was no knowledge no culture no history present there And that has been the ultimate lie that is still present And that is at the root of a lot of the racism and racist practices that we have to deal with today um A lot of times we tend to begin our story with 16 19 which we should Because that's just one part of the diaspora the african diaspora that is being told about our sojourn here on these shores and on this soil but Consciousness, I think also has to begin um the consciousness is the light right um one version of the light and um be knowing that Our consciousness has to be rooted in an understanding of the history and the culture and the traditions of the african continent That came over here with us and that we held on to and that has sustained us So that is what out of the darkness into the light means most to me So before I respond, I just want to add to my introduction. I am a proud member of new elf a missionary baptist church We have a table right over there Um, please stop by over there sister adi just raise your hand Um, we are behind like years and years speaking of local history of uh gospel fest We have a quilt over there that thankfully lori barnett brought to us um some local vermont history So I didn't want to make sure that I said that so I don't get in trouble with my pastor. Um so and and I'm so glad that you're saying what you're saying about our history and thinking that it starts with 16 19 because one of the opportunities that I see going forward Is there's a world of stuff we don't know And so I'm individually and hopefully collectively Looking forward to that look that learning, you know, all of a sudden when I started paying attention To how much there is to know about what happened before that I was like, oh my god, there's the whole world of stuff We don't know and that brings me a lot of hope and of course our youth bring me a lot of hope So when I think of out of darkness and into light, I think about you know uncovering a lot of untruths and regaining the truth of who we really are I agree with everything I've heard so far And yes keep and keep in mind every if someone makes a point and all of you are in agreement, you know We can move into the audience You understand with with questions on that particular question all of you do not have to speak on each question If you don't want to so no pressure No, thank you Out of the darkness and to the light See there's a difference between education and indoctrination And what happens in this nation is indoctrination Indoctrination that comes out of the darkest places and the darkest places as the example have nothing to do with the brilliance of Africa Anthropologists around the world agree that the first semblance of humans as we know Have roots in the continent of Africa Conversely if you look at Laws or proclamations such as the 1597 Laws passed by the english parliament to send their criminal elements to america the new world And these were crooks and political types Who came here? Many of them changed their names and Consist and consistently raped the land raped the people And today that is the template that many black and white folk follow In 1776 or thereabouts when a group of white boys got together To pull together a constitution There were three people Who were non enslavers? thomas pain samuel atoms and another one But the one that I lift up at the moment is thomas pain He talked about common sense He wrote the book Something man He was speaking to justice and fairness and he was persecuted for that reason So coming out of darkness Is something that fears Frightens a lot of people who have lived a lie And continue to walk on this land that technically belongs to the native americans or the indigenous people But because they are fearful and scream and rape and Lynch Don't stop us Us who are cia people As my angelo said still we rise Still we rise You are part of that risen rocket going to a Way from what it used to be to make tomorrow a better place for you and for me Brother hill there towards the end i started to say you sound like uh michael jackson There'll be a better place for you and me hill the world Yeah Hey you all so in the king james bible it talks in asai isaia nine and two that people who walk in darkness will see a great light Those who live in a in a dark land Will have the light shine upon them. So for me and kind of my flight again coming from oklahoma I've seen what that darkness has done to to my culture and my ethnicity You know, I grew up 30 miles from toss oklahoma And so a lot of those things that happened at block black wall street even though i was not alive at that time frame I seen how it affected our culture So one thing again when i was saying that growing people and seeing how you can be the betterment of changes Is really for me to be an interrupter And then to also go into uncommon places And so even if that meant for me coming to the second whitest state in the country brahmont Oh third We got three more citizens here. So we're third Um, what what difference does that really mean when you're still below? I But you know people tout statistics all the time. So I guess we're third So i'm proud things have changed in the last four years or so since i've been here Maybe that five thousand or ten thousand dollars to move the brahmonts making a difference. I don't know I didn't get it But you all for me is to be a bridge of the gap. Although i'm not a what someone would say is an elder I spent a lot of time in my community with the elders and Spending just hearing their stories and how to be the change and so as the jergy said with Sister jade over here, you know for us is we have to be a part of these conversations because we are a part of the solution A lot of times these solutions are made and delivered without us being at the table And that's why the message is never carried forward or that's where we where we perish, right? Because lack of knowledge if we're not trying to go back into those things We have to be standing in in between or bridging the gaps between our elders And then those who are on their way to becoming elders So what I would like to do because we are on like tight time I want to go ahead and move and uh within the people if it if there's something anyone want to say If there's something you want to ask, please just put your hand up. We have a mic You may have to come forward actually Is there anyone you know, is there anyone who are like, can you come forward for me? I don't the mic is not going to reach um That far But I agree with you Uh wholeheartedly that is usually where the gap is is that We're not at the table the young people are not there right the millennials We are not there at the tables while our ancestors are still making these decisions And there was a time when the children were at the tables But our parents parents like my mom is a baby boomer You right they didn't when we gathered we weren't talking about The change we were To have a good time So there was a lot missed in translation Who do we have noble? Okay. Go right ahead Come over come over here, sweetie. Thank you How's how y'all doing today man? Good. You guys enjoying yourself? I know I am Today's a blessing Having a great time just learning a lot about our history and different cultures and stuff. So god is good allowing us all to meet together and just you know celebrate greatness So what I wanted to say Is there is a new alpha missionary Baptist church table in the back? And I just wanted to encourage and invite you guys to stop by you can spend the win a hannahford gift card um t-shirt New alpha t-shirt, and there's also coloring for children and colors around the world So it's right to your all the way to the back on the left hand side And I hope you guys enjoy the rest of the event today and have a blessed day. Thank you Thank you for that announcement And so what I want to do is go ahead and move on to the next question But we're gonna start on this end. Okay, and with our next question. Where do you think the black power comes from? Okay, we need all of that energy I think black power comes from a spirit within black people I say that we have always been powerful We have always been Connected with god or a spiritual power that gives us reason for being and reason for living and reason for change I must say that when I was a kid growing up in Ohio There was a lot of self negation among black people And so we had to deal with our own low self-esteem and When I first heard James ground say say it loud. I'm black and I'm proud And then followed by erita franklin saying I'm young gifted and black with my soul intact. And that's a fact We gradually merge emerged out of our low self-esteem And that was just one of several things that allowed us to grow out of our low self-esteem And affirm who we are as Americans as people of god as people of the world And that is still a problem that we have to overcome Let me also say that I think as black people and as people of color Part of a larger network of people of color we We have to Live into the reality that this nation is changing It is gradually becoming a predominantly Is a nation predominated by people of color And while that is a An emerging reality the reality is also that 75 percent of white people Do not have any significant relations With people of color with black people specifically so As the reality of this nation becoming more and more interracial There is also the reality of a growing resistance among white people for to prevent that from happening We see it in voter suppression We see it in the denial of critical race theory We see it in all sorts of avenues and we need to We need to rise to that occasion and say We are going to be A nation that includes all We're in spite despite what they're the small remaining contingent of resistors white resistors Put roadblocks in front of us. We are still going to move So black power is really an Understanding and an awareness that we have always had the power We had to we have to claim it We have to affirm it and we have to integrate it within the fabric of what america is Absolutely Thank you I'm going to follow his energy Uh Black power I believe Comes from our suffering and pain like about 400 years in this nation We were in bondage and um I put in a position of excruciating Antidious work Like someone earlier said like 12 to 16 hours like that's insane and Like it wasn't even minimum wage So to endure that all of those generations. I feel like that type of Person those types of people They have to be strong. They have to be some type of magic So Simply put our power Um to we yeah, we our power came from god our power came from slavery it came from uh escaping and Following the north star and just hoping and dreaming for something different something that Uh looks like my children not being in captivity like you have to have some type of Magical imagination To like look ahead and look past and look through your current situation. So yeah when I think about that Is it's really hard not to get emotional because I can't even imagine or fathom like what my people endured um But we free now so that same power that they had then we have it now and like even more as multiplied So yeah Thank you Jada Jada you give me life I'm just enjoying being next to you Black power as a historian It's something we've always had and we've heard this on this Dias here of the history that we have as people from the african continent That's where we derive our power and we were Brought here As involuntary Migrants to this land, but we have made it our land One thing that I had to I had to learn it had to grow into Was the knowledge that I am as much a part of this land as anyone else My Paternal well both my paternal and maternal line go back to virginia To almost the 1619 I can trace them back to the 1670s and it's A combination of European indigenous and african Communities in my blood coursing through my veins Um And that history is something that my elders gave to me and to be proud in And I would question you know sitting in class and that indoctrination of you know having come from africa and being A slave not enslaved being a slave Um, and that works on your head It really does and I have had to change that mindset that indoctrination break those chains and Realize that The my my forebears who were enslaved That's not That is not a shame on me And that is something that I want Everyone here to understand that is being enslaved. That's not a shame on the person who is enslaved That is the shame on the one who has is enslaving And that is the change that we need to make in how the history is told is that we are We are talking about A pride and a power We endured that and whether I mean I have Ancestors of uh, who were enslaved and who were not enslaved But they're under a system a systemic system that enslaves you whether you are actually Being owned by somebody else or not and so that and that transcended even past The the emancipation of of slaves We are often are in bondage in our minds and we need to break those chains And I see um, I see our dear jada here working on that and I I was hearing it in her in in their in their talk and I thank you for that And um, sister jersey, I thank you also for the questions that you have put forth for us to answer Thank you And I I hope we are bringing Wealth of knowledge and help and understanding to the crowd Thank you. So if you can pass the mic over to um, roi v. Hill the second, please Thank you We're gonna go ahead and wrap up and close out the panel and of course this is the first of many to come Because you guys have roots here and I really do hope and speak life over you guys gathering not just with Each other but with the community and with the youth and so that we can continue to move this forward here right and so our final question is What is your role in our advancement? So really and truly what is our role? In our advancement advancement, this is not just for us Brown people, right? It's not just for black americans. It is for white americans as well What is our role as far as our advancement is concerned for you right now for your children and for your children's children's children Because even for some of us sitting here as brown people We are descendants of Kings and queens who were taken in may slaves because see they weren't slaves when they were found And then for some of us we are sitting here and we are descendants of slave owners Right. So what is our overall role in the advancement? Mr. Hill the acknowledgement of who we are The acknowledgement of truth comes to mind in terms of that wonderful question Let me close on two or three thoughts that I leave with you Going back to sojourner truth In 1797 Going back to Harriet Tubman in 1822 Sojourner truth was in the african-american evangelist abolitionist women's right activist author fighting against the evil We call racism in america And then Harriet Tubman born into slavery escaped Became the most famous conductor on the on the ground railroad the facts before Moving beyond indoctrination to real education I took a leave from Dartmouth College because at Dartmouth I was beginning to feel A bit lost because all around me was a one-way vanilla template And I took that leave to raise capital campaign monies for hbc use Fisk darkness fifth the morning houston tillerson tougaloo and my alma mater teledica in alabama and oasis Open up And I saw the history of the people the history of truth That I and this nation stood on I and this nation stood on When I called the professor here I was awed to realize that she also was an alumnus of spellman Spellman that started I believe out of a baptist church Spiritual reality the foundation That infused her and has infused this nation That history talks about Rockefeller And I think his wife laurel She came to and discovered the rich powerful integrity Of that institutions and the people And decided To share Dollars He was infected himself when he came And gave the support that was necessary Going beyond color going beyond gender going beyond the trickology That this nation is noted for Out of that You can remember or you should know That none of our schools ever discriminated on a basis of color But if you come up north Places like Yale named after LSU Yale who was An enslaver You find that a number of the schools closed their doors To god's people who happen to be a permanent have a permanent suntan their extraordinary dr. Dorothy Irene height Received a full scholarship to hunter college new york And when she showed up the dean looked at her and says we have a quota of one you aren't welcome here Our schools never closed the door On talents on righteousness We were then the light We passed that light on to you And we must pass the light on we talk about faith, but the bible says faith without works No faith at all So as I shut up I do so mindful of two things One Not only that I and my wife are Charter found the members of new alpha missionary baptist church But we have a church covenant that says Haven't been led as we believe We believe that we are led by the spirit of god We engage by the aid of the holy spirit. We believe that there's a spirit there That's within all of us That says You don't attack The capitals of the nation just because you don't have people there who agree with your idiotity A spirit that is right and inclusive in this one human family of eight billion people populating planet earth God put us here for a reason And that covenant At this little church here in The state of vermont An acronym you could say is a pad It speaks to a promise p an agreement a and a deal We have to make a deal with reality with our brother with our cousins And so the clothes Were called out of the darkness To this marvelous light this opportunity For self and for others And to paraphrase from the prayer of st. Francis Lord make me make us an instrument Where there is injury? Where there is doubt faith where there is despair hope And where there is darkness Let us be light Thank you Thank you Cousins, please give the panel a round of applause our kings our queens our youth our elders We appreciate you all your wisdom Your truth our truth the truth all of it. We appreciate you guys so much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you Thank you So what we're gonna do as they clear the stage We do have An amazing and beautiful entertainer coming but before He comes on stage Sorry I'm sorry I need all of the children to come to the front of the stage all of the children All of the youth So what is going to happen is that I have executive director of service renter rendered Bruce wilson He has a tent in the back behind the barn called our hope in future He works with The youth he works with your children my children our children Um, and um, he's gonna say a couple of words before we bring our next entertainer to the stage Thank you very much So I am bruce wilson executive director of service rendered incorporated. I've been in vermont since 1989 I run programs around the state for youth educational drugs not called tobacco Where we open up the youth centers in all the malls. You might remember living rooms chill out centers All free for youth and we have an art gallery now in the university mall called art so wonderful It's all for youth and families. So we continue to do this work with you And um, so um, I just want to say, um This is the youth center of excellence right here It's so It's amazing because I see Adults walking around here all these security guys all these People who are running this program who went through my program When they were their ages And so it's so good to see them this It's what a measure mentioned. I mean that that we've done something well Whereas the youth continue to do the right things Grow their community help out and be positive Mentors So I just want to say to these wonderful youth that first of all All this work that we're doing is all for you and all the work you're doing is going to be for Your little brothers or whatever You went through a hard time A hard time with our COVID-19 and just school and The adjusting to the new ways of where it is today And um, I just want to thank you. Thank you for this being strong Thank you for being the young leaders that you are today Thank you for coming out today and representing yourselves your family your peers You know who you are, you know, you didn't have to come here today What you did is something inside of you to make you want to do it You know, you know, it's something besides you to make you want to come up here and um and be a part of this Youth of excellence. You are youth of excellence Do always know that don't forget it. Remember it Every adult here is their job Their job is to help you meet your goals your dreams and your aspirations. That's our job Don't be afraid to ask us for nothing. We we should spend we spend nothing to help you do this Not a nickel dime Nothing so just continue to do well Any questions you might have talk to your teachers or your mentor your mentor your Your um facility or pastor at your church Talk to everybody that can help you talk to adults You know, that's how I do I always joke around and with um my peers and say I got 900 phd's Of course I don't but because I I say that is because I know people who does the work If I need answers from a doctor or a lawyer or Indian chief, I know all of them I go right to them and get the answer And that's what I want you to do get the answer from the people who know google google might have it, you know I just have to use the webster and encyclopedias but now I get to use google but Try to go to the people who you know your elders your mother your Your cousins anybody who can give you the answers your job is to be as excellent as you are right now Who's excellent wave your hand raise your hand raise your hand who's excellent raise your hand Raise your hand raise your hand you all are excellent everybody raise their hand For these youth right here Raise your hand look all around to all these youth who's been a part of my program look at a2b2 Who's been a part of my programs when they was little No, look at them now adults. I saw Winston walking around with his newborn baby You know isic and All my peers who was partly this same as your age look at them doing the right things And I have elders too like um rev roi I have people who mentors me So what we're going to do we're going to walk over to this education to that red barn right quick and then i'm over what um african first african landing day means Because you have it all in varieties you can really I can tell you and i'm going to read it over with you too So we can all know and then that's all i'm really going to do I want you to enjoy the festivities go back to eating your food But I always want you to know i'm bruce wilson google my name or whatever you need to know about me Our programs have over 50 awards and it's from helping people I have two of them so the rewards come from the people like you who works with us. So Thank you. Thank you again. Please give these um youth. Thank you Praise them every day. Thank you so much. All right for this. Thank you I know give me a look off the stage Thank you. Mr. Wilson wilson aunties and uncles mr. Bruce wilson will be walking the children through I mean around the barn here for a few educational pieces if you are okay with our baby cousins Learning a little bit while we have From the beautiful island of madagascar Self-taught musician. Please everyone welcome Micaille Lee Thank you Be la galena torca momba momba. Hi everybody This is micaille. Uh originally come from madagascar. So I based in Burlington vermouth. So I've been four years Here in united states So Today i'm gonna play few my tunes for you My first song it's called ambulo hoto Down a little bit. Thank you My first song that's good. It's called ambulo hoto so My mother's come from a village. It's called ambulo hoto Where they took the slave? So the slaves means andevo and then The first king in madagascar at that time he built Build the king house in that little village and then the british people came Uh To cheap To took the slave So this time I hope everything is gonna be changed Getting better Oh I Duala Duala Thank you, thank you so much, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you so much. The thing is, I came here to the United States by my choice, but not our thank you so much. Tenguwe nyangafara, Aruwe denbolat stare. Oregido numie sadimitaiza, Manga rana kea, Manga rana ka. Oregido numie nga sadimitaiza, Manga rana kea. Oregido numie nga sadimitaiza, Manga rana kea. Manga rana kea, Manga rana kea. Thank you so much. Thank you. We appreciate you. Thank you. You let everyone know how they can support you, how they can keep up with you. What information do you have for us today? Say well, everybody, and then protect our family, protect our community. All right. Thank you. All right. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Cousins, please give him a round of applause. And let's remember he is from Madagascar. It is an honor to have him here and to share with us in song. So really quick, before we move forward, we have some women from the new Alpha Missionary Baptist Church. They have some exciting, exciting, exciting news for you guys. As you came in, you probably went to their table, you signed up for a raffle that they'll be doing. Also, get a little bit of information. Two seconds. One, two, three. Okay. Good afternoon, everyone. If you did not sign up for the raffle, there will be another one coming up. So our table is right over there where our pastor is sitting. And if you haven't signed up, you'll come over and meet him. And my name is Angie Pearson, and this is Sister A.D., and this is going to be the first of several spin to wins that we will be doing. So make sure we stir these up really nicely here. When we call your name, we just run up here really quickly. Over to our table. Bill Neal. Is there a Bill Neal still here? Bill Neal. Is there a Bill Neal still here with us? Bill Neal. No? You guys want to pull another one? None of the cousins are speaking up on behalf of Bill. Right. Danielle Chris. Danielle Chris. Danielle Chris. Okay. We got her. Meet me over at my table. Yes. Meet me over at my table. Cousins, please. Round of applause for these ladies. Okay. Another hour we're going to spin again. So if you have not registered to win, come on over and register so we can get you into the next raffle. Okay. Thank you so much. Thank you. So you guys are amazing. The food smells amazing. The food looks amazing. I'm a little jealous because that macaroni and cheese look like my grandma made it. Listen, Harmony is doing her thing. She is one of our sponsors for this evening. Also, you guys, we have the Black Museum here. So please make sure you make your way inside of the barn when you have an opportunity. I am excited about this next entertainer. Mr. Strength resides in Numbers, born in Ghana, raised in the Bronx, currently residing in Burlington, Vermont. Please, cousins, give a round of applause for Sin. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Roy. How's everybody doing today? We appreciate you all for coming out. This day is special to many of us for many reasons. As the son of immigrants, the experience of coming from Ghana to the United States was different for me than I think the experience of growing up in the United States as a foundational Black American for some of our cousins. But what we all share through the diaspora is the working knowledge or the living knowledge from the day we are born that for some reason, somebody out there thinks we are lesser than. And so from that place, we work our whole lives to become who we want to be, who we were meant to be. And that journey is fraught with many things. So my journey is about a lot of those things. And I try to let the music reflect that. Let's do it, Roy. Yeah. Yeah. Uh-huh. I think that's, yeah. It's been a tough year and a half or two years, hasn't it? It's so much blood in the street, don't seem too mean to die, so mean to realize we lost only one question why. I've got eyes ready, gotta make it rain so you don't see me cry. Oh, it is raining. I forgot this was the first song. Let's go. It's apropos. I'm your backup today, Sam. And it is raining. The universe works in mysterious ways. Thank you, sis. I need that backup. Your energy will give me where I need to be to give it to them. Let's go. Thank you, Roy. Peevee, I see you. Peace to all the people in Haiti. This is for those that didn't make it through COVID. They are here. We hope that you know this. Some were there and others weren't focused through it all. We made sure to throw it. Mothers, brothers, God's Lord, Javu, no Ashanti, we ground till we six feet, hustle and bustle, we hustle. There's no rest for the weary. You see the Lord is my shepherd, my protector, but I can't take the pastor's lecture. Any hate on my name is conjecture. Fill up on your block and spin it, selector, more fire when I'm in the booth, seeking that in the truth, their size to the colors like a Rubik's cube. I was raised with some ethics involved. I'm from Ghana. It's freedom and justice for all. Yeah. All right. Sis, you stay with me? I know the mic's, the devil, the devil is busy, but we don't get it. He's trying. I know y'all see it's raining out here right now. But we got sin on stage. Yeah. It's been a rough year and a half, but we're here and we're going to make it happen. Let go. I wrote this rhyme on the very last page of my book. I'm from a place where the streets stay infested with crooks. Plenty Kings do stay protected by rooks, and so I spent to give the silence the voice and those without a face a look. I peeped the phoniness. They're all transformers, flows and grieges, but yet they're still pompous. Any competition, best plan gone conquer. We've been plotting since K.R.S. Drive to South Bronx and shocked us. I leave it up to churches, teach belief, here's a message to the smokers, touch your leaf. You hear nothing when these so-called rappers speak. They should be renamed deaf, dumb and mute MCs. I'm off for excellence to represent me. I'm no dummy. I spit more heat than they can bear, not the gummy strength in numbers. I'm bound to be a Vermont staple because these words are world famous like the Vermont Maple. Y'all still here? All right. Hey, thank you. Thank you. I saw that. I appreciate it. Yeah. That's right. Roy, I don't know where you at, but we're going to go to the next song. Sometimes you got to be your own DJ as an artist. If you don't know, send names for strength resides in numbers. That's right. And we are gathered here today because when two or more are gathered. You know that's an African proverb. It takes a village. Turn that up for me, Roy. Yeah. Uh-huh. It could go down a little bit slightly. Right there. Thank you, bro. And I'm going to remember to stop cupping the mic. We ready? Before you're gone and the memories of what's left, I want to take it all in and waste no breath. Time is precious and now it seems more than ever. I can't wait. Won't wait for us to be together. You're a gift that I hope we received well with much grace. It's all love in the details. I used to stop by your crib. You were like the L. I'm breaking down now. I hope you can't tell through it's all. Your spirit still prevails. You brought us much joy on the ones and twos. What more can I say, bro? I miss you. Uh-huh. Today also happens to be Eight Dog Day. A good friend of mine who died passed away tragically due to leukemia. This one's in your memory. Eight Dog, a brother and a friend of me. This one's to your memory. Uh-huh. I know not what's on the other side, but I do know that you were bonafide. A genuine soul, peace and love. So grab your loved ones and give someone a hug. Life can change up quick in one snap. There's no rewind button you can bring back. The only times now, fill a moment. These memories are yours. You own it, so make the best of life and hold on tight and never, ever let your goals get out of sight. You see, I represent the dark. Yeah. I appreciate y'all. Make some noise for yourselves for being here and working through the rain. Come on, cousins. You see how- Don't even start that next joint yet. Hold on. You see how that rain cleared out for us? The universe. Because it ain't over. Right. Never, ever. Let's do it, Roy. No wasted time because we got to keep the program going. I'm going to make the most of my time. Thank you, son. Uh-huh. I think that's the last one too, sis. I appreciate you. This song is special to me because it reflects a lot of my journey. I was hooked from the first taste. This music is my birthplace. Make best days out of worst days. It quenched my soul when I'm thirsty. Let that kid be him. Because in this life, all men sin. People are fake and love to pretend. You can't tell if they're phony or genuine. We fregana namibaha. Harlem world, they dapper. The South Bronx soon after. And that's because my mama need a new chapter. We was poor. You couldn't come by my house. The bed is full. Floor taken. No couch. No balling. NBA lockout. Give me a mic. See, I've been waiting for a long time to hit the stage. Make it all mine. It's my gift. Let it all shine. I let it all shine. It's my time. Won't be denied. And I'ma kill it every single time. So the whole world remembers mine. And they'll remember mine until the end of time. The bottom ain't fair, but we all done did it. Pain ain't right, but we all done lived it. Different intelligence. We all don't get it. Don't let them in your circle if they ain't been vetted. I move at a pace that most fine awkward doing my thing and why should I stop it? Haters gon' hate. Of course, they'll knock it. The jealousy and envy is a part of their logic. All I want is to just do me, chase my dream, be the best I be, give my soul over legendary beats and make sure forever that the world remembers me. They say time waits, time waits for no man. But I'd rather make them wait while I go ham. No choice but to get with the program. So let's go, man. See I've been waiting for a long time to hit the stage. Make it all mine. Hi, auntie. My gift. Let it all shine. Let it all shine. It's my time. Won't be denied. I got to kill it every single time. So the whole world remembers mine and they'll remember mine until the end of time. I want to know what y'all came here for because the way this energy moving on the stage, y'all should have y'all hands in the air. Thank you. I appreciate you. I know. That's good money, right? It's energy. Yeah. I appreciate y'all. Tell them what it's there for, son. Strength and numbers. Tell them where you from, son. Ghana, West Africa, but I'm also a product of Vermont. Tell them how they can keep up with you, son. All social media, act Ghana to America. Ghana to America. Just spell it all out. And I'm gonna have some info cards for y'all where there's a QR code. You can find all my links. I appreciate y'all. Mark, thank you so much for the opportunity. I'm gonna be here every single time you call, brother. Thank you. Love. Thank you so much, son. I appreciate you. Bless, bless. I appreciate every last one. Y'all, y'all see how this sun is coming on, coming out for us right now? Y'all not excited about the sun? Because everybody ran underneath the tents, or did I not see that? Everybody was like, wait a minute. It's raining. Yes, a little rain never hurt anyone. So, as you notice, you may and you may not have noticed if you're following the program. I am the program. I am the program. I had to, you know, we started a little late. It's okay. I allow spirit to move the way it needed to be moved. And so with that being said, this individual, and to be honest with you, if it was not for this individual, I would not be here today. This is my sister, my brother, my friend, my family. Self, a self-mastery educator and intuitive energy coach who uses her gifts, talents, and storytelling to educate her audience and clients to live a life of wealth and nobility by developing character, learning life skills, and applying what is learned to evoke the best version of yourself to create and live the life that you desire. So, cousins, aunties, uncles, please give a round of applause for my family. Noble Oleanka Jules. Thank you. Y'all can clap louder than that. The rain stopped now. Come on. Thank you. This is everybody. There we go. Thank you so much for your amazing applause and your welcome. Before I speak, before I do anything, I give it back to my ancestors because if it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be here. And the way that I do that is I take some water, pour a little bit out for the friends and family. It's called libation. Because when I eat, they eat. When they drink, I drink still to this day. But please allow me to hit the grass and not the wire. Who got you hit? Who got you hit? You can say their names in their head, in your head. You can say it out loud to yourself. I like to scream sometimes. I'm from North. So, as I pour, as I pour, again, you just say the name of who bought you hit. Your bloodline. Because if it wasn't for your bloodline, you wouldn't have a time to shine right here, right? Say them out loud to yourself. I'll say. I'll say. I'm going to say my names as I say my name. I am named Noble Oleinka in spirit. My birth name is Julia after my Nana. And I was born on my grandmother's sister's birthday, Verney Jones. I say that because for a very long time I didn't like my name. It wasn't cute enough. It wasn't hood enough. Then I realized that from the perspective in which I was living, I had yet to see myself enough to wear the responsibility of my name. So as we have come here today, 1619, I need for all of us to understand in your blood cells, each one of your cells has a name on it. It has an identity connect to it. It has a struggle. It has a path. It has a bringing forthness. It has an overcoming that inside your veins, inside your blood, inside your breath, and everything that makes you whether you know it or not, whether you was disconnected from your family or not, it has a name on it. So today, I want you to honor that name. At the end of my speech, we're going to do a commencement tonight, 1619. Right? As we do with spirit, we allow spirit to move us. So I just want to let y'all know, if y'all ever heard me speak before, you know, I wrote a speech, but we're going to let spirit speak to us. All right? I thank you so much for your attention. Thank you. So when I was younger and I used to understand, you know, slavery, and I used to hear messages through the music, like the beautiful choir did at the beginning, and we was educated on the many different slave songs and the many different songs and rhythms that got us through this world. I ask spirit, if you don't, if you never met me, I originated as a poet, how come I spoke in rhythms? And spirit told me that wisdom moves in rhythm, right? And wisdom moves in poetry, right? Being that we are a universe, right? We are all songs and personifications, right? So when we think of the thought of bringing light out of darkness, I'd like to thank you all for traveling me on this journey because we're about to talk about it. So this one song used to sit with me. I'm building me a home. I'm building me a home. This earthly house is going to soon decay. And my soul's got to have some place to stay. And when I was younger, I used to listen to that song and I used to understand that that was songs that our ancestors sang so that they can keep their focus that this world is temporary. How many people out there know that this world is temporary? And so when you say I'm building me a home, right? It's like, okay, I know where my house is, right? I know my address, right? And it's like they say home is where the heart is, right? But it's like when we think about where home is where the heart is, where's your heart right now? It's the question, right? Because this earthly house is going to soon decay. Now when we think of the heart, we think that it's in this earthly house, our bodies, right? That's going to decay. So the question I want you to ask yourself is when you pass away, when your body decays, does your heart go with it? It don't. I stated names at the beginning of this speech. Those are my heartbeats. Our ancestors are our heartbeats, right? However, the theme of today, follow me, just follow me, is bringing light from darkness, right? So cue to cue cards. I did some research because I'm a person that really studies spirit. I'm like spirit, like I just don't agree with spirit creating leaves so detailed and then want to destroy the world. I'm sorry. I can't understand it. Don't agree with having a spirit that makes us all so uniquely to have our own fingerprints and then want us to fight against each other. I'm sorry. I don't agree with that. I don't agree with this thing called unconditional love and the people putting a lot of conditions on it. I think we got it misconstrued. I think we messed up because spirit who's mathematically correct at all times, who can make all of us individually special, who can love us so much to make you different than you and keep this song going, why do we now have a situation like 1619? I ask questions like that, right? So I said, well, what's the meaning of darkness? So I found some things. Y'all ready? Y'all with me? All right. Most of the time when people talk, they got a pen in the past. So if anybody recorded me, please share that with me at the end. All right. So you must know, you got to know what you're working with, right? So you have to understand the truth about darkness, right? Pure darkness is weak against balance called order. Did y'all know that? Let me say it again. Pure darkness is weak against the balance that's called order. So it's like, oh, that's deep, right? So when you have order, you can't have pure darkness, right? So this is some more truths. Just follow me. This is a good point. God added light. But for many darkness symbolizes all that is negative, harmful, evil, and fearful. God gave equal importance. This is what got me. God gave equal importance and permissions to darkness and light. And all life, including human life, begins and develops in dark. So we had the elders sitting here talking about we are land of farmers, right? Right? So as a farmer, in order you want things to grow, the first thing you do is you put it in darkness, right? You take a seed and you bury it in complete darkness so that it could develop. So I said, oh, this dark thing has something to do with it, right? So let's do some more truths about darkness. We need darkness to feed our spirits, protect our health, and protect the health of this planet. Look at that. Light at night may be a sign of life on earth, but the darkness will proclaim our true intelligence, right? So this is beautiful words and it's expressing what darkness is. However, how many of us really experience darkness in our lives, right? Like personal level, right? And so I'm a believer of what is, what as is above, so shall below. As is without, so shall within. So I really believe that everything that we're experiencing in this world is a reflection of what we're all going through on the inside. Can I get some, anybody agree with me? I see some heads nodding, all right? Some amen. I'm a person. I like to enter. Y'all can talk to me. There we go, right? So if that is the case, then we should switch the focus from the outside to the inside. Wouldn't you think? Yes, right? All right. So thank you. Follow with me. So in my life, you know, like I said, I didn't like my name, right? But I was going through some darkness. I had to develop myself into who I am. So I didn't understand, like we all, why I was here. What is the purpose? So I started to ask questions, right? I started to go through things. And when I look at my life from where I am now, I now understand why I went through that darkness. But in 1619, we ain't no, right? When you was going through your situations of turmoil, you just didn't know, right? When we was on boats, right? We didn't know. When we were put in positions where we were honoring our ancestors by enslaving people and treating them bad, we did not know. We were doing what our ancestors at that time told us to do, right? On one side, we had ancestors telling us to treat people, make yourself superior and treat them as they're lessening you. And on another side, we had do what you're told to do, right? But in honor of our parents and our traditions, we just did it. Just follow me, because that was 1619. Where year we in? Who? 1912, 1815. 2021. 2021? Those are the numbers that they say in the year? 21st century. 21st century. So I'm going to take a pause and I want us all to just look around. Because what 1619 represents is the 400 years that it took for this conversation to continue to happen. And we're going to put it like that. The fact that we are bringing darkness to light still after 400 years, we have work to do. So the definition of darkness and light, and how it works, right? So I've seen this in the Bible. Isaiah 45, 7. It says, I form light and create darkness. I make peace and I create evil. The Lord do all things. Wait a minute, right? Now we're sitting here. We have experienced this. We have books to talk about this 400 years. And God's answer to it is, I form light and I create darkness. I make peace and I create evil. I, the Lord, do all these things. I'm going to be honest with you. I have sat in many church sermons. I ain't never heard this verse. I'm going to be honest with you. How many of you heard this verse? You see? Right? You heard it? All right. Right? And it's like this has to ask us questions because we're here today to celebrate, right? And to get some education on how to bring what? Darkness into light, right? So we got to understand again, how does this work? We have to realize that we're energies and we have the will to choose which way we want to go. We want to go dark or you want to go light, right? Because we all understand our will. Just follow me. But when you understand a thing, you'll be able to make a better decision. So I looked up what this darkness is. And darkness makes you feel fear and grief and you go with and abide with, one second, fear and grief go with you and abide with you when your way is the way of pain and loneliness. This is the way of darkness, right? So when we go through situations and we don't know how to feel about it. We don't have the words and the expressions of it. We go into this place internally and we feel lonely, right? And I read somewhere that in African traditions, whenever someone was going through something, they never let them be alone. They used to bring them out and put them around a tree and the whole community would surround them and would allow those energies to flow through them until they come out, right? And so what that means is like, when you're going through darkness, you're not supposed to separate. You're supposed to come together. In times like today, we all experienced this situation of COVID and everything. We are separating instead of coming together and that brings up different emotions like fear and resentment and empowerment and hatred, right? And in order to go through that, like we was talking earlier, there's a process that you have to go through in order to come out of it. It's all in science. Our goal is to reach lightness. We want to look at what light is. And light is to reveal the thing. So in my research, I found out that darkness defines a thing. You heard a lot of this as we went through today's, you know, ceremony and celebration. We had, I forget your name, but we had one of the panelists speaking about where we get our black power from, where we get our human power from. I'm a person that I don't think we're colors. I think we're people. Can anybody else agree with me? Yeah, because, you know, you put me in certain different rooms. I'm many different colors myself, right? So, but I'm a human being, right? And so when you take your struggles and you look at them and you understand that we get our power from our struggles. And I do apologize because of time. I'm not going to be able to go through this. So let's do this. There's system and processes that we're here to do. We have our ancestors, but the truth of this world is that we are here to keep our bloodline song going. Right? And how do we do that? Is whether or not you know what your bloodline song is, it's inside of you. It's in your thoughts. It's in your behaviors. The situations that has happened years ago are still happening now because we're still talking about them the same way. We haven't allowed ourselves to go through the processes to really eradicate them, make ourselves aware of them, and heal them in our own selves. Integrity means what you do alone is your truth. And a lot of times we slide and we look past how we feel while we're alone. When you're alone and you feel alone, that's your darkness. That's when you face off with that darkness. We are from an entity called Source Energy. And I want you all to follow me with this. Source Energy comes from darkness. My proof is the Big Bang Theory. In the beginning, God is the first words of all spiritual books, right? We could say it in Hindu. We could say it in Arabic. We could say it in Christian. In the beginning, God. Then it talks about God was traveling through this earth that was void and dense. That's darkness. And God said, let there be light. So it took an entity to be in darkness and to understand the power that was within that entity to then have enough in itself to know that what it speaks, what it thinks, how it likes to exist, it can change some things and create a Big Bang. Billions of years ago, that entity did that and look at all of us, right? That's the Big Bang Theory. And sometimes we like to separate the spiritual speaking from the science manifestations and act like they're not sisters that are in alignment. What you speak about yourself, what you speak to your children, what you speak to your ancestors is what you're bringing light to in your bloodline. So on today, how we bring darkness into light is by us looking at the darkness and appreciating and picking out the struggles and using our will to go forth with truth because can't none of us go to God when you have darkness by your side? Because God is all but light. This thing in which we call darkness is our temporary home. Trying to get some validations for some things that we feel as though this world owe us. We had to go through these things because look at how great our nation is because we've gone through this thing. It's a beautiful thing to sit here in Vermont. I've been many different places. Atlanta, Vermont, I've been to marches. What's happening in Vermont, and I've said this in Juneteenth, I'm going to say it again, is a beautiful thing because we are our ancestors and we are bringing them into light because we're standing on this land together today. Now I want you all to give yourself a round of applause. Because as keynote speaker, I'm only here to speak about what is already here. That's why God shortened my time, told me to put the speech away and told me just to open up my heart and talk to everybody, right? So I'm moving into the... Mark told me to make sure I separated it. The commencement of what 1916-19 is. We have a responsibility. That's what it is. These parties, these cookouts, family, they are so dope, right? We come together, we get to dance. We get to party, we get to have the kids play, we get to enjoy each other's company, but we have a responsibility. And it's only one way we can all respond to our ability to be light. I'm gonna say it again. We have a responsibility and there's only one way for us all to respond to our ability to be light. It's a bridge between darkness and light that must transform us into the Big Bang. And that's called forgiveness. Forgiveness is an energy that is a compound word when we speak it in English. The compound word is forgive and this, right? To break down forgive, forgive. Forgiveness to allow it to happen. We can't go back and change anything, but where we are right now, we can say, I'm sorry. I see you. I see you. I see you. I see you. I see you. I see you. I see you. I see you. I see you. I can't walk in your shoes because I cannot take my being and put it into your temper, everybody, but I can hear your story and I honor you. I respect you. I may not understand everything that you've gone through or have went through, but I know that we have some things in common called being humans. I know that your heartbeat, like my heartbeat, I know you got feelings like I'm feeling, how did that hurt you? How does that affect you? How does your ancestors who brought people over here affect you in 1619? How does this story affect you being the ancestor that was brought here? How does it affect you when we raped you? How does it affect you to be raped? How does it affect you to stand next to me in the store and I don't say hello to you today? So in commencement of everything that went down in 1619, let's start having the conversations every day on your block, in your house. Let's zoom call by standing on our porch and looking across the street at our neighbor and saying, hi, my name is Noble. I don't know your story, but if you ever feel like you want to sit down and talk to me about it, I have ears to listen. I have a heart to receive and we can't change what me and my ancestors did to each other, but I know that you have children like I have children and if we don't come together and do something to this earth, we won't be humans. So on today, 1619, it is very important that America takes accountability of this story because the power that we have is built on the ancestor's back of the story America refuses to tell. So again, we need you to tell the story. The best way to erase a people is to stop telling their story. And I'm going to be honest with you. I don't know all of my story because your ancestors burnt books, but you know the story because you talk about it in places that we can't go. So the way we're going to commence 1619 in Vermont is by ancestors said earlier today, we're about to do a pad. We're about to make a promise that we are here today and we're going to change the story and the song of our ancestors. We're about to make an agreement that we can all do it together. Is that right? I ain't here no agreements. I ain't here loud enough. I'm from North New Jersey. I ain't hear it. I still ain't hear it. I church, I ain't hear y'all. Church, I ain't hear y'all say I agree. I ain't hear y'all. My man back there in the corner by the cars, I didn't hear you. Like for real. Act like I said, I'm about to get somebody a $1 million out of my pocket right now. Absolutely. I hear you now. And we're about to be determined, disciplined and dedicated. I took that from sin. Because we are more significant in numbers. All right? So that is my time. I thank you all for coming together to celebrate 1619. I wish I had more time. But in honor of spirit, my name is Noble Jules. You can follow me on all social media under Noble Jules. That's N-O-B-L-E-J-U-L-Z. I hope that my time here has added some kind of value to you. And I hope tomorrow you wake up and say darkness, come to me. Because I am the light you were looking for. I shake. I shake. And so it is. Please give Noble Jules a round of applause. I'm Reverend Dr. Christopher Vaughn Cockrell. The proud pastor of the New Alpha Missionary Baptist Church of Burlington, Vermont. I'm here with my members today. We're here at African Landing Day enjoying a wonderful overcast day but just being blessed. We are here giving away T-shirts and $100 gift cards from Hanifrit grocery store. We're just excited to be here celebrating this wonderful occasion. This is our third anniversary and God's truly given us a beautiful day. We've got great entertainment, wonderful spoken word and some just great speakers that's been here today. Free food and it's been a blessing just to be here. And we're just excited to be a part of today's event. Thank you very much. You are media. And New Alpha this day is newsworthy. It's newsworthy that we're here celebrating, acknowledging First African Landing Day. And it's great because New Alpha speaks to new news. And the celebration in many ways speaks to the impact that New Alpha is making on the community of Vermont. And at the same time, it's newsworthy that Vermont as well as the nation is beginning to acknowledge the truth about First African Landing Day. Our theme, of course, is out of darkness into light too frequently without education about the reality of history and the reality of contributions that African-Americans and the church in the African-American community makes to the community, the family and to our country. We are excited that Reverend Dr. Christopher von Cockrell has been called to Vermont, has been called to New Alpha and making a difference as a mother church in our community at large. We speak of out of darkness into the light. Everyone who understands history understands that Mississippi, from when she came, it's a place that has not been kind to African-Americans. Fact is, research shows that among the states responsible for very ugly things done to African-American community, African-American individuals, Mississippi is number one. However, that change is coming about and you might say it's a new day as we see leaders such as Dr. Cockrell reaching out to communities and doing so thanks be not only to the Holy Spirit that we believe in, but also thanks to technology, the pandemic has closed many churches across the land. Technology such as Zoom makes it possible for us to be alive and minister to people via technology such as Zoom as well as those who are hurting in so many different ways. So thank you for reaching out for the newsworthy, you might say. There's a scripture that says having faith without action is no faith. Well, New Alpha is about action and has been about action since its founding in the late 1980s. I might add that my wife and I are also charter or charter founding members of New Alpha. She couldn't be here today but I feel that she would probably endorse my sharing this new Alpha presence that's having an impact on the furtherance and the betterment of our state, Vermont. Hi, my name is Adline Robertson and I am a longtime member of New Alpha Missionary Baptist Church here in Burlington, Vermont. And we are down here at the Intervall Center celebrating the third annual African landing and we have a table here but we also want to show you our wonderful quilt. What you're seeing now is a quilt of many years of our gospel fest that we performed here in Burlington, Vermont. And you can see it goes, there's the oldest one is 1995 which is down there and it goes 1996, you see 1997, all the years of our gospel fest these are represented through the T-shirts that we turn into a quilt for our history to show the many 30 years that we've been singing gospel fest in this community and spreading the word and the good news of Jesus Christ through New Alpha Missionary Baptist Church. So thank you very much and you can tune into New Alpha Missionary Baptist Church anytime. If you like we have our worship services on Zoom and if you'd like to attend if you send us information to our email address that is N-A-M-B-C .802.1989 at gmail.com and that's how you can get contact with us at New Alpha Missionary Baptist Church. Thank you and God bless you. Hello, my name is Christopher Thompson. I'm doing security at this event here which is a blessing especially for the black community in the state of Vermont. My situation is a unique situation because this is my way of trying to get back to the community. I was not very a good person to the community but this is my way of changing my life, changing my way around and this is the welcome that I got since I'm maxed out and I'm proud to say that. Today is a wonderful day for the kids and everybody else to have fun out here and you know to meet the good people of our community and to stand just to say hello. Stop by. Thank you. My name is Pat Atilio and I've been with the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance for three years now and I work on the data team. We gather data showing racial disparities if they exist in Vermont and including things like traffic stops. Awesome. Hi, my name is Gail Prue. I've been with the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance for about a year now and I also am on the data team. I help gathering racially disaggregated data as well as maintaining the website giving updates and just making sure everything's running smoothly in the background. Hello, hello, hello everybody. Blessings on blessings on blessings. My name is Noble Jules. Today I had the honor of being a keynote speaker here at the first landing Vermont event. Listen, listen, it's the first landing event. I'm a little overwhelmed with all the excitement. I'm forgetting the name of the title of the event. I'm gonna be honest with you. But today what we did, let's get to the point, what we did today, we talked about what needed to be talked about. 1619 project and how it is very impeccably important that we be the light to bring this darkness down here in America and we make sure that our story is told and uphold and our bloodline so that our narrative can continue rising to the top from where the bottom where they tried to put us because we ought to understand something. We are not slaves. We're not even descendants of slaves. That's their story for us. It is time for us to take over our story and to maintain our story because we are kings and queens that just so happen to be kidnapped and put into a system that was meant to build this country to the greatness that it is. We did that. That's the story we're telling. We did that. So my name is Winston Longmore, a former member of New Alpha Missionary Baptist Church. I'm here just supporting my church and just celebrating the greatness of our of our culture and just the history of everything that we had to go through in this country and just really celebrating the blessing today of freedom at last and it's just such a blessing to be a part of this event and help out God is good to allow this get together in the midst of a pandemic and I'm just so blessed to have my church members and family and friends with me support me through this event along with my wife that has put a lot of effort into this event as well. I'm the husband of Maya Longmore and I'm just enjoying myself and I look forward to the next event next year. Hi, my name is Arlene and I'm here at the first the third annual First Outside African Landing Day here in Burlington, Vermont. I want to say that this is a wonderful experience for the community to come together and come in unity and understand how the impact of the African-American community in Burlington, Vermont and across the state of Vermont has made wonderful impactings, mission statement and needs to be continued forward and propelled forward with all of the community resources that it needs and all of us coming together. This is a wonderful opportunity and event for all of us to come together to network together to appreciate ourselves and our struggles and our journeys and that is why exactly I am here in order for us to participate in such a lovely and beautiful event that we can all participate in and understand how we need to be a better Vermont understanding our African-American culture and our African-American brothers and sisters and I am happy and proud to be here.