 We're going to get started with our New American Majority Reception remarks, so please feel free to con up and listen, there's plenty of seating at the moment, and I would love to introduce you to our two speakers for this reception. We wanted to focus specifically on members of the New American Majority, women who are people of color, LGBTQ, under 35, and unmarried, and those are the future of our government, and so we are eager to have as many women like that training in our programs together with us, so I am really excited to introduce our first speaker for the evening, Eskip Charleston, is an alum of the class of 22, and she is doing amazing work here in Vermont as they're thrilled you're here, and thank you so much for coming. A great honor to be with all of you this evening, I am Esther Charleston, I am Haitian American, I am a Vermonter by choice, I moved here four years ago with my children, and it was one of the best decisions I've made. I am the daughter to Haitian immigrants, Anita and Glashon Charleston. I am a graduate of the Verge class of 2022. We celebrate those that have come before us, and one of those folks who is no longer with us, but the former state representative, Brunny, the first black American to serve in Vermont state legislature. She laid the foundation that opened doors of what is possible for someone like me, a Haitian American, Vermonter by choice, woman, to have the audacity to run in Vermont and win. As a person who ran for the Middlebury Select Board in 2021, I have the audacity. Yes, thank you guys. And I won, joined the Middlebury Select Board and knew that I needed to learn quick, so I decided to apply for a Merge. And in 2022, I had the honor of going through the program and running and winning, and getting, I was the top vote getter for 2022. Celebrate that one more time. The skills that I learned at a Merge helped me become a better leader. I understood the system that was at play. At first I ran, I had a lot of people to help me. The second time I ran, I now knew how to work the machine because of a Merge and through the teachers that I had, so I am honored and grateful. And it has helped me to continue my path for politics in Vermont. More to come. Yay, yes, let's celebrate. And of course, tonight we also have with us our honored guest, a Shanti Golar. Is that? Okay, let's go, let's celebrate the Shanti of a Merge. I'll be honest with you. Come on now. Yes, okay, black woman. I will never forget during my graduation when a Shanti, you came on the screen and I was like, yes. Yes, so honored to have you here. And we know that you are, if you don't know, now you know. She is a nationally recognized political strategist. So for over 15 years has been a grassroots organizer and activist for women. Yes, let's celebrate that. Of color and progressive causes and the list goes on and on. And now we have her here with us. So help me welcome a Shanti Golar. Esther for that beautiful introduction. Good evening everyone. How are you doing? Shanti Golar had the honor and privilege of being the president of the Merge. And this is my first time in Vermont. And to be here to celebrate 10 years with all of you is extremely exciting. My journey with the Merge actually started in 2006 when I got an email from a woman named Maria Stark, asking me if I would come to an introductory meeting about bringing this organization called a Merge to Nevada. Because they felt that they could change the face of politics in our state. And that really intrigued me. At the time I was working for Congresswoman Shelley Berkley, who was the only woman in our congressional delegation and our highest ranking woman in the state. But I was also the president of the Young Dems of Nevada. And it was created in the 1960s. But I was the first woman to hold the president position in the Young Dems of Nevada in 2006. So this intrigued me. I wanted to know more. And it honestly seems just like yesterday we were in a conference room of former Congressman Jim Bilbray talking about could we do this? Could we actually have the audacity as women who didn't have party positions, who weren't the gatekeepers, who didn't have the deep pocket books to actually dare to train Democratic women to run for office. And we knew we wanted to do that. Fast forward I had left Nevada and I was at the Democratic National Committee on my second tour of duty as we like to call them. And in that role I had a really awesome job. I was the National Deputy Director of Human Engagement, the Director of African American Engagement and I centered my work on women because we are the base of the Democratic Party. But there was always an area when women called me that I could not help them and upset me and it was when they wanted to run for office. It was in my position because of other women who had uplifted me, supported me and believed in me but I had to tell other women that I can help them and that just didn't sit right with me. One night I went home and I started thinking about the future and what I wanted to do and I knew that it had to be with getting women more politically and civically involved especially a run for office. Two days after I decided that was my path a MERS posted a job description for their first political director. If you manifest it, it will come. That was the job that I wanted. It was the only job that I applied for a few weeks ago. We actually did our pioneering women of labor event and I got to honor my friend Julie Green Collier who is the first black woman chief of staff for the National AFL-CIO and I got to tell everyone a fun fact that it was actually Julie's office that I went to Hyden to do my emergency interviews. And now as a president of Emerge I got to honor her so that was a nice full circle moment. I left the DNC in 2016 to go to Emerge. DNC really wasn't happy with me about doing that but I knew it was where I wanted to be and that year I saw so many women who were excited about Secretary Clinton's run for office to have that representation but like most of us in the Democratic party at Emerge we didn't plan for the election day that we had and I remember that evening talking to my colleagues saying what's going to happen? We did not have a plan B but what happened the next day was women calling us women emailing us women DMing us because they wanted to run for office they woke up the next day and they said if not Hillary then who? Then me, it has to be me I have to be the one to step up and run for office and I was just so annoyed by all of the people who are crediting that man for all of the women that were running for office and I got a call from a reporter who's like what do you have to say about that? Now like let me be clear this is the Hillary effect this is why representation matters because these women know because of her even though she didn't shatter that highest glass ceiling there's so many still at the local and state and national level that we can still shatter we grew rapidly at Emerge we expanded to new states which I got to oversee as political director we started doing our boot camps taking the signature program down to two weeks two and a half weekends and we saw the victories in Virginia we got to see seats that were held by white Republican men flip to diverse Democratic women in 2018 we saw the first members of Emerge get elected to Congress and what I learned about 2019 and 2020 is the women that were inspired by Hillary were now inspiring the next generation to step up and run because they also saw women that looked like them they saw single mothers they saw women who had experienced being unhoused women who had to declare bankruptcy because of the financial crisis we were recreating not just a reflective government but an inclusive government at Emerge and we know that in 2020 we got to see our first woman vice president with Kamala Harris and when I sat down with the team in 2020 thinking about the next vision of Emerge we had done all of this expansion but what was the future and when we looked 10 years, 20 years, 30 years down the road it was very evident that the new American majority was going to continue to rise they were the ones that have been fueling these Democratic victories across the country and we knew it was time for them not just to be the voters but for them to put their name on the ballot what we do is really bold we created a 15-year plan that centered the new American majority with three pillars the first reaching 100,000 women of the new American majority Black, brown and indigenous women women of color, young women unmarried women, LGBTQ women and I'm so proud to say that Emerge Vermont was one of our very first affiliates to fully embrace this vision because they knew that it would be effective in Vermont the second piece, fostering a lived-as-we-kind culture we currently have trained 6,000 women to run in the Emerge network over 1,200 of them currently serve in elected office from our first indigenous cabinet secretary Deb Pollen to the women here in Vermont all the way down to school board, city councils sheriff's judges, prosecutors but we just don't believe that women have to boom where they're planted that's what the patriarchy teaches us we know that they can run for higher office they have the old boys club I like to say we're building the new girls network so that means having a lived-as-we-kind culture having them run for higher office but us being strategic and making sure that when they do run for higher office we're reaching back and having another Emerge alum who can run for the seat that they're vacating so we do not lose progress and the third piece, doing what we do best at Emerge re-powering political structures focusing on all levels of office if you look at the top 10 states that have the most women serving in state houses Emerge has affiliates in 9 out of 10 of those states Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Colorado created the first majority women's state legislative chambers due to Emerge allowance we have our focus on women in law enforcement we just watched our Gabel Inn program which is already won an award for making sure that we have more women running for judicial seats because we know that the road to the Supreme Court starts at the state and local level we created seated together the first in the nation program that focuses on supporting current Black women elected officials to run for higher office and we are in the middle of establishing our school board curriculum and I don't think I need to say why that is important we know that we are effective at treating women to run for office but when they're running for these school board positions they're going to need additional support with everything that they're dealing with this is the Emerge vision this is the Emerge network and I'm just so proud of everything that we have been able to accomplish and to everyone who really loves this vision and supports this vision I came on as president in February 2020 right before the pandemic also coming on as the first Black woman to lead our organization and I knew the things that we were doing were going to be bold and different but they are the things that have continued to make us one of the best and most effective organizations and democratic politics with the best return on investment I'm so excited to be here with all of you I see we have more people coming in 10 years is amazing but I know on Emerge Vermont you all are just getting started and I cannot wait to see what the next 10 years is going to bring thank you it's wonderful to see so many people here this evening thank you so much for coming to celebrate Emerge Vermont's 10th anniversary we're so glad you're here tonight is going to be a wonderful evening of gratitude and appreciation for how far we've come and for how far we are still going to go there are so many VIPs in the audience tonight I'm not going to be able to shout out to everybody but I see people like Jill Barbley Roy the Asphylia Director of Emerge I see Mia Schultz one of our Truth and Reconciliation Commissioners I see Esther Charleston the first woman of color to serve on the Milibur Slipboard I see Jerry Clark our first women elected attorney general there are so many wonderful people here tonight thank you for being here our Toastmasters this evening are going to be wonderful as well getting very excited to introduce to you Ashanti Gohar the President of Emerge another Toastmaster this evening is our own Joan Brennes wonderful cabinet member and we were hoping to have Representative Becca Ballin be one of our Toastmasters unfortunately she is not able to be here this evening due to the shamanigans in Washington so Speaker of the House Jill Kowinsky has very gamely agreed to step in our honored guest Governor Madeline Tudor will be here shortly as well so I have a little bit of housekeeping for all of you restrooms are in the rear next to the bar and the orders are out and ready for you if you're a little warm feel free to go out on the deck and go please feel free to take lots of pictures and tag Emerge Vermont you can take selfies over at the selfie booth and we're going to do things a little differently than you might normally see at a political event like this we're going to do some toasts and we're going to express some gratitude but not a lot of really long speeches so that's pretty great and after the Q and A award presentation we will sing Happy Birthday to our beloved founder we have cupcakes and then the dancing starts so it's going to be a really fun evening I hope you can stay as long as possible we're thrilled that you're here and by the way my name is Elaine Haney of the Executive Director of Emerge Vermont introduced to you our first toast master of the evening Ashanti Gohar is the president of Emerge and for over 15 years she has been a grassroots organizer and activist for women communities of color and progressive causes she's the former national deputy director of community engagement and director of African American engagement for the Democratic National Committee Ashanti has also served as the manager of partnerships for United Way Worldwide and as a political appointee in the Obama administration in the US Department of Labor and as the director of public engagement for the 2012 Democratic National Convention Committee in North Carolina she's been called a political influencer a woman of color in policy and a change maker she is also a sister on the planet ambassador for Oxfam along with our along Kaya Morris and she is an equity advisor for Sephora and an advisory board member for Global Game she is also the founder of the award-winning podcast I'm Girls Guide to Politics it is my honor to introduce to you and to welcome to Vermont for the very first time Ashanti Goba Good evening everyone for being the president of the Emerge Network it is so good to be with you all tonight as we celebrate 10 years a strong decade of Emerge Vermont I want to say a thank you to the host committee for everything that you have done to make this event a success and of course to all of our wonderful toastmasters including the speaker of the house who we will hear from John Linus aka my Joan as I like to call her Rep Stadiia Lamont and two women who are not only my Emerge sisters but who have become my sisters in life former rep Kaya Morris and state senator James Hinsdale a thank you to all of our Emerge alums who are with us this evening and I do have to take a point of personal privilege to recognize a man in the room the first person who actually gave me my very first national position in democratic politics as the co-chair of the DNC East Council Governor Howard Dean fighting for women and families and Vermont is inspiring the next generation of women leaders to run for office and it's always so special for me to spend time in the states to support our executive directors and get to know everyone and to be here to celebrate Emerge Vermont on what is the auto equinox which is all about fresh new beginnings and I know for Emerge Vermont that's as they embark on their next 10 year journey I want to thank Elaine for everything that you do as our dedicated executive director Emerge Vermont is doing the work to empower the next generation of democratic women to lead across the energy network we have been doing this for almost 20 years but in 10 years Emerge Vermont has trained over 200 women on how to run for office 81% of Emerge Vermont alums won their elections last November one of the highest generation ever right now across the state Emerge Vermont alums and trainees hold a total of 123 elected and appointed offices at all levels of government and the Vermont legislature is now 45% women the highest that has ever been and is led by Emerge Vermont these wins will not have been possible without the work of the community that powers Emerge Vermont and we know that it started with the founder of Emerge Vermont former Vermont Governor Madeline Cannon executive directors over the years the donors, the supporters and the Emerge alums that have kept it going while I know that this year has been particularly challenging for folks in Vermont due to the catastrophic flooding as I saw what was happening on the ground here I saw the power of Emerge alums in response to the floods every picture on the news that we saw outside of Vermont BAM! there's Congresswoman Ballant BAM! there's Senator Rance Hensdale BAM! there was Emerge Alums after Emerge Alums who were serving in their elected capacities doing the work but the reality is all of our alums who are serving were doing what they do best there being public servants and leaders because that is the heart of who our Emerge alums are and that is the heart of the women that we train sending women of the community into public office means that the community has power in times of trouble that's what we're building on Emerge community power we know that community power means that families are supporting as evidenced by the Emerge alums who work to pass the Affordable Heat Act and an unprecedented universal child care bill this year especially the speaker of the Vermont House Joe Kowinsky and Senator Ruth Party we know that community power means protecting the rights of the people seeing in Vermont amending your state constitution to protect reproductive liberty last year and that so many alarmed alums fought to accomplish that's why it has never ever been more important to elect women of the community in Vermont for Emerge we know that that means women of the New American majority a huge part of our vision nationally in here supporting black-granted indigenous women women of color, LGBTQ women, young women and unmarried women and to all of the Emerge alums in the room who are part of the New American majority I have to say I see you and so many of you are the first, you're in rooms where you're the only but you're still there and you're doing the work and you're fostering a lift as we climb culture which is another part of the Emerge values making sure that while you're the first you won't be the last as our vice president likes to say and it's by having you all in this network that we know that the Emerge will help continue to make Vermont better because we have all Emerge women especially our Emerge women of the New American majority serving bringing that lived experience to the table this only creates better policies for everyone in Vermont but we know that those policies will impact us all nationally so thank you these states will achieve this multiracial and multicultural destiny these changes are an opportunity to change our freedoms protect civil rights and finally build an inclusive democracy against attacks from these white wing extremists because we all we know they are just wild and out right now we can never be a fully fleshed democracy until we have a fully inclusive democracy having women of the New American majority an elected office is the difference between a real democracy and a inspiring one and I know all of us in this room want a real democracy that's why the work of Emerge Vermont is doing with recruiting and training women is so important Emerge continues to build the bench at every level of office I'm so excited about Elaine's new vision that she's going to be doing doubling down focusing on local offices which we know we need more women running in at this point our vision of reaching 100,000 women of the New American majority training women at all levels of office and changing the face of politics is why we are all here tonight to repower these political structures our nation's political future lies with democratic women they are the leaders we need to win the ongoing fight for equality and to shape this nation into something we all can't believe in and Vermont is electing women for better numbers to live up to this promise congratulations to everyone who has a part in building the Emerge Vermont community dedicated to highlighting women of the New American majority women across Vermont into power thank you former Governor Cuny thank you to Elaine Haley and all of our former Emerge Vermont ADs to the cabinet to the donors to the supporters to the Vermont alums it truly means so much to me that all of you have chosen Emerge to be a part of your political journey and that is not something that I take lightly you truly are the heart and soul of this network and now we toast our Emerge Vermont founder former Governor Cuny Governor look at what you did look around this room to grow something beautiful power for women and the Vermont community thank you for your vision and your steadfastness in building out Emerge Vermont thank you for 10 years and everyone here is to another 10 years of success across Vermont with everything that Emerge is doing to build long term political power and as we like to say at and Emerge I have so much Emerge love for you Governor for all of our executive directors our donors, our supporters and of course our alums thank you all for having me here this evening and see so many people who have a difference in these 10 years I can't believe it's 10 years because one evening or one afternoon I decided to call a few people and broach the idea of starting Emerge Vermont actually Jill the speaker of the house was one of those people and thank you Jill and thank you for all those who gave us a wonderful start some news is out that I may be having a big birthday I'm in denial but you know it's interesting when you're young you can't wait to grow up birthdays are real achievements when you're a little older you sort of enjoy each year and don't think about it so much but when you reach I have to say it when you reach 90 it's an achievement I accept all compliments I'm so glad that I've grown up with Emerge in a way we've been through these 10 years together and Emerge is more important than ever I mean you've had great advantages 81% of the women who went through Emerge got elected that's stupendous achievement and people like Elaine Haney who is a great leader of Emerge deserve a lot of credit we've been very fortunate in having great CEOs for Emerge and they've all been outstanding the only trouble is they don't stay very long because they run for office very well what they have taught and they also teach very well and as Ashanti just mentioned what happens in the states in this country is more important than ever when I was running for governor I had to go raise money from different organizations and they weren't interested in governors they were just interested in congress because they thought that's where the action was while we were asleep about state legislatures and governors republicans zeroed in on exactly those races and were bearing the consequences of state legislatures being predominantly republicans and that's why issues like abortion are so powerful at the state level and that's why it's so important for Morban to be one of those states that gets it right I guess in this group I could say democratic but it's so important not only on the question of abortion which is almost unbelievable what's happening nationally and I never dreamt when I was elected that we would walk backwards and but we are we are backwards right now and we must do everything in our power to make sure our bond stays strong and not only the issue of abortion but democracy itself is being challenged and it's not in obvious ways sometimes it's just little by little there are nicks in the structure of democracy and Vermont again is an good example of sticking to our American patriotism and really interpreting it that votes count people should be allowed to work without restrictions or jumping over hoops without the other side trying to suppress the vote so there are lots of issues and I know these are tough times and sometimes it's hard to turn on the TV without getting ahead of but we've got to be vigilant we've got to keep the faith and your presence here shows that you care and not only care but take action the contributions to emerge are huge important it's a small donation but it goes a long way and sometimes I've asked why do you need to merge we still need it because it takes guts to run for office we need it because we need the encouragement we need to practice what we preach not only in terms of message but in terms of actually knowing how to preach without going to church but we preach the good gospel of freedom and democracy and opportunity and fairness and really acting on our beliefs in the legislature in Vermont 45 percent female that's beautiful and we can even increase it after that but thank you for asking me to speak thank you for inviting me here I feel like a mother who has had many children and I'm very grateful for what you have done and what you continue to do and I do like the people like a ballot who's in Washington now who can't be here tonight like Sarah Copeland Hanges like Charity Clark those are all firsts and it makes a difference person who give courage to every person who learns how to speak in front of a mic every person who knows how to raise money for a campaign you are giving birth to a new force for good in Vermont, thank you here's or so but right from the beginning I was not at Madeline's living room that day but ever since I've been on board a supporter a carer a believer it's amazing to have everyone here tonight the barn is beautiful the barn is full with all of you we could not be here doing our work we could not have the number of alums and our successes without all of you without our donors supporting us from the very very beginning we would not be here today ten years old in our early days we started with a single executive director Sarah McCall and a dedicated group of volunteers who served as advisors and trainers forward ten years later and we are still an organization with one incredible executive director and a group of directors yes, Elaine we've been laughing we've been planning this Elaine has said alright now I'm going to be your cast master and I texted her late last night and thanked her for that because she kept me on tags our focus is entirely on the women we train and every dime we receive from all of you over the years is invested in strengthening that training and reaching as many women as possible Emerge Vermont is powered entirely by Vermonters who have made significant contributions that helped us get started many of them still support Emerge Vermont substantially to this day and every year we are blessed to welcome new supporters who embrace our mission and if generously to ensure it can continue the word spreads the word of mouth actually a friend tonight said she need to stop over and drop something off and I said she said for what I said Emerge Vermont is it worth supporting she just texted me $100 tomorrow I'd like to share the names of just some and this is hard because some won't be on the list but these were our early early supporters and have made it possible for us to train the women who are changing the world and increasing women's representation on city councils, on school boards in the legislature in the executive branch and in Congress Catherine Hartow Congressman Becca Baylin, Arthur Bernhardt Jan Bromstrom Tiff Lungley and Liz Shane Jessica Bromstead Donna and Jay Carpenter Dottie Deans Olivia Spitzer, Michael DeSanto Abigail Faulkner Maxine Brad Barberina Hyderdell Patricia Hyberg Rebecca Holcomb Cree Linnolat Melinda Moulton, Beth Pierce Dwayne and Laura Peterson Ernie Parmolo Susan Brits, Jennifer Savage Lisa Steele, Jane Stetson Senator Peter Welch Marjane Peter Stern and Lola Lovato-Adman There are hundreds, hundreds more contributions, a thousand dollars can be done monthly donation we benefit and so do all of you because of who we put at the table and Madeline you're the one who taught me the conversation is different when women are at the table and I thank you for that message and it's so true this is a big deal tonight and I am so proud to be here to be a part of this group and to know so many of you and hopefully meet all of you and we've got friends and family and colleagues and comrades and spirit here so let's lift our glass and say thank you to all of you who are here helping this happen in a bit thank you all holding office right now will you please make your presence known Congresswoman Becca Ballant as you know the first woman to be elected from Vermont to serve a consequence of the shenanigans by the Republicans who seem determined to undermine democracy but we will push forward here tonight she sends, Becca sends her sincere regrets that she can't be here and wants you all to know that she is raising a blast to all of her fellow alums from afar in DC as you probably know she is an Emerge Alumni 14 which was our very first Emerge class which are her fellow Emerge alums who are currently serving in Congress with her there are eight alums serving in the US House and I love this, I love this so much the Emerge Congressional Caucus each other and keep the Emerge sisterhood alive even in the chaos that's happening in DC and as I look at the Emerge network here it's also alive and thriving it's hard to believe that it's been 10 years I remember sitting at Madeline's kitchen table with Keisha and Sarah and we began clotting away and then before we knew it every meeting more and more women were joining us and every meeting it just expanded and now look at the Emerge Vermont network is that we need you now more than ever we need you to run, we need you to lead and we need you to support campaigns I can't emphasize that enough as we see what's happening across the country and I'm so proud of the work that we did this last legislative session in sessions before and I could list all the amazing things that we've done from housing to childcare to workforce development to the child tax credit expanding the earned income tax amazing work I think what's really helpful is just to hear a couple stories of just like what that means and what your work whether you're supporting people running for office or if you run for office and you're serving and you're just taking up those bills and you're getting things done but what's important is just to know how it's playing out I can't tell you what it was like when I was handed the updated Vermont Constitution with article 22 in it two shield bills protecting providers on the healthcare side and the grocery side to make sure we're doing everything we can to protect and expand reproductive rights we also did tremendous work around suicide prevention we had a governor who told us that this bill wasn't going to save lives after several vetoes of a waiting period we passed a 72 hour waiting period and he is alive today because of that bill this toast for our alums and there's so many people doing so many amazing things but to every alum who has ran or served in office while also caring for a young family or an elderly parent working a full time job or going to school to every non doors when they were told they should be home with their kids to every alum who is passionately volunteered for a campaign for a woman that they believed in to every alum who has been working their way within the democratic leadership in our towns and our counties and across the state and to every alum who suddenly found themselves leading a natural disaster recovery effort in their community into every legislation that lifts up working families and creates a better life for our children it's time to toast please lift your glass person who is trained with the merge and to the generation of a merged graduates to come cheers and to share this stay share this moment with my beautiful friend Sylvia Lamont and beautiful friend this is a key key moment for all of us because who we are honoring tonight in this moment in time is the recently departed state representative Levette Newbright what my story was so I had the honor of being the second black woman elected to the state from our legislature and the reason why this is significant is because when I ran there were questions whether or not I was the first so we had this incredible black woman who defied the odds I don't know her story I have no sense of what she had to overcome to be able to win that seat and yet it was almost a footnote in history historians had to try me to say there was someone 30 years before you came here is this incredible person who decided to step up and run and it is never an easy decision to make I'm wearing heels and I still don't know so here I was this young woman saying I'm going to try to run in the second minus state I think we were the first at that time I don't think Maynard bumped us out of the way trying to do this in a county that's not been well known for it's like racial equity and it's ability to understand that but being able to run and serve in a way that would be representative of all the people in Vermont and I was standing on the shoulders of someone I didn't even know that's a bit of a heartbreak and for many here in Vermont until she passed her story was not spoken about since that time we have seen so many incredible powerful women of color step up and choose to run choose to serve this state we don't have to we literally have so many other things we can do again and again because we understand actually black women been caring in this country progressive parties are built on the labor of black women who stood in solidarity with other folks that said we will not stand for it and yet we were not in the places of power we were organizing we were mobilizing but were we making the decisions were we making an impact and would that impact have lasting measure? and so here I am as a second and I'm here with my sister who is a third so happened in a way that did not require for us to change who we are to diminish our blackness to diminish our womanhood to diminish our experiences we were able to say you can do this too I don't care if you were formerly I don't care if you grew up in poverty these halls belong to you that is what women have set the stage for everything else to come and now we have black women in every role even including having a system in a corrupt law enforcement that needs some oversight some black women oversight right in my role I regret that there was not already a system in place to make sure that I knew who she was that I knew her story what her struggles are I feel blessed to have been able to have been mentored by folks like government and community understanding what that was like for her to be the first, the only I don't know the new story we can't stand for that we will not stand for it no and so we stand here today in solidarity with so many women I am so proud to have Mia Schultz here I'm so proud to have Senator Hinsale here I'm so proud look look look you see the ways that we cheer each other you see the ways that we hold each other because this is sacred and beautiful and it's painful it is caustic it is deadly to us but we do it because it's necessary in order to save our freaking democracy and to get us in a place where we don't need to be and Louvenia Breed believed in her she believed in that wholeheartedly and I'm so excited there's her son right there on the camera yeah your mama did a thing she did a thing that made it possible for me to be here for everybody to be here and for us to transform this world and I'm so grateful that my sister Shanti gave our human and civil rights Vermont has been the litmus test for everywhere else in the country and if there's someone who has the courage to step up and leave it is women that's 40 years of the passage today it is every day I stand in great reverence in so much love and so much caring for the beauty of my experience for the pain of my experience for the cost of what it takes to do this authentic leadership that is rooted in our ways of being and I'm so grateful to share this moment I've waxed on hopefully I sounded pithy understand this is a merge I would not have one if not for a merge I will say that without a doubt because I had no idea what it meant when somebody asked me to run for office I was like what's that that's cute I just got laid off work I'm on food stamps what does that mean I got a kid I don't even know what that looks like how does this happen I was given the courage for me to push forth and it wasn't easy it was extremely difficult it was thoroughly lonely but I did it and in doing so somebody else is always watching and this beautiful woman came to me the Democratic was a Democratic fundraiser and I will never forget how powerful that was for her to be there with her donor and to talk about what that meant to have that real representation y'all better take care this is what she did for us this is what she did in the simplest of measures but in the most powerful of meetings and I could not be more proud thank you I'm going to pass a beautiful mic to my sister Saadia and a privilege it is to be here with you all tonight not only to celebrate Emerge's 10 year anniversary the CUNY achievement award to the family a former Romanian Dorsifright who has an educator activist and trailblazer who through her service opened a dorm opportunity for women of color in Vermont the fact that there have only been myself being the third elected into the legislature since her three year term speaks volumes to the work that still needs to be done in order to achieve equitable representation similarly to rep right I was not looking to run nor get political I stole that from you and community engagement led me here only knowing led me right but the honor and privilege of being in the first cohort of Bright Leadership Institute with other leaders of color sharing candidly about what our experiences can and have been like was instrumental on my journey I wish I had the opportunity to learn more about Mrs. Bright's personal experience of what that was like for her to serve and campaign at that time how did she inspire folks at that time to do the bright thing experience is that the reality of what it is like is only fractionally conveyed often times when I speak about my experiences people perceive them as complaints or inconveniences when in fact nothing can be further from the truth my experience is very different from my colleagues yes and that's okay there's a delicacy and nuance that is a balance the dance so to speak which we'll be doing here shortly the dance of who you are who people think you are who people want you to be who you need to be and how the combination of those identities in totality in summation is then perceived that's what I'm saying it's a lot girl only be me wholly truly and authentically the reality of the things that I experience as the result of my identities is hard for people who don't share those identities to fathom comprehend conceptualize or empathize with or even rationalize considering we should be in a more progressive society that everyone has worked so hard towards and that's the beauty reality is reality other people's inability and incapacity to believe or make sense of things that happen that don't make sense cannot stop us from sharing those things again, a delicacy and nuance a balance as truth can be scary and I do not want to deter other women from taking the chance of going out on a limb it can be hard it will be hard I got a card from my comms manager and my campaign staff and the card said leap and a net will appear we cannot miss opportunities for a change, progression and betterment because of fear we also cannot do this sustainably without the support tools and resources and accessibility that is required never stop learning emerge trained women to run and win advances by pop leaders what happens when you get there my experience with emerge was wonderful I learned a lot I met wonderful women who some even helped on my campaign many of whom I currently serve with and yet no more to be desired not from a problematic point of view but lacking in the perspective and understanding of lived experiences of others I believe any woman considering entering the realm of politics whether it be serving or supporting should participate in emerge if women of color should participate in emerge with take what you want and leave what you don't and I say that not to disrespect emerge because I am so sincerely grateful for my experiences my time and the women with whom I have built relationships over the past year and a half however if I it was the much of the messaging the coursework if I had listened and taken to from it what was intended truth be told I wouldn't have run fortunately I wouldn't have a strong sense of self I have an amazing team amazing supporters in my kitchen cabinet that helped me navigate that nuance that delicacy came to me because it is a very different experience and what I need was a little bit different and that's okay because I'm here today I'm almost up bring it home as the first black woman and yes she was I am not serving as a black woman and yet there is a deep embodied enrichment through our experiences as black women that translates into our connection and understanding of people, justice systems, resiliency expressed beautifully with gracious tenacity leaving legacies that paved the way for a bright future out of here tonight for a night of gratitude and celebration let us raise our glass to Lebania Dorsey Bright to the waymakers and trailblazers past, present and future to the women cheers to ten years and welcome and share the stage and the space, we're not done stay with us, thank you friends to present the award I'm still going to need your attention friends quiet coyote quiet coyote wow I do not want to take up too much time because what an amazing thing in politics we're never running early and we have been as we started the presentation of this award because I feel all of you wanting to give Lebania Dorsey Bright the moment that maybe she never got to have Bill Bright on FaceTime here thanks to Representative Ampugh former Representative Ampugh I should say but a successor in Lebania's area in South Burlington and as Bill said in the press his mom always said keep it moving we don't have time to dwell on how people are treating us and what is going wrong and our experience we have to keep it moving and imagine she just kept it moving and we should all pause in her honor the woman that kept it moving so that we could all be here when I think about how important that is I want to let you all know didn't want to interfere with raising a bunch of big money tonight for a merge because we love a merge we're going to start a process of creating a portrait of Lebania Dorsey Bright in a statehouse where to ever serve in the legislature and the first in the senate is women do not have to do any of the labor to get this portrait up and on the walls this is going to be a place where particularly women and people of color can pause and can think about how she kept it moving so that they could stand there have a place to convene have a place to contemplate and have a role in their rightful ownership of that statehouse as well I just was giving a talk at Middlebury for the 200th anniversary of Alexander Twilight's graduation from Middlebury College and I said I have two favorite portraits in the statehouse Alexander Twilight and Governor Madeline Cunan and there's something really special about both of those portraits because if you look at a lot of the other portraits in the statehouse Governor Dean there are a lot of men looking in the distance and looking down and thought and those two portraits look at you and say you belong here you are welcome here and you have a place here you stay I always thought of how beautiful that is and it's oh my gosh it's such an honor to be beside Governor Madeline Cunan as she celebrates her lifelong birthday and just think about finally putting the first portrait of a woman of color in the statehouse possible made my career possible we have Bill on the phone we have a recording going for his sister Becca and their dad Dr. William Wright Sr who kept his wife's legacy alive for so long and was in many ways the conduit to communicating with her for a lot of years it was really painful for her but her family has stayed connected and you know Bill and I were able to share some tears after a radio program we did and just say we're really remembering your mom the right way finally, finally I don't think Bill or I would know how much of a release it was to honor her and here we are much for being a part of that and Bill who's on the phone and representing his family thanks to Representative Pugh is going to listen in as we play pre-recorded remarks from him they're very sorry that they couldn't be here but they'll be back in the state and they just feel the love this room is quiet this event is going on early because you all are loving and supporting and honoring his family and I'm extremely grateful thank you my sister Rebecca Bright to you allow me to thank Emerge Vermont and Executive Director Elaine Hain for the work you do and for choosing my mother LaVenia Dorsey Bright to honor with the 2023 Governor Madeline M.G. achievement award thank you to Emerge America President Ashanti Golar for sharing in this moment and a special thank you to Senator Isdale for caring and for taking the lead role in keeping my mother's legacy alive as many of you are aware at this point mom passed away on July 29th at the age of 81 and while we can't be with you in person here tonight it's with heavy but joyful parts that we accept this award on her behalf mom was a special person who built a career in education and government around the simple principles and gender equity, inclusion and opportunity whether it was raising her own kids teaching, working in the community or in the halls of the state legislature ensuring fairness and opportunity for all was your driving force and so it was early in my sophomore year at the University of Vermont when I got a call from home informing me that she was running for office I remember being a little confused by the decision I don't recall elected office as an express goal or desire but what I do remember thinking was that it made all the sense in the world what better place to put all of her on the ground were to act I had memories of walking with her on lit drops in South Erlington acting as a chauffeur periodically to and from Montpelier around basketball practice at UVM and the piles of mail on the dining room table which had become her de facto office in the house it was certainly an interesting time for a political science major to experience the process from the inside while mom loved Vermont at a time in the legislature as you can imagine for an African American woman from Robbins, Illinois Vermont closed both challenges and possibilities as she described herself there was an isolation that she felt with a small black community in Burlington let alone the state culture at Colchester High School and the only black woman in her neighborhood whether it was being ignored in stores interrupted and talked down to in conversations or just discounted in meetings to quote her at the time if I really want to be heard I have to be louder, more vehement than everyone else little did she know how that one thought would carry her through her time in the legislature and that despite those obstacles she fought for what she believed she fought for her respect and she fought for her place in our community besides her teaching job at Colchester High School mom was involved in her community as among other things vice president of the black professional network of Vermont a gender equity consultant to the rural education center a member of the Vermont state advisory community to the US commission on civil rights a member of the minority women's business partnership and the local NAACP chat in the legislature she was proud of her work advancing legislation on a host of issues including teacher and state employee retirement family leave economic growth affordable housing and hate crimes she truly brought her personal experiences to this work that said there was a constant pressure beyond basic politics that she fought through daily while she was obviously elected to the seat and people rooted for her success there were always others watching the wings for the failure and ready to criticize in a personal way luckily she had a strong village to hold her up through those times that's why we teach her called in early 2021 about the establishment of the Bright Leadership Institute we could really only smile it's what mom would have wanted because she didn't have it a community of like-minded folks to work with, learn from and support in an environment where many times you were the only person who looked like you in a room a place where people like Keisha, Kia Morris and Saudi Alamon can pass on their experiences and knowledge to a new generation of leadership building on what Madeline Pune and other started all those years ago my family and I are truly humbled by the honor you're bestowing on my mother tonight we appreciate each and every one of you for carrying on her legacy and we thank you for your time tonight we thank you for the honor and please enjoy the rest of your evening I just want to say I think people saw snippets of this in the press but Levin Hedorsey Bright was still alive when she was selected for this award and in fact Elaine reached out and said can you call the family and tell them about the bestowing of this award and I left a message for Bill and when he called me back that week he said I'm a little freaked out because we haven't told anybody yet but we lost her but for the family to know through their grief and pain right as she was passing that Vermonters were thinking about her it's just such a gift that could never be repeated so thank you Elaine thank you Emerge thank you so much for giving Levinia the honor that she never fully received when she was serving thank you for being online Bill watching the ceremony I'm so glad you could see us honor your mother Kaya, Salya, Keisha thank you for this heartfelt presentation of this award and thank you for honoring the memory of Levinia Darcy Bray with your work because you are carrying on in her footsteps thank you all as well to every woman of color who is here tonight who is trained with us and who is serving in office we're grateful to you at one more toast I'd like to make and that is to our wonderful founder Madeline Keenan happy birthday we're so glad you're here happy birthday to Madeline happy birthday to you happy birthday to you happy birthday our please everyone have a cupcake in honor of Madeline and now I know the main reason after all the honoring we did this evening for all of you to be here was to do some dancing because we don't get to dance very often so I'm going to just hold your attention a few more moments and then we're going to get down so I really want to thank everybody for coming this evening our parties, Emerge parties they have a great vibe they just do and this is party season we all see each other at all the same events but there's something special about Emerge Vermont's parties and this one is the very best one we have ever had thank you so much everyone for being here tonight I want to thank our host committee for helping us organize this event our host committee is chaired by our honorary chair Madeline Kudin but former treasurer Beth Pierce Mary Sullivan Tim German former Lieutenant Governor Molly Gray Senator Keisha Rom-Hinsdale Senator Ruth Hardy, Speaker Jill Kowinsky Annalisa Julia Barnes Attorney General Jared Clark and Christine Hall thank you for your efforts bringing this party off to make this event happen thank some of our sponsors this evening Congresswoman Becca Ballant Senator Peter Welch Dottie Deeds and Lydia Spitzer Dwayne and Laura Peterson Jason Lorber and a public consulting Lisa Steele, Donna Parker Ernie Pomerleau Mike DeSanto, Keisha Rom-Hinsdale Act Blue Reptip Glimley and Liz Shea Attorney General Jared Clark Joan Lennis, Kate McLaughlin Jake Parkinson Treasurer Mike B. Jack and the Vermont Democratic Party and you can check out thank all sponsors there's scores of sponsors allies to help us pull this party off and to support the work of the Merge Vermont you can check out all their pictures on the slideshow and in the digital program that you can scan on your table and we're thrilled to be here to celebrate our last 10 years and the future 10 years what's going to happen next we're going to keep electing more women to run for office we're going to trade them and we're just going to take over the state house we're going to get all of us here tonight we have we have two generous donors who have offered a $1500 match to us tonight so there are QR codes all along the walls that say contribute to Merge Vermont please in generously to help us meet that match $1500 it's not going to take a lot of folks to meet that match we're really good love for you to help us do that so thank you so much