DAY 9: TAKE YOUR SEATS

Today, national politics is slightly more racially diverse than it was in previous years. For example, Congress currently has 133 members who identify as part of a racial group other than White. That’s about one-quarter of the whole body. And yet, this still underrepresents the U.S. population of color as a whole: Congress is 75% White, while the U.S. is only 59% White. This means the racial and ethnic composition of Congress is still not reflective of the actual population, and White people in the U.S. are still numerically overrepresented in Congress. And that’s just by numbers: when we factor in the ways in which people of color often uphold racially unjust systems—whether knowingly or unknowingly—it compounds the numerical overrepresentation of White people in the U.S. through the practical and institutional weighting of the White community’s interests at disparate rates. In other words, sometimes oppressed people end up learning how to uphold oppressive systems. Let’s look at this visual representation:

Chart showing racial diversity among members of Congress. Source: Pew Research Center

It took many years for this level of representation in Congress, and the bravery of the “lonely only” who paved the way. Today, we honor Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress and the first woman and Black American to seek the nomination for U.S. President from one of the two dominant political parties. Her motto said it all: “Unbought and unbossed.” She faithfully served 7 terms in Congress and endured incredible and constant discrimination because she was a woman and because she was Black. Despite this, she was determined to advocate for justice at any cost. In fact, it was she who said the following:

"If they don't give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair." -Shirley Chisholm

We share below our favorite photo of her, because it reminds us that there is always time to dance.

Learn more about the illustrious Shirley Chisholm from the National Women’s History Museum here: Shirley Chisholm

Photo of Shirley Chisholm dancing at the Copacabana in 1980

Above, we mentioned Shirley was the first Black American to seek nomination for the presidency under one of the two dominant parties… but not the first Black American ever. That distinction belongs to George Edwin Taylor, who ran for president in 1904 as the candidate of the National Negro Liberty Party. Before that, he had attended the 1892 Republican national convention as an alternate delegate-at-large from his state.

George’s father was enslaved, and his mother was born a free person. After her death, George briefly attended school in the North and then became a journalist. He would eventually become the editor of the LaCrosse Evening Star and later would go on to publish a national magazine, Negro Solicitor.

To learn more about George Taylor, check out this interview with Bruce L. Mouser, the historian who wrote a 2011 biography about George’s life: A Forgotten Presidential Candidate from 1904

Reducing Workplace Bias

TED Video about reducing bias in the workplace

Raising the purple flag.

See this 6-minute video to learn “three key ways to reduce bias at work, according to Just Work cofounders Kim Scott & Trier Bryant.”

CLICK TO WATCH

Pop Quiz!

A one-question trivia check to make sure you’re on your Black History A-game. How many will you get correct throughout the month? Click the button that reads “Today’s pop quiz” to see today’s question.

Today’s pop quiz question asks something different: Not who they were, but when they were. How well do you know the timeline?

TODAY’S POP QUIZ

Coming up

Check out some of the events happening throughout Black History Month 2023.

TONIGHT 2/9 – Panel Discussion on Police Violence

What: The Vermont branches of the NAACP partner with ACLU of Vermont to host a panel discussion with five family members whose loved ones were lost to police violence and who are a part of the Love Not Blood Campaign.

Logistics: This free, hybrid event is being held on Feb 9th at 6:00 p.m. with two options to join: [1] at the Pavilion Building located at 109 State St. in Montpelier, or [2] via Zoom. Learn more and RSVP here: Voices From the Front

2/11 – Human Family Potluck & Black OurStory Month

What: A potluck with poetry and art projects for all ages. Live performance by Daniel Laurent, award-winning filmmaker and hip-hop musician.

Logistics: This event is being held on Saturday Feb 11th from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the Unitarian Church of Montpelier, located at 130 Main St. in Montpelier. Entrance fee is a sliding scale by donation. “Bring your grandmother’s foods.”

Now through 2/12 – “Bov Water” play at Northern Stage

What: A running production of a new play in which “four generations of Black women breathe and bathe in a past that’s both intentionally and accidentally forgotten. Challenging and discovering their own narratives from the Civil War to the 1960s to modern-day America, these strong and inquisitive souls wrestle to unearth a family’s past and build resilience for the future.”

Logistics: This play is running until Feb 12th. Performances are at the Barrette Center for the Arts, located at 74 Gates St. in White River Junction. Learn more here: Bov Water

2/10 & 2/17 – Black Artist Showcase

What: A space to share poetry and build community, featuring Black creatives.

Logistics: This event is being held twice: [1] On Friday Feb 10th from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Venetian Soda Lounge, located at 266 Pine St. Suite #122 in Burlington. [2] On Friday Feb 17th from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Kru Coffee, located at 2 Church Street in Burlington.

2/16 – “Soul Food: Honoring Black Voices in Music”

What: A late-night musical experience that “honors Black music of yesterday and today.”

Logistics: This free event is being held on Feb 16th from 9:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m. at Club Metronome, located at 188 Main St. in Burlington. Learn more here: Soul Food

2/25 – The Black Experience

What: This free event will feature discussions and panels with local artists and speakers, and a keynote presentation by iconic activist and scholar Dr. Angela Davis. There will also be a performance by the Philadanco dance company.

Logistics: This free event is being held on Saturday Feb 25th at 5:00 p.m. at The Flynn, located at 153 Main Street in Burlington. Learn more here: The Black Experience 2023

This Week’s Raffle

Each week, we will draw 5 names from the list of those who signed up for this e-mail series. We hope you win (yes, you!). The drawings are random; we use the True Random Number Service, which will pick 5 numbers each week from the sign-up list. You don’t need to do anything from here—we’ll e-mail you if you’re a lucky winner.

This is an installment in the State of Vermont’s 28-day Black History Month e-mail series, offered by the Vermont Human Rights Commission and the Vermont Office of Racial Equity. The Human Rights Commission protects people from unlawful discrimination in housing, state government employment, and public accommodations. Learn more about the HRC here. The Office of Racial Equity provides guidance and oversight to identify and mitigate systemic racism in state government. Learn more about the ORE here. Did you receive this e-mail from a friend? Want to sign yourself up for the remainder of the month? Subscribe to this list here.

Copyright (C) 2023 State of Vermont Office of Racial Equity. All rights reserved.

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