DAY 6: ETERNAL VIGILANCE

Bob Marley (center) urges Prime Minister Michael Manley (left) and Opposition leader Edward Seaga (right) to hold hands in a display of unity.

On this day in 1945, Robert Nesta Marley was born. He became a singer-songwriter whose musical innovations inspired new, rock-infused evolution of genres like ska and reggae. He is one of Jamaica’s most famous national heroes, not just for his incredible musical talent, but also for his revolutionary actions and words related to justice. For one example of this, we look to the One Love Peace Concert held on April 22nd 1978 at the National Stadium in Jamaica. Despite having recently been shot, Marley attended the concert and brought the Prime Minister and opposition leader* both onstage and had them shake hands in front of the crowd, which was a monumental gesture because it occurred shortly before the national election amid widespread political violence. This was just one of the many instances of Bob Marley’s courage and influence on national and international social issues.

Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia

Video for “War” by Bob Marley

One of Marley’s most famous songs, “War,” also touches on themes of international conflict. However, this song is unique because it was not written by Marley—the lyrics are almost entirely a reproduction of a speech delivered by Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia to the United Nations General Assembly on October 4th, 1963. The speech can be read in full here: Speech by Emperor Haile Selassie I to the General Assembly.

In the original speech, Selassie stated that “The preservation of peace and the guaranteeing of basic freedoms and rights require courage and eternal vigilance.”

Click the video icon to hear the song “War,” or visit here: “War” by Bob Marley

*this is the term commonly used to refer to Seaga when this scene is discussed, but we acknowledge this term often perpetuates a power dialectic through its implication that there is a default holder of power.

Toolkit on Equitable Pay

“The Pay Equity Playbook: Tools for Small and Mid-Size Organizations”

Here is a free resource developed in Vermont to empower small- to mid-size employers with the tools to conduct in-house gender and racial pay equity reviews. This Leaders for Equity and Equal Pay Toolkit was created by Sadowski Consulting Services in partnership with the Change The Story VT initiative of the Vermont Women's Fund, the Vermont Commission on Women, and Vermont Works for Women.

Click here to see the toolkit and learn more about how it was developed: LEEP Toolkit

Yesterday’s Pop Quiz

Yesterday, we asked you “Of the thirty-two civil rights cases that Thurgood Marshall argued before the Supreme Court, how many did he win?” Here’s how you answered:

The answer is D. Marshall was an excellent attorney, who served as lead counsel in some of the most groundbreaking cases in this country’s history, including Brown v. Board of Ed. After becoming a justice on the Supreme Court, he presided with distinction and always approached cases using an equity lens (before the term or the practice became trendy).

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s Pop Quiz question about a new small town that was built to be different…

Coming up

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

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

2/8 – Farmers’ Night: “John Lewis & RUN”

What: National Book Award winner Andrew Aydin describes the creation of RUN and his experiences working with Congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis.

Logistics: This free event is being held on Wednesday Feb 8th at 7:30 p.m. at the Vermont State House, located on State St. in Montpelier. Learn more here: Farmers’ Night

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

2/10 & 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 3 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 3 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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