DAY 3: THE SECRET OF JOY

On this date in 1870, the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified. This amendment barred racial discrimination in voting… well, for men, anyway. History showed us there were many ways the vote could still be withheld from entire communities through tactics like felon disenfranchisement laws and gerrymandering. Contemporary attacks on voting rights remind us of that all-too-true adage: If your vote didn’t matter, they wouldn’t be working so hard to take it away from you. As we consider the strategies for resistance, let us also remember the purpose of resistance. We’ll let the incomparable Alice Walker say it in her own words:

"Resistance is the secret of joy." -Alice Walker

Clemmons Classroom Contest

This month, the Clemmons Family Farm offers a free curriculum for grades K-5 about two courageous African-American women who were pioneers in travel. The curriculum also offers students the chance to submit a storyboard for a music video as part of a contest designed to encourage students to “commune and create with people in your community around modern-day connections with Bessie Coleman and Bessie Stringfield's joy in motorcycles, airplanes, and adventure.”

The Clemmons Family Farm stewards one of the largest Black-owned historic farms in Vermont, and works to be “more than a farm by offering curated opportunities for visitors to enjoy discovering the fascinating history, culture, arts and sciences of the African-American and African diaspora.”

Learn more about the curriculum and contest here: Two Bessies on Two Wheels

A Historic First: Phillis Wheatley

A statue of Phillis Wheatley in Boston by Meredith Bergmann, dedicated in 2003. Photo credit: Jixue Yang

Phillis Wheatley was a poet who lived an extraordinary life. In the 18th century, she was kidnapped and trafficked to the Americas (on a ship named The Phillis), where she was sold to the Wheatley family in Boston. The Wheatleys’ daughter tutored Phillis and soon Phillis wrote poetry and studied literature in Greek and Latin. Eventually, she traveled to London where her first book of poetry was published in 1773. This meant Phillis would receive the distinction of becoming the first known African-American* author of a published book of poetry.

*this term is commonly used to describe Phillis Wheatley, but we use it here with hesitation out of acknowledgement that she was African and was forcibly brought to the Americas to live out the remainder of her life.

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.

In honor of Phillis Wheatley, today’s pop quiz question asks about the poet’s life and accomplishments.

TODAY’S POP QUIZ

Coming up

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

2/4 – Black Artist Market

What: A weekend event that offers “a craft fair where all merchandise is made by a Black creative.” There will also be food and music.

Logistics: This event is being held on Saturday Feb 4th from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at The Kemp Center, located at 372 N Winooski Ave. in Burlington.

2/5 – “Afro-Caribbean Brunch for Black History Month”

What: The Archives partners with Exclusive Vermont Events to host an event featuring live music, art, and games aimed to help you “celebrate Black history, culture and excellence through food, music, and the arts.”

Logistics: This event is being held on Sunday Feb 5th from 12:00-4:00 p.m. at The Archives, located at 45 Main St. in Winooski. Learn more here: Afro-Caribbean Brunch

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

This Week’s Raffle

This week’s drawing: Tuesday 2/7

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.

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