Vermont Nonprofits Condemn Hate & Violence
Sidewalk art at City Hall Park in Burlington (artist unknown).
Big Heavy World joins more than 50 Vermont nonprofits to stand united in condemning the insurrection January 6th on the U.S. Capitol and calling to action our sector and calling upon our policymakers to hold those responsible accountable. The letter below was coordinated by Common Good Vermont.
Call to Action from Vermont Nonprofits in Response to January 6th
We share this message in response to recent violence and disruption to our democracy, both in our nation’s Capitol and across our country:
Common Good Vermont unites nonprofits across Vermont to condemn actions of hate, violence, inciting of such actions, and disruptions to our lawful democratic processes. Vermont nonprofits stand united in opposition to the insurrection January 6th, on the U.S. Capitol, and its roots in white supremacy.
We call upon policymakers to hold those responsible accountable for actions that both directly and indirectly led to the violence on January 6th. These forms of hatred and insurrection are unacceptable. Justice must be served to those responsible for inciting it to prevent future violence.
We call upon nonprofits and sector leaders to take a stand in denouncing this violent insurrection and the rise of white supremacist crimes across our country. We cannot remain silent. This division and hate tears apart the fabric of our civil society, weakening our democratic processes, and hurting the people and communities we aim to serve. Our nonprofit sector is one of the most robust and vibrant in the country, playing a significant role in communities across our state. Our voice matters to those we serve and must not remain silent. Our action is essential to ensuring effective democracy as our roles as community leaders supports civic engagement and lends a voice to underrepresented communities.
This form of advocacy is an essential part of our democratic process. We have a responsibility to build awareness and understanding of our rights and responsibilities to uphold our democracy. Only then can we prevent this insurrection from happening again.
The long-term solution is neither simple nor quick, but we must take bold action. That includes committing to do the work of dismantling hate, racism, and white supremacy.As we seek to support our community members, our charitable community remains a vital beacon of action, support, and hope for each other and the communities we serve. Together, we commit to doubling our efforts to support democracy, oppose racism in all its forms, and advocate for equity and systems change, especially for vulnerable and BIPOC communities, at national and state levels.
We, Vermont nonprofits, sign this letter to unite in solidarity with our state and federal policymakers and to condemn any actions of hate, violence, inciting such actions, and disruptions to our lawful democratic processes.
Sincerely,
350VT
ACLU of Vermont
ANEW Place
Big Heavy World
Boys and Girls Club of Burlington
Capstone Community Action
CCTV Center for Media & Democracy and Town Meeting TV
Center for Health and Learning
Champlain Housing Trust
Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity
Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS)
Common Good Vermont
ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain
ESSEX CHIPS
Feeding Chittenden
Good News Garage
Greater Burlington YMCA
Green Mountain United Way
Guilford Cares, Inc.
HANDS
Humane Society of Chittenden County
KidSafe Collaborative
Lake Champlain Committee
Let’s Grow Kids
Lund
Meeting Waters YMCA
Mercy Connections
Milton Family Community Center
Partnerships for Literacy and Learning
Richmond Food Shelf
Rural Vermont
Saint Albans Museum
Salvation Farms
Spectrum Youth and Family Services
The Alchemist Foundation
The Institute for Liberatory Innovation
U. S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants Vermont
United Way of Addison County
United Way of Lamoille County
United Way of Northwest Vermont
United Way of Rutland County
United Way of Windham County
United Ways of Vermont
UP for Learning
Vermont Adult Learning
Vermont Arts Council
Vermont Association of Area Agencies on Aging (V4A)
Vermont Care Partners
Vermont Community Foundation
Vermont Holocaust Memorial
Vermont Housing Finance Agency
Windham County Humane Society