As many of us are wondering how we can get involved in the fight for racial equity the following are some suggested actions we can take:
1] Today June 12, at 4:00pm as described by Peter ‘Fish”Case in the Brattleboro Reformer:
This Friday, beginning at 4:30 p.m., we will gather on the Common in downtown Brattleboro for a silent protest to continue to shine a light on the Black Lives Matter movement. At precisely 5:09 we will kneel, stand, sit for eight minutes and 46 seconds. This equates to the same amount of time that a damaged individual knelt on the back of the neck of George Floyd until he was gone. This protest came about from families who needed a place to show their outrage, support and solidarity for the Black Lives Matter movement. These families want a peaceful place to express their outrage and show their children that there is power in numbers and if we band together, we can change the world. On Friday we will hopefully be able to achieve that, even if for only our corner of the planet.
2] Visit the Racial Equity Advisory Panel’s site, where you will find a list of ways to get involved. Copy and paste this into your browser: https://racialequity.vermont.gov/resources“This guide was compiled with particular focus on those who wish to serve as allies and are looking for basic guidance on how to understand and approach this work. It is not exhaustive and not everyone will agree with all of its suggestions, but this is just an on-ramp onto the road towards justice, and what’s important is not where we entered on this road, but that we’re all headed towards a unified goal. Of course, feel free to share.
3] Visit the Vermont Conference website and click on “Black Lives Matter” for statements by our church leaders, resources for examining racism, white privilege and systemic injustice, upcoming protests and vigils, as well as a list of civil rights organizations in Vermont.  Type http://www.vtcucc.org into your browser for this website.
4] For a contemplative approach, visit the Center For Action and Contemplation website: cac.org.  Click on their podcasts tab, and then the title “Turning to the Mystics”.  There is an episode dealing with Social Justice and is a wonderful reflection on the current times.