W.E.L.L. In Burlington Update
Hello all,
Here is your weekly What Equity Looks Like (W.E.L.L.) in Burlington update.
Our next meeting, “What You Are Doing About Equity in Burlington” will be August 13th from 7:00 till 9:00pm. This is an action-oriented meeting. Please place this on your calendar. The Vermont Racial Justice Alliance Meeting will precede this meeting (5:00pm), at the same location. As indicated last week, we are providing weekly highlights from the initial W.E.L.L. breakout sessions.
Todays highlight is the Justice System.
Equity Highlight
Equity in the Justice System
The breakout group on the justice system was the liveliest of our group discussions in our W.E.L.L. session on July 9th. The need to collect race data system wide and establish an independent complaint system was among the suggestions discussed amongst the group. Community members also suggested the need to increasingly have those difficult (race related) conversations and stressed the importance of attending Police Commission meetings. Some other topics included decriminalizing minor offenses and working to change policing culture and the manner in which they train. Thanks to the W.E.L.L. Justice System Group for their work. We’ll continue to track this work and keep you updated.
I chatted with our Chief of Police, Brandon del Pozo, today on JFA TV about what equity looks like in BPD. The interview will be released sometime next week on Channel 17. Please take the time to find the conversation.
Are you interested in hanging out and playing board games? We do it every 4th Sunday, from 3:00pm till 6:00pm. Will we see you on July 28? Check here for details. Also Our monthly Film Screening happens on the 2nd Sunday, every month from 3:00 till 6:00pm. Come join us on August 11th as we share “Against All Odds” as we continue to do the work at the intersection of systemic racism and poverty.
Don’t forget to provide feedback on your experience at the W.E.L.L. event July 9th.
Finally, can you help us with the work that we are doing? Your small donation has an immediate impact on the vitality of this important work. Provide a quick, secure contribution here:
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Justice For All pursues racial justice within Vermont’s criminal justice system through advocacy, education, and relationship-building.
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