Letter to the editor: Strong measures needed to fight anti-Asian racism

Dear Gov. Scott, Sen. Leahy, Sen, Sanders, Congressman Welch, Mayors, Friends, Colleagues: Members of our Asian American community are dying. In Atlanta, a white man walked into three spas and murdered eight people. The victims were ambitious business owners, dedicated and hard-working mothers, newlyweds, and best friends remembered for being shy and unfailingly loving. Their names are: Hyun Jung Grant Soon C. Park Suncha Kim Daoyou Feng Yong A. Yue Delaina Ashley Yaun Paul Andre Michels Xiaojie Tan Since t … (read more)

MIDDLEBURY — The Middlebury selectboard later this month will consider inking a $32,000 pact with a consulting duo who would help municipal and police officials identify and address systemic racism within the town, and engage with the community on issues … (read more)

Racism is a public health issue. Black communities and other communities of color have higher rates of newborn death, childhood illness, women dying in pregnancy and childbirth, and shorter lives with higher rates of severe illness. Porter, as a healthcar … (read more)

MIDDLEBURY — Director Bess O’Brien will discuss her documentary film “I Am From Here” at a Zoom Webinar on Tuesday, February 16, at 7 p.m. The webinar will be hosted by the Middlebury Branch of AAUW (American Association of University Women). O’Brien is a … (read more)

RUTLAND — In honor of Black History Month in February, the Rutland Area branch of the NAACP is holding an essay contest for high school students in Rutland, Bennington, and Addison counties. Students can write 150-500 words, directed toward other young pe … (read more)

I am incredibly disappointed by the discussion around the BLM flag at Mt Abe, and feel compelled to speak up. This is about holding our institutions accountable. This is about taking responsibility for our words and actions. And while it may seem extreme … (read more)

MIDDLEBURY — The members of the Middlebury selectboard asked for a tutorial on white supremacy and the root causes of racism. And that’s just what they got on Oct. 13 — a thorough primer that left town officials moved and searching for more information in … (read more)

MIDDLEBURY — Brandon resident Bashiru Abdulaziz on Sept. 3 met up with the two Middlebury police officers who had ordered him to “raise your hands” during their investigation of a false report they’d received about an armed Black man detaining a woman at … (read more)

For too long, white Vermonters have thought of ourselves as untouched by racism: It’s taken several high-profile and despicable actions for us to really understand how vicious racism is right here in Vermont. The age of denying that we have an issue is ov … (read more)

For most people in Vermont (by most here, I mean white) racism is something you know exists, but it’s easy to think it doesn’t happen here and isn’t something you have to be concerned about. The fact that Vermont has such a small population of People of C … (read more)

VERGENNES — The last of the Vergennes anti-racism Voices in the Park gatherings of the summer is planned for the city green this Saturday, Aug. 29, from 4 to 5 p.m. Vergennes resident Rose Archer, who has spoken at the earlier events, will speak again thi … (read more)

On Aug. 18, Donald Trump posthumously pardoned Susan B. Anthony. who voted illegally in 1872, well before the 19th amendment granted some women that right in 1920. I wonder if he would have pardoned her if she were black. For decades, Anthony fought shoul … (read more)

We have written previously about the racist history of policing in our country and how police are doing exactly what they were created to do: protecting property over human lives. It might feel good to tell ourselves that Middlebury is different, but the … (read more)

At Rokeby Museum, where I am a trustee, we have embarked on the challenge of adding advocacy for social and racial justice to our mission. In light of renewed efforts to disrupt and dispel white supremacy after the murder of George Floyd, I have been thin … (read more)

MIDDLEBURY — Police in Middlebury are investigating more incidents of leaving racist messages in public places, or of stealing anti-racist messages. The latest is a series of posters supporting the “Patriot Front,” a white supremacist group. Citizens foun … (read more)