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Putney Vigil for George Floyd

Please come join A Day of Remembrance and Action in Honor of George Floyd, a vigil on Tuesday, May 25, 2021 at 7pm in the center of Putney to remember and commit to action for racial justice.

Vermonters and the world watched in horror as George Floyd cried “I can’t breathe” while Officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds last May. Since then, the growing racial reckoning and demand for justice and accountability in Floyd’s murder has extended to a broader focus on the disproportionate number of Black Americans killed or injured during encounters with law enforcement.

On May 25, one year after Floyd’s murder, community leaders are urging Vermonters to observe a day of remembrance and action, including 9 minutes and 29 seconds of silence reflection on the noon hour. Led by the Vermont Legislative Social Equity Caucus, organizers hope Vermonters will build their own actions around this silent moment of reflection, such as a commitment to talk to family or neighbors, or a community-wide event that centers Black residents’ voices.

CD Mattison, a Burlington resident, reached out to state leaders over a month ago with this idea. “This is an opportunity for people in our community to show up for each other, to stand together; to be honest about the harms being done; and to repair, heal, and build a Vermont where everyone can live a life free of fear,” said Mattison.

The Legislature’s Social Equity Caucus is encouraging people across Vermont on May 25th to sharing in a moment of silence at noon for 9 minutes 29 seconds and to set intentions that helps identify and root out systems of white supremacy. In Putney, we will follow up with a community vigil at 7pm, lining the sidewalks starting at Town hall (across from the General Store).

Social Equity Caucus Co-Chairs Senator Kesha Ram (D-Chittenden) and Representative Kevin “Coach” Christie began helping Mattison connect to other Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, or BIPOC-led organizations and leaders around the state. “Many Vermonters are going to be doing a lot of processing and hopefully some healing on May 25, and they should know they are not alone in that. We are all on a path to root out hate, from within ourselves and our communities, and it’s work we must do together,” said Ram, the first woman of color to serve in the State Senate.

Governor Phil Scott will be issuing a proclamation in honor of the day and George Floyd’s life, and the Vermont Assembly will issue a joint resolution. The hope would be to continue designating May 25 as a Day of Remembrance and Action to honor George Floyd. “This is not a moment, it’s a movement,” said Christie. “Standing up for justice and the dignity and freedom of all Americas is a continual commitment we must make, and an annual event helps us renew our work.”

Join us in community to stand together and recommit ourselves to this movement for justice to make that future a reality with action. In honor of the words of George Floyd’s daughter, let us ensure that her father, George Floyd, “changes the world” as we commit to truth and action in creating an anti-racist world of freedom, peace, and justice for all of us.

More information about the Putney Vigil contact Representative Mike Mrowicki, mmrowicki@leg.state.vt.us and for information about state wide events please contact
C D Mattison cdmattison@gmail.com