Vermont Business Magazine On Monday, January 18, AmeriCorps members serving with the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board will observe Martin Luther King Day as a national day of service – “a day on, not a day off.”  This year marks the 26th annual day of service to celebrate the civil rights leader’s life. The community service activities are designed to empower individuals, strengthen communities, bridge barriers, address social problems, and move us closer to Dr King's vision of a "Beloved Community."

Vermont Business Magazine Soldiers from 1-172 CAV and 172nd Public Affairs Detachment of the Vermont National Guard, departed Sunday to join over 20,000 other National Guard members in securing a peaceful Inauguration. Approximately 100 Vermont Army National Guard soldiers will support operations in Washington, DC, ahead of the Presidential Inauguration on Wednesday January 20.

Vermont Research News Vermont’s policy to allow COVID-19 positive tested individuals to leave quarantine at 7 days if they tested negative was the subject of a study conducted by the CDC. The CDC found that this method was effective at catching COVID-19 among asymptomatic people in quarantine, while also allowing people who were not infected to return to “normal” life sooner. The CDC suggested that other states should consider this policy.

Vermont Business Magazine New research examining more than 800,000 traffic stops in Vermont over the course of five years substantiates the term “driving while Black and Brown.” Compared to white drivers, Black and Latinx drivers in Vermont are more likely to be stopped, ticketed, arrested, and searched. But they are less likely to be found with contraband than white drivers. The report finds evidence not only of racial disparities but also racial bias in policing. What’s more, a number of these gaps widened over the years examined in the report. With such comprehensive data encompassing the state of Vermont, the authors also found that Vermont police stop cars at a rate of 255 per 1,000 residents, which is more than three times higher than the national average of 86 stops per 1,000 residents.

Vermont Business Magazine Consistent with a history that is rife with medical discrimination and abuse against Black people, the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected BIPOC communities in the U.S., who are disproportionally employed as essential workers. Now, as vaccines are distributed to specific populations in phases, concerns are rising that this health disparity gap may widen. On Wednesday, January 20, Leon McDougle, MD, MPH, president of the National Medical Association, will address health care inequities as the Keynote Speaker for the University of Vermont's annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration.