Documentaries, Traveling Exhibit and Press Conference Leading up to Vermont Commemoration of First African Landing Day
Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Racial Justice Alliance (VRJA) has announced the activities leading up to the Commemoration of First African Landing Day. Activities include a documentary showing, the 1619 Traveling Exhibit and a press conference.
The VRJA announced that there will be a showing of the documentary “1619, The First Africans in Virginia and the Making of America (parts I and II) at noon on August 20. The 1619 Traveling Exhibit remains on display for weekday viewing from 10:00 AM till 4:00 PM for the remainder of August.
Vermont First African Landing Day will be commemorated on Saturday, August 23 from 12:00 PM till 5:00 PM. The Commemoration will be at the Richard Kemp Center and Roosevelt Park in Burlington. All are invited to attend! Tickets are here. The Commemoration main stage will be in Roosevelt Park where there will be speakers, music performances, dancing, spoken word, drumming and numerous youth activities. The Richard Kemp Center will host the Diaspora Series, the Black Legacy Wall, the 1619 Traveling Exhibit and a Wellness Drop-in Spot. Miss Black Vermont, Harmony Edosomwan will make an appearance! Fundraising efforts will go towards a joint Community/Juniper Creative MURAL build on the east (Hyde Street) wall of the Richard Kemp Center. Community work on the mural will begin at the Annual Richard Kemp Center Back-In-School Block Party, October 11th.
The 2025 theme “STAND” is inspired by the Adinkra symbol Wawa Aba which speaks to strength. This year’s theme highlights the remarkable strength possessed by our ancestors that enabled them to STAND against slavery, convict leasing, segregation, lynchings, Jim Crow and so much more. “The theme is a reminder of Black resilience and a call to action to stand firm on one's moral convictions with an eye towards justice" said Reverend Mark Hughes “It’s not enough for us to stand for ourselves, we must stand with those who cannot stand by themselves.”
Vermont Commemoration of First African Landing Day Website is HERE.
Vermont Commemoration of First African Landing Day Event is HERE.
About the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance:
Through Black leadership the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance addresses the root causes and impact of systemic racism with a data-driven approach that includes solutions ranging from platforms and initiatives; outreach and education; community engagement and support; and, cultural empowerment programming. The Vermont Racial Justice Alliance’s mission is to secure sustainable power, ensure agency, and provide security for American Descendants of Slavery, while embracing our history and preserving their culture.
About the Richard Kemp Center:
The Richard Kemp Center is centering the needs of the Black community in the work of rectifying historical racial inequity. We are creating new systems that empower Black Vermonters denied equal access to public or private economic and other opportunities. The Richard Kemp Center expands programs and services that support Black Vermonters’ wellness, preserve their culture, support their youth and advance racial equity and justice.
About Vermont First African Landing Day
The Vermont Racial Justice Alliance established First African Landing Day on August 24, 2019 by inspiration of the 400 Year African American History Commission and the 1619 Project. Vermont First African Landing Day was established to recognize and highlight the resilience and contributions of African-Americans since 1619; to acknowledge the impact that slavery and laws that enforced racial discrimination have on the United States and to educate the public about the arrival of Africans in the United States. On August 24, 2019 Governor Philip B. Scott proclaimed the 4th Saturday of August Vermont First African Landing Day.
About the 400 Years African American History Commission:
The 400 Years of African American History Commission was a federally appointed committee, operating independently as established by the Secretary of the Department of the Interior and administered by the National Park Service. The 400 Years of African-American History Commission Act, signed into law January 8, 2018, established this 15-member commission to coordinate the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in the English colonies on August 20, 1619, when 20 enslaved Africans were brought to Point Comfort in the English colony of Virginia (now part of Fort Monroe National Monument).
About the 1619 Project:
The 1619 Project is an ongoing initiative from The New York Times Magazine that began in August 2019, the 400th anniversary of the beginning of American slavery. It aims to reframe the country’s history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the very center of our national narrative.
1619 and American History | The 1619 Project Book