Please join the SVSU in celebrating Juneteenth. The event will be held on the grounds of Mt. Anthony Union Middle School (747 East Rd, Bennington, VT 05201) on June 18 from 12-3pm.
Juneteenth, our country’s newest federal holiday, celebrates the freedom of enslaved people in 1865. SVSU Equity Coordinator Jonathan Phipps noted that Juneteenth “is a holiday that is extremely important to the Black and African American communities within the United States, as it is often seen as the first major victory and step towards liberation and equality.”
This free celebration will feature food, music by DJ Jasn Dansby, and guest speakers from our community partners and Alana Harte, a local poet, author, educator, and recipient of the 2022 Southern Vermont Emerging Leader Award. There will also be activities for all ages and a drum circle led by Michael Wingfield.
This event is being hosted by the Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union and the following community partners: United Counseling Services of Bennington County, The Town of Bennington, Southwestern Vermont Health Care, Shires Young Professionals, Pave, Bennington Free Library, Vermont Humanities, The Abbey Group, Hildene Lincoln Family Home, the Bennington Rotary Club, and the Bennington Museum.
Funding for the event was made possible in part by a grant from Vermont Humanities and an equity mini grant provided by The Vermont School Boards Association (VSBA), Vermont Superintendents Association (VSA), and Vermont Principals’ Association (VPA). The SVSU mini grant was part of $50,000 in mini-grants that went to 15 different local efforts that advance educational equity as part of the Welcoming, Equitable, and Anti-Racist Communities Initiative of the Vermont Community Foundation’s VT COVID- 19 Response Fund.
About the Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union
Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union (SVSU) is one of the largest supervisory unions in the state of Vermont. It comprises seven elementary schools, a middle school, a high school, and a middle/high school, as well as several additional programs for learners of varying ages. The SVSU aims to support the whole learner, encouraging all members of the community to “Imagine the Possibilities.”
For additional information, please contact SVSU Public Information Coordinator Katie West, [email protected].