By Lauren Walsh, Capacity Building Americorps Member

As Black History Month comes to a close, we want to acknowledge that we should be working every day towards educating ourselves about racial disparity and fighting for equity. It’s important to start having these discussions with children at young ages so they can begin to fully grasp social justice once they’re older. 

This can be a difficult topic to discuss in Vermont, which is a mostly white state. As of the 2010 census, Franklin County’s population was 95% white, with only 0.7% being black/African American. These statistics hold true for most of the state, so the question is how can we discuss something with the younger generations that may not even be tangible to them? In my own experiences with youth, attempting to discuss topics like redlining resulted in some confusion as the students could not think of any neighborhoods where the primary population was people of color. It’s difficult to discuss race when race isn’t as obvious in your community, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore it and it doesn’t mean race issues aren’t present.

For example, there was an anti-racism protest at Bellows Free Academy in 2015 as a result of some incidents that occurred in the school. Some people responded to this protest by driving by with a confederate flag, raising their middle finger, mimicking shooting guns at protestors, and mooning them. The fact that there was a protest demonstrates that this is very much a real issue in Vermont, but the response to the protest solidifies it. We figured you may find it helpful to have some tips on how to talk about race with kids, and where you can find some useful resources.

How Did Vermont Become So White?

So, why is Vermont so white? This is an incredibly complex question and much more factors into this answer than what you’ll find here, but this should be a good starting point. The beginning of the answer to this question dates back to the Civil War. Once the Civil War ended, the majority of former slaves could not afford to travel up to Vermont and were usually attracted by cities and the opportunities they had to offer. This meant there was, and has been, no real connection to draw African Americans to Vermont. Typically, communities will move to a place that links them to where they are coming from and this is an aspect Vermont is lacking in. Second, many of the people that did come here for work were white immigrants, and by the 20th century Vermont was actively seeking German and Scandinavian farmers to work here, since they were perceived to be the best farm workers. 

Fast forward to the present day, and our industries still haven’t developed much. Vermont promotes the small, locally owned businesses and it’s reflected in most of our job market. This results in fewer, new jobs to attract new people to the state and in a homogenous (mostly white) workforce. If most of the workforce looks like a certain demographic, you can expect the community to look the same. Finally, our depiction of Vermont is very white when we target tourists. Picture the classic image of white people, with white snow, white steeples, in a classic, white New England town. This image is not incredibly welcoming to anyone who is not white. Of course, the situation is not as simple as all of this, but this should give you an idea of how we have grown to become one of the whitest states in America despite our outwardly progressive attitude. 

Discussing Race in a Mostly White Community

Youth may find it difficult to grasp a problem that isn’t as obvious to them and this includes race in a mostly white community. Here are some questions that you can start a discussion with:

• How have you been impacted by what’s happening in the news?
  • This is a question you can anticipate will elicit silence, which is fine! If no one answers this question at all, you can ask why students think they haven’t been impacted and go from there.
• When have you thought about being white?
  • Most white people don’t actively think about their race or the fact that they are white. It’s also great to ask students when the first time they interacted with someone that isn’t white was.
• What does discrimination feel like?
  • Encourage students to discuss a time when they felt excluded or vulnerable. Ask them about how it would feel if this were an accepted part of society to be expected all the time.

Resources

• Social Justice Books
  • This is a really great list of books for educators and adults to learn about what it means to be white, and communicate that to kids. You can also check out their other social justice book lists for all ages.
• Reading List for Youth
  • This list provides you with books for children and young adults. These works of fiction and nonfiction will teach youth about racism and how to combat it. 
• Vermont Network Anti-Racism Resources
  • Here, you’ll find racial justice organizations and black-owned businesses in Vermont, as well as reading lists and ways to get involved.
• Let’s Grow Kids
  • This website provides action steps, family resources, and resources for early childhood educators to combat racism.