This story by Virginia Ray was first published in The Commons on June 18.
To date, 149 Vermont cities and towns, home to about 77 percent of the state’s population, have adopted the Vermont Declaration of Inclusion to ensure all residents, visitors and people considering moving to their communities feel welcome, safe and that they belong.
Begun as a grassroots initiative by community members in the Rutland area, the Declaration of Inclusion has gained momentum with the help of Vermont Interfaith Action, the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, the Vermont League of Cities and Towns and the Vermont Council on Rural Development.
This year Gov. Phil Scott declared the second week of May as Inclusion Week, his fourth such proclamation.
“The state must and will continue to address the challenges of achieving racial and ethnic equity across Vermont and to nurture the diverse society in which we want our youth to live and prosper,” Scott said.
These groups’ efforts were recognized at a press conference on May 9 at the state capitol, organized by Vermont Interfaith Action.
At the press conference, Rep. Kevin “Coach” Christie of White River Junction, who is a member of the NAACP, wondered: If Vermont considers itself a welcoming state, why do people leave?
“It’s important for our state to grow and ensure that when people come, they want to stay and can stay,” Christie said.
Willie Docto, a Duxbury innkeeper and chair of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) task force, said that the chamber’s mission is to advance the state economy and that the Declaration of Inclusion is essential to that effort.
“I hope news of what’s happening here spreads far and wide,” Docto said, “and people beyond Vermont know that there are communities across our state that are eager to welcome them.”
Ted Brady, executive director of the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, said his organization tries to offer an aspirational vision for what municipal government should be in Vermont.
“And what should it be other than a place where everyone feels empowered, everyone feels welcome, and everyone feels like they belong in Vermont?” Brady said.
Not all on board
In an FAQ document provided by the organizers, those behind the initiative wrote that, “the Declaration of Inclusion is really a pledge by town leadership to urge the citizens to be more respectful and accepting of all people.”
“In addition, this is a statewide effort with far-reaching implications for Vermont and for each town,” the document said. “To make this happen, we need to state our intentions clearly and then our citizens must really live it. For this to happen, a signed statement by the Selectboard will be important as a visible example to follow.”
Not all towns have joined the program.
Eight selectboards – those in Charleston, Eden, Albany, Sheffield, Lunenburg, Bridgewater, Hubbardton and Highgate – have voted not to adopt the resolution. The Hubbardton and Highgate selectboards both initially voted to adopt, then voted to rescind that decision.
Dummerston, Westminster, Chittenden and Tunbridge voters moved to adopt it on Town Meeting Day by wide margins. Voters in Coventry decided not to adopt by a small margin.
Selectboards in Grafton, Whitingham, Morgan, Barnet, Jay, Charleston and Lowell have declined to consider voting.
Initiative representative James “Al” Wakefield says the group of organizations has heard varied reasons for voting not to adopt or declining to vote at all.
“It is our experience that selectboards vote ‘no’ or decline to vote for several significant reasons, the most prominent being a lack of understanding of the spirit and intent of the Declaration of Inclusion, an apprehension or even a fear of outcomes, and ignorance, an unwillingness or disinclination to lead or change,” Wakefield said.
The folks behind the Vermont Declaration of Inclusion initiative have said they will continue to reach out to all municipalities in the state so they can weigh in on the Declaration.
A second phase of the initiative’s work is already underway, assisting communities that have adopted the declaration to implement it.
“Adoption is just the first step,” said initiative founder Bob Harnish. “We then ask our towns to bring it to their residents so true inclusion becomes a work in progress.”
Inclusion in the program, say organizers, requires little or no cost, but implementation is important. The Vermont Community Foundation has established a $200,000 fund from which towns can apply for up to $10,000.
Some towns have used this funding to hire consultants to administer implicit bias training and examine town ordinances for implicit bias.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Vermont Declaration of Inclusion initiative reaches new milestone.