11/2/2015
Dear People of the Episcopal Church in Vermont,
You may have heard about an incident of racial hatred and targeting in Burlington this past weekend. This happened while I was in Washington DC for the Installation of our new Presiding Bishop and I am just now getting caught up on the details. There was/is much media coverage about this and I’m providing this link to a report from WCAX as just one of many:
http://www.wcax.com/story/30401392/kkk-posters-have-burlington-residents-on-edge
There is another Community Speakout against Hate and for Racial Justice scheduled for Burlington on Thursday evening at 7:00 PM. Here is the Facebook link to that event:
https://www.facebook.com/events/918074111596573/
I am planning on attending (and yes, I know it is the night before our Diocesan Convention). Others are also welcome, so please spread the word.
There is also an open letter about this incident, which I have signed. Here is the link: https://www.change.org/p/burlington-kkk-poster-found-on-vermont-activist-s-front-door-open-letter-against-hate
Please share this information as widely as possible. The General Convention of The Episcopal Church made a strong commitment to racial reconciliation and our new Presiding Bishop spoke passionately about this in his sermon on Sunday. Here is an opportunity for the Episcopal Church in Vermont to be clear about our commitment to racial justice.
All the best,