Marcellina Blow-Cummings

Cancel Sale of Marlboro College campus to Democracy Builders 971 supporters PETITION UPDATE We Are Powerful Vermonters in Solidarity with Black N Brown at DP JUL 29, 2020 — THANK YOU for standing in solidarity with Black N Brown at DP, amplifying their voices and working alongside them to keep Seth Andrew and Democracy Builders accountable. We are powerful. The sale has been approved by the VT Attorney General but our work is not done. We were not able to stop the sale but we definitely made an impact and we need to continue to engage with DBF to ensure that the Degrees of Freedom program is created with a commitment to an anti-racism curriculum, equity and trauma informed learning. We got the attention of the Marlboro College Board of Trustees: "Even though the purchase and sale agreement was in place, the events and issues elaborated in the BlackNBrown at DP petition were of great concern to the Board, so we undertook an inquiry to better understand the totality of the situation." And the BoT has made a commitment to creating a space for the Degrees of Freedom team to engage with the community. We can also take credit for slowing down Degrees of Freedom. Seth Andrew originally stated he would open the doors September of 2020. At the July 20th Marlboro Select Board Meeting Chandell Stone, a newly announced member of the Degrees of Freedom design team, said the program wouldn't begin until September of 2021. This gives the Degrees of Freedom leadership more time to engage with Black N Brown at DP and listen to the feedback they are receiving. We hope they use this time wisely. Please read Lindsay Bailey's article, Still I Rise, about her experience at the Select Board meeting last week. Lindsay came to the meeting anonymously as a representative of Black N Brown at DP. During the meeting the Degrees of Freedom supporters and leadership said they are listening to Black N Brown at DP and want to make changes but Michael Cummings Jr., a DP alumnus whose mother, Marcellina Blow-Cummings is a member of the design team, and Alize (Jay) Smith, a member of the Degrees of Freedom design team, publicly outed Lindsay without her consent: "During the Marlboro Select Board Meeting, there were at least 10 incidents when the Degrees of Freedom team and their allies stated that they, in some part, support Black N Brown at DP’s existence, are learning from the page, and do not wish to invalidate the experiences of others. Michael and Jay’s actions, however, are the complete antithesis of those sentiments. Revealing the identity behind an anonymous testimonial without consent is a fear tactic. It is a form of bullying. It attempts to send a clear message to anyone thinking of anonymously submitting in the future: cross us and we will screw you. This is not an example of leaning into criticism, as Seth and Jay mentioned their willingness to do. This is an attempt to eradicate criticism completely." We will continue to stand with Black N Brown at DP and hold the Degrees of Freedom team accountable for their actions. We will keep you informed as plans develop. THANK YOU Still I Rise Still I Rise A Reflection on my Identity Reveal Last week, we were inactive on Instagram. Several members of the Black N Brown at DP community… https://medium.com Share TweetEmail https://wrenchinthegears.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Democracy-Prep-Fund-Board-2020.jpg