Race & Policy

Race & Policy

I want to first apologize to the community that I serve for being inactive over the past couple of weeks. My partner's disgruntled former tenants doxxed our home address, phone numbers, vehicle types, decorative vehicle descriptors, etc. after being evicted for non-payment of their rent over a six-month period. They are extremely angry. Too angry, in fact, to pay their back-rent of more than $5,000.

Although it would be illegal and retaliatory to expose their information in the same way, I will expose one of several racist death threats on my life that came through after their actions. The screenshot is attached, but for reference, the quote reads, 

"surprising nigger you 'hasn't' been shot". 

Unsurprisingly, my partner (white) did not receive any death threats of this sort despite his information also getting leaked online...only me.

This case is currently under investigation by both the FBI's IC3 unit and local police. We are also in the process of seeking legal protection for our household, but I wanted to provide this as contextual information for anyone who asks what it is like to be Black in New England (especially in Vermont). 

Let me be clear: I'm neither a shrinking violet nor a saint. You should also be aware that I am not an initiator. To pretend that I have not held my own in the conversations preceding and following these events would be false. However, the race fueled portion and death threats only directed towards the perceived "nigger" are far beyond the legally substantiated eviction case at hand.

If anything happens to me after this point, you know where to start.

Connecting Race and Policy

The same people who send me death threats are the same people who vote on local, state, and federal policy in our state and in our region. You must understand that the racism that boils over in heated moments amongst neighbors is the same racism that walks into our State House and every polling location. It is the same racism that elected You Know Who. It is the same racism that we face in every social setting. 

Sadly, these are not the first death threats I have had while working as a lobbyist. Moreover, they are not the last. I will also take the time to highlight the struggles of many Black women who have worked in the arena of policy (and beyond) in Vermont. Largely, they have stepped down because they are afraid for their own lives and the lives of their children. You can Google their names, but there is absolutely a pattern.

As always, my call to action for allies is the same: when you hear racism (even by way of jokes and memes) call it out. More than likely, you have been too afraid to say anything in the past. If that is the case, do not call yourself an ally. Additionally, it is undeniably your job to ensure that you do not partake in raising another generation of racists.

This note is a promise that I will not be shaken. I will not be moved. I will not be afraid.

In a weird, absurd, off-the-agenda type of way:

This is Policy for The People.

*Bill summary including the status of relevant bills coming Monday, May 5th, 2025.  


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