BRATTLEBORO — On Oct. 2, The Root Social Justice Center celebrated three years of open doors with a community dinner and dance party. It was a wonderful time of celebrating all that has been accomplished in the last three years, as well as announcing our move toward being a regional racial-justice organizing hub and raising funds to make that happen. Thanks to everyone who makes The Root what it is!
In this last year there were 80 public events, more than 1,000 people walked through our doors. There are also many private events that took place in the space. Some of the groups who use The Root are Lost River Racial Justice, Green Mountain Crossroads, Brattleboro Time Trade, The Hive, Brattleboro Solidarity, 350.org Mother Up!, Cross Class Dialogue Circles, Vermont Workers Center, and the Women's Freedom Center.
The Root provides a space for the cross-pollination of groups working on many social-justice issues. It is a space that builds leadership and organizing skills with very little money or overhead.
Because of the success of the last three years, and requests from the community to take a more active role in supporting racial justice organizing, we are moving toward becoming a racial-justice organizing hub with programming that supports people-of-color-led organizing.
We are increasing the number of collective members. We are also adding new programming such as Youth Organizing and Soul Food Sundays and will become a branch of Black Lives Matter VT. The Root will continue to be open for social-justice-oriented groups to use the space.
To make this plan possible, we have kicked into high gear with fundraising. We raised $2,100 from grassroots support at our anniversary party.
We are only $2,000 away from covering our baseline expenses for the next year and we continue to fundraise through many avenues so we can make amazing racial- justice programming happen in this area. Please contribute by clicking the donate link on our website or sending a check to 28 Williams St., Brattleboro, VT 05301.