BRATTLEBORO — The Root Social Justice Center invites the community to celebrate the The Root's fourth birthday on Saturday, Sept. 23.
At 3 p.m., participants will gather at The Root at 28 Williams St. to make signs and learn songs for a 4 p.m. parade through Brattleboro that will highlight racial justice.
At 5 p.m., everyone will meet back at The Root for a potluck dinner and a short program where the center's new logo will be unveiled. Dancing will begin at 7 p.m. and will go until about 10 p.m.
The event is free and open to the public, but donations are welcome to help the The Root keep its space and programs going strong in the coming year. Participants are invited to bring art, music, talents, racial justice signs and, if they would like, a potluck dish to share or something to grill. The event is wheelchair accessible and fragrance free.
The Root Social Justice Center, located in the Whetstone Arts Building, provides a physically and financially accessible space in Southern Vermont for social justice groups to meet, and is also a hub for racial justice organizing, according to a news release. The Root says it prioritizes people of color leadership and shifting resources to people of color-led racial justice work.
In the past year, The Root has started three new programs.
Youth 4 Change meets the first and third Monday evening of each month at The Root for dinner, homework hour, and using art and education as a tool for organizing.
Soul Food Sundays is a potluck dinner and gathering for people of color one Sunday a month at The Root.
“I AM VT” is a photojournalism project and traveling art show that highlights racial microaggressions towards people of color in Vermont.
Evenings and weekends, The Root is available for the public to host social justice organizing events, such as workshops, potlucks, film screenings, and meetings.
Some groups who use the space regularly are Brattleboro Time Trade, Women's Freedom Center, Green Mountain Crossroads, The Hive, Brattleboro Solidarity, Lost River Racial Justice, and 350.org Mother Up!
Since opening its doors in September 2013, The Root has hosted more than 400 events, the majority of which have been open to the public.
The Root hosts “Social Justice Forums” to explore issues affecting the community, such as mass incarceration, immigrant rights, domestic violence, racism, and decolonization.
It also houses a Radical Lending Library with a growing collection of social justice-oriented books that are available to check out directly from The Root at no cost.