Kudos to Terry Martin for using iBrattleboro to gather information for his work on the subcommittee for the Vermont Advisory Committee to the US Commission on Civil Right! I hope that those who can support his work on the issue of Religious Discrimination will contact him.
I also was appointed to this committee this last spring. I hope that I will do service to the issues faced in this state and will now follow Terry’s lead in using this medium to solicit some information.
I am on the subcommittee that is addressing discrimination based on national origin or racial identity in regards to access to social services. The areas covered are quite wide; unprovided or no interpretation services at health facilities and schools, discrimination at the northern boarder or with police agencies, inability to access childcare services, etc.
I am fortunate to work with immigrants in southern Vermont at Vermont Adult Learning to directly learn of injustices they face and also to hear stories of civil rights infringements in my work on the Board of ALANA. I am now asking the ibrat community to contribute their valued voices in the work that we are doing on civil rights in this state.
I am very interested in hearing from any of you who know of incidents of civil rights infringement in concern to access to social services.
If you have been a victim of discrimination, your voice should be heard!
I, like Terry, am also looking for knowledgeable orators to speak towards this issue at a symposium scheduled for September.
This is the first time that Windham County has had a substantial representation on the Vermont State Advisory Committee. I see this as an opportunity to address issues of civil rights directly affecting community members in southern Vermont.
Please feel free to contact me directly: taraobrien522@yahoo.com Terry is receiving correspondence in regards to Religious Discrimination: tdmartin2@verizon.net Curtiss Reed, who is now chairing the committee, is available for all complaints at alana@sover.net
Respectfully,
Tara O’Brien
Member of the Vermont Advisory Committee to the US Commission on Civil Rights
ALANA Board Member