BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – The Fletcher Free Library hosted a community event Saturday focused on preserving Black history in Vermont.
The organization Vibrant Lives held a panel discussion as part of its Black Experience event, which marks the 100th anniversary of Black History celebrations.
Organizers said the goal of the event is to celebrate the lived experiences of Black Vermonters and ensure those histories are seen, heard and remembered.
Jolivette Anderson Douoning, a history professor at St. Michael’s College, spoke at the panel discussion.
“Oral histories leave an imprint — they leave breadcrumbs for people to follow later,” Anderson Douoning said. “I have been following breadcrumbs as a historian to try and figure out my identity and who I come from and what the people I come from had to go through and endure.”
The event also featured the reveal of the Vibrant Lives Living Exhibit, which showcases stories in a museum-style format.
