Building Power Together
We are closing in on the November 8th election. The time is now to make a difference for Vermont movement candidates! Here are some ways to support RAD-endorsed candidates in high stakes races around the state.
With Juneteenth this past weekend and Pride activities all month, we’ve been busy – and there’s more coming, as we turn out in solidarity, celebrate movement wins that have gotten us this far, and keep agitating for a just, liberatory future.
We’ve got exciting news: our sister organization Rights & Democracy Institute (RDI) has opened applications for the 2022 Catalyst Leadership program!
As the weather and our work are heating up, we are growing our skills and preparing to move forward together with strength. ☀️
Spring at Rights & Democracy has been off to a moving start. In our calls, conversations, and meetings across the state, there is a palpable sense of energy and renewal.
Spring at Rights & Democracy has been off to a moving start. In our calls, conversations, and meetings across the state, there is a palpable sense of energy and renewal.
As we enter mid-April, it’s starting to really feel like Spring. The warmer weather is bringing us fresh energy, and we have a lot of exciting events on the horizon!
As we enter mid-April, we are enjoying the first blooms of spring and celebrating recent wins in the work for a just Vermont in which we all can flourish. To name just a couple…
March was a huge month for Rights & Democracy, one of immense presence and power. Two weeks ago, I was in DC to stand alongside 10 powerful RAD leaders and Black women-led progressive organizations from across the country in support of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson at the Supreme Court confirmation hearings.
This week, two RAD-supported healthcare access bills made huge advancements in the Senate and House! See Highlights from Last Week below for more information. In the coming week, two priority healthcare bills will be heard, one in the Senate Health Committee and one in a House floor vote. See Top Actions this Week to learn how you can voice your support!
Thank you for taking the time each week to contact committee members and your legislators. By doing your part, you are making a real difference for housing, healthcare, racial justice, and more in the Granite State.
Thank you to everyone who supported online, through letters or in person last week when the House heard testimony on key bills to repeal divisive concepts. You can read about the hearing here. They did not vote on a recommendation for these bills yet so you can still write to the House Education committee and demand they support HB 1090 and HB 1576.
This February, we are celebrating leadership across our movement. We’re seeing mounting interest in running for local office and grassroots organizing in both states, and we are excited to keep growing the work of our Grassroots Leadership Academy to support, educate, and motivate movement leaders.
This week, two more bills related to divisive concepts will be heard; we are asking people to register their opposition online or go in person to testify.
January is a special month at Rights & Democracy, one full of assessment and preparation. In each state, we’re at a moment of opportunity.
Calling all members – new and old – the Membership Assembly is on the horizon! Every year, our members come together to reflect upon and celebrate our work, deepen our relationships, renew our commitment to this movement, and strategize for the year ahead.
Calling all members – new and old – the Membership Assembly is on the horizon! Every year, our members come together to reflect upon and celebrate our work, deepen our relationships, renew our commitment to this movement, and strategize for the year ahead.
The Vermont Climate Council is gearing up to develop a plan that will serve as a roadmap for how our state addresses the climate crisis. Now is our chance to speak up for a Climate Action Plan that rapidly transitions us off of fossil fuels while centering justice, equity, and most-impacted Vermonters to ensure we all can thrive!
I hope the final days summer have given all of you a chance to recharge. As one RAD staff member put it, August “has been like Friday afternoon for a whole month.” So rested and restored, we shake off summer and step into September, gearing up for a busy fall.
I hope the final days summer have given all of you a chance to recharge. As one RAD staff member put it, August “has been like Friday afternoon for a whole month.” So, rested and restored, we shake off summer and step into September, gearing up for a busy fall.
Over the past month, RAD really stepped into the heart of our work. The through line of our movement is ever present, and we really felt it this month as we continued our blend of in person organizing and our remote operations.
This July marks a quiet shift for Rights & Democracy. With high vaccination rates across both Vermont and New Hampshire and the boundless opportunities for outdoor events presented by summer weather, there is a feeling of awakening.
With the warm weather rolling in and more vaccines rolling out, (We’re number one, Vermont!), we were thrilled to kick off this month with long-awaited, live in-person events for May Day.
Rights & Democracy fully supports HB 128, a bill which would ban the LGBTQ+ Panic Defense – using a victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity to legitimize a crime. However, we are deeply troubled by Sen. Jeanette White’s callous use of stereotypes and thoughtless tropes when questioning the bill.