On Monday, August 14, 2023, community members from all over the state came to Burlington City Hall to support Tyeastia Green and Casey “Jersey” Ellerby. The Vermont Branches of the NAACP echo the sentiments of many in the room, including Councilwoman Zoraya Hightower, that it has become clear that Mayor Miro Weinberger’s actions appear to be a calculated attempt to muffle the voices of people of color and, more specifically, Black women, under the guise of “necessary due diligence.” The NAACP remains vigilant in its mission to expose and challenge the deeply ingrained systems of oppression that breed racism and discrimination against people of color in Vermont, most notably Black queer women.
We also want to be clear that we are perplexed with the investigation and have questions as to why it was launched. Furthermore, we want to publicly acknowledge the hardship this type of publicity has placed on the backs of Ms. Green and Ms. Ellerby, their loved ones, and, of course, the larger community. Unfortunately, the hypervigilance and culture of suspicion leveraged here are not an uncommon experience for members of the Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) community who assume leadership roles; their treatment is glaringly incongruent with the “desire” to have people from diverse backgrounds hold these offices. The tactics used by the city of Burlington and Mayor Weinberger are the insidious narratives of systemic bias and the deliberate manipulation of power to silence those who dare challenge the status quo.
The Vermont branches of the NAACP support Ms. Green and call for a full retraction of the claims made against her, with an articulation of harm. Additionally we are calling for the City of Burlington to evaluate the processes that enable such baseless audits.
In solidarity,
Mia Schultz, Rutland Area Branch President
Dr. Steffen Gillom, Windham County Branch President
Rutland Area Branch of the NAACP 