Clemmons Family Farm's Arts and Culture Program
MLK Day Celebrations on January 20, 2020 in Burlington 
​at ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain

On January 20, 2020, visitors to the ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain joined some of Clemmons Family Farm’s collaborating artists in family-friendly co-creation engagements that use the arts to express feelings and share experiences about civil rights and social justice in Vermont under three optional categories that are easy for young children to understand:  hurtful, helpful, hopeful.

• The Hurtful category uses art to express painful feelings and share lived experiences about racial profiling and discrimination in Vermont.
• The Helpful category uses art to describe experiences with civic engagement: actions-- no matter how big or how small-- that can help create a more loving, supportive and just Vermont that welcomes diversity.
• The Hopeful category uses art to express joyful feelings and share positive lived experiences or interactions that inspire hope for a diverse, inclusive and equitable Vermont.

Press coverage about some of our MLK Day programs!
MLK Day Spent with the Clemmons Family Farm. Scooter MacMillan. The Citizen. January 23, 2020.

Kids in Burlington Honor "day on, not a day off" for MLK.  My Champlain Valley. Local 22 and 44 television news. January 20, 2020.

ECHO Center Events Honor MLK Day.  Kiernan Brisson. WCAX television news. January 20, 2020.​

DETAILED PROGRAM

10:30 AM– 2 PM
 
Travels of the Intrepid exhibit
Learn how the joys and the dangers of traveling while Black in the US connect the past to the present. Discover the adventures of the intrepid Jackson and Lydia Clemmons, who traveled across the United States in the 1950s when racial segregation was in full force and when many African-American travelers relied on the Green Book to locate places that would welcome them. Look at recent data from Vermont that reveals some of the risks of “driving while Black.”  Learn about the many contemporary groups, such as Nomadness Travel Tribe and Outdoor Afro, who help African-Americans build social networks and create new friendships while exploring the world and the great outdoors.
 
10:30 AM– 12 PM
 
Community mural mixed-media co-creation

• Explore social justice by using visual art to share your experiences and express your feelings. With chalk, charcoal and markers you’ll help co-create a community mural with visual artist Julio Desmont.

Brown n’ Out podcast special episode

• Be part of the audience and listen to a live recording of a special family-friendly episode of Brown n' Out, a podcast that highlights the voices of LGBTQ people of color in Vermont, with host Reggie Condra. Reggie's special guest is named Praise and she will be talking about her experiences exploring gender identities as a young person.

​12:30 PM – 2 PM
 
Community mural mixed-media co-creation

• Explore social justice by using visual art to share your experiences and express your feelings. With markers, fabric, and other cool things, you’ll help co-create a community mixed-media mural with visual artist Kia’Rae Hanron.

 
Community song and dance co-creation 

• Explore social justice through song and dance to share your experiences and express your feelings. Come co-create during a musical “funshop” with five young up-and-coming music and dance popstars from Winooski and performing artist KeruBo.

​2:30 PM – 4 PM
 
Echoes of A Dream: Visitor Story-sharing sessions

• Record and share a true story of your own helpful, hurtful or hopeful social justice experiences in Vermont, with Reggie Condra and multidisciplinary artist Kenroy Walker.