Speaker 1: Stick around. We got a lot more in store. But
Speaker 1: first it's time for the Way Black History fact, So
Speaker 1: we have to move on. Today's Way Black History Effect
Speaker 1: is sponsored by Underground Beach Club From the Streets to
Speaker 1: the Beach. For the Laiston Beach where visit Underground Beachclub
Speaker 1: dot com. All right, we're shouting out Vermont. We're shouting
Speaker 1: out Vermont. We're shouting out Vermont. Please tell me why. Okay,
Speaker 1: I'll tell you why. Long before Vermont became our fourteenth state,
Speaker 1: it's people were known for their independence. They were not
Speaker 1: excited about joining the new United States, nor did they
Speaker 1: want to remain part of the British Crown. They liked
Speaker 1: being independent and made that clear to the other colonies
Speaker 1: on more than one occasion. Such an opportunity came on
Speaker 1: July second, seventeen seventy seven, in response to abolitionist calls
Speaker 1: across the colonies to end slavery, Vermont became the first
Speaker 1: colony to ban it outright. Not only did Vermont's legislator
Speaker 1: legislature agree that to abolish slavery entirely, it also moved
Speaker 1: to provide full voting rights for African American males On
Speaker 1: November twenty fifth, eighteen fifty eight, Vermont would again underscore
Speaker 1: this commitment by ratifying a stronger anti slavery law into
Speaker 1: its constitution. Now this is a slow story, but they
Speaker 1: were working on it. Vermonta July second, seventeen seventy seven
Speaker 1: action was undoubtedly a historic event. The proclamation underscored the
Speaker 1: growing discontent many had with slavery and the slave trade,
Speaker 1: particularly in the colonies of North of the North, where
Speaker 1: the Quaker led abolitionist movements were taking root. Earlier in
Speaker 1: seventeen seventy seven, New England area colonies Rhode Island and
Speaker 1: Connecticut had outward overseas slave im sorry outlawed overseas slave importation,
Speaker 1: but still allowed inter colony slave trade. Regardless of the
Speaker 1: good legal intentions of New England legislators, Black Americans continue
Speaker 1: to be treated with disdain and cruelty in the North.
Speaker 1: While Vermont, Rhode Island, and Connecticut abolitionists achieve laudable goals,
Speaker 1: each state created legal structures making it difficult for free
Speaker 1: lacks to find work on property or even remain in
Speaker 1: the state. Rhode Island, while legally ending slave importation from overseas,
Speaker 1: continued to have the highest number of slave auctions in
Speaker 1: the New England States. Additionally, Rhode Island's laws governing the
Speaker 1: treatment of African Americans free or slave were continually revised
Speaker 1: and updated and were among the harshest in the colonies.
Speaker 1: If free blacks associated with slaves, they could both be whipped.
Speaker 1: Anyone giving an African American a cup of hard cider
Speaker 1: was leveled with a level sorry with a heavy fine,
Speaker 1: whipped or both. Vermont's July seventeen, seventy seven Declaration was
Speaker 1: not entirely altruistic either. While it did set an independent
Speaker 1: tone from the Thirteen Colonies, the declarations wording was vague
Speaker 1: enough to let Vermont's already establish slavery practices continue. Now
Speaker 1: I want to say this shout out to Vermont for
Speaker 1: being first. Didn't get it all the way right, but
Speaker 1: did something where no other states were doing it. And
Speaker 1: having been to Vermont being carried on two radio stations
Speaker 1: in Vermont, I want to take a moment to shout
Speaker 1: out Wool Vermont WOOL ninety one point five FM and
Speaker 1: w f VR ninety six point five FM, both of
Speaker 1: them carrying this show that you're hearing right now. Having
Speaker 1: been to Vermont. I have seen how the people in
Speaker 1: Vermont still kind of embody this humanistic approach to politics,
Speaker 1: human first, love first, empathy first, sort of approach. I
Speaker 1: want to I want to share this. I drove through
Speaker 1: this place and never anywhere else before since have I
Speaker 1: seen more signs. I know there's not a lot of
Speaker 1: black people out there, but signs talking about supporting black people,
Speaker 1: supporting trans people, supporting marginalized people. I couldn't imagine a
Speaker 1: lot of people like that lived there. But there's a
Speaker 1: place that is as close to heaven as I've seen
Speaker 1: in this country. And I call it Vermont, and I
Speaker 1: have another person who witnessed it alongside me, and so
Speaker 1: shout out to Vermont. That's an exact up of becoming
Speaker 1: a better ally.