By Guy Page
The Black Lives Matters flag will no longer be flown at Orange Southwest School District schools, including Randolph Union High School, according to a new flag policy approved at the April 13 school board meeting.
As presented in the meeting agenda (pg. 18), The new policy reads: “It is the policy of the District that only the Vermont and United States flags may be flown on the flagpoles. It is the policy of the District to encourage free speech in other appropriate locations and circumstances.”
The decision was met by concerns from Black Lives Matters supporters. One Randolph resident and meeting attendee observed: “the BLM flag has been flying for 2 years here, and the BIPOC community was out in force of about 10 to give voice to lament having it come down.”
It is unclear when the BLM flag will be raised and taken down for the final time.
Like many Vermont school districts, OSSU began flying the BLM flag after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Since then, some school boards have been asking how long the flag should fly, and should districts have flag policies. BLM critics say the organization is fundamentally Marxist and that its leaders have misused some of the millions of dollars it collected in donations, including purchasing a $6 million mansion. Supporters say the flag represents fair and equal treatment of all Americans regardless of skin color or other minority status.
The Vermont Legislature involved itself in local flag-flying policies when the House Government Operations committee, in an effort led by Barre lawmaker Peter Anthony (D), eliminated a charter change approved by City voters: “The City of Barre shall fly only the City, State, United States, and POW/MIA flags.” This charter change would have banned the BLM flag from the city flag pole, removing a highly contentious issue in City Council discussions and elections in recent years.
The rest of the House went along with the Gov Ops changes, and the city charter change passed the House without the flag provision. However, the Senate restored the original flag policy as approved by city voters. The bill is now back in House Government Operations, awaiting efforts at reconciling the House and Senate versions.
Categories: Education
Hasn’t it been long enough? I thought the intention was to highlight the message for a short time and not to leave it up until someone’s definition of “equity” has been achieved. Virtue signaling has been achieved. Certainly the number of Black lives snuffed out by other Black lives and by Planned Parenthood has gone on unwavered but those Black lives were never covered by the BLM agenda anyhow.
Could it be the criminal investigations for fraud, the indictments and sentences handed down to the BLM chapter leaders and organizers? They raised a lot of money! I am still waiting for the press releases on scholarships and new housing to raise that equity ratio. I guess the mansions and other luxuries the leaders bought for themselves will trickle down somehow. Keep those lawn signs front and center, flags waving and big donations coming – there is chapter leader who needs more Prada and Gucci in the name of equity! All those riots and the families of the slain are still waiting for their share too….
Good going, Melissa – You took the words out of mouth. Sadly, no, NONE of the facts matter – as BLM et al are all meant to divide & conquer this Republic — BLM was never an organization promoting human rights or racial “justice” or anything else.
They are posers.
Blm is not about race. Its just a deceptive label that allows its supporters to call anyone that stands against its marxist, antiAmerican rhetoric a racist. It also fools some good Americans into supporting their agenda on the false premise that the organization is supporting the well being of black Americans. Since the group’s founding it has only had detrimental effects on black communities in our country and racial division in America is higher than its ever been since the civil war. None of the people i know with darker skin then mine support this organization. Wake up wokies!
Where did all the money go? How about publishing who is responsible and where did the money go?
About time we all stopped supporting black terrorism and crime.
2 YEARS ago, when I had “Press Credentials” for the Guv’s weekly conferences I asked if he/they knew BLM was a subsidiary of “1,000 Currents” for fundraising, which was run by convicted bomber/terrorist Susan Rosenburg & Phil Scott played dumb..They apparently couldn’t differentiate between the SLOGAN and the FUNDRAISING and ALL the Vermont “press” heard the question and did NO follow up, why? BLM is a scam..Jay Peak was a scam, there seems to be a lot of that going around lately, witness the “resignation” of NY state’s Lt. Governor 2 days ago..Bribery? Corruption? Greed spreads faster than any virus it seems..
I don’t think phil scott was playing dumb….didn’t he fail to answer what a woman was??
Phil Scott makes Biden look competent, both are huge losers.
Two years ago, I pointed out to a local city council representative the Weather Underground had regrouped and rebranded under the banner of BLM. Bill Clinton pardoned Susan Rosenburg – a domestic terrorist (for real!) The response was a muted nothing burger – he couldn’t formulate an intelligent response because he is too young and naive to know he and his peers are brainwashed to believe these people are terrorists, racist, grifters, and liars. I guess that is why our government continues to defend and protect them. Infiltration, not invasion.
Shame on any school or other government-funded entity with Burn Loot Murder flags still on display. 100% unconstitutional.
Its about time!
About time, they all should come down.!!!
It was encouraging to me to hear the Vermont Department of Education took a backseat in recommending policy on flag flying issues at the Randolph School Board meeting. They’ve had a lead stance in directing CRT and Equity policies to be implemented in schools across the state.
Keep the pressure on – speak out at more school board meetings and maybe we can hope to see more than BLM flags coming down – maybe we can see curriculums reflecting more constitutional rights classes and a good covid catch up dose of the 3 R’s.
Will they now replace the blm rag with a rainbow rag to push the next leftist agenda?? We were once a tolerant society and now the progressives demand forced and mandatory acceptance of their agenda.
“Supporters say the flag represents fair and equal treatment of all Americans regardless of skin color or other minority status.”
The American flag and the Constitution already represent these principles, but the democrat/marxists have been disrespecting and dismantling both for decades.
The BLM leadership has done a grave disservice to the many people, many of them young students, who were inspired by the messaging of that organization to work very hard to put into focus the important issues of race in Vermont. I’m thinking particularly of the Montpelier High School students who became active in local government as a result of the movement, a great example for the future. The lesson to all of us is to be careful who you associate with! Make sure they have an excellent record over many years! What is their endgame? Unfortunately, many of these students will be ultimately embarrassed by their past association with BLM as they seek college and employment in the future, all because of the horrible actions of a few BLM leaders and the ultimate demise of that organization.