What We’re About
Lost River Racial Justice is dedicated to small town and rural multiracial organizing to dismantle white-supremacy and transfer power and resources to people of color communities. We are based in Brattleboro, VT. We draw our name from the Abenaki name for these lands where we live and work.
We are an all-white organizing group and an affiliate of Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ). We recognize the important role white folks have in educating our/themselves and taking action to end racism and work towards liberation for all people. Living in a predominantly white community and a predominantly white state it is imperative for us to build relationships within white communities that use our collective power and privilege to support and uplift people of color organizing and people of color communities, voices, and experiences. We strive to maintain strong, ongoing accountability relationships with people of color-led organizations.
Read more about our Guiding Principles and why we chose the name Lost River Racial Justice. Also check out Lost River in the Press.
How We’re Organized and Organizing
Lost River Racial Justice is comprised of:
The Nucleus, a core organizing group that holds the logistical and political unity of the organization. The nucleus meets monthly and each nucleus member is committed to being involved in ongoing projects.
Working groups carry out the day-to-day organizing and are open to all community members. Each working group has at least one nucleus member to ensure logistical and political unity across our work. Each working group is organized according to their own focus and needs. Currently, our working groups are:
- Study Group
- SURJ Liaisons
- Media/Communications
- RJO Leadership: We co-host a monthly public Racial Justice Organizing (RJO) meeting which is a space for multiracial organizing, education, and collective healing along with The Root BIPOC Caucus.
- Lost River Working Group Meetings are a space for white-identified people to work on projects (often as a direct response to needs expressed by BIPOCC) and deepen our learning (and un-learning) around white supremacy culture.