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Vermont African American Heritage Trail tells stories of Black history in the state

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Vermont African American Heritage Trail tells stories of Black history in the state


Black history in Vermont includes some of the major events and personalities of Black history in America. The Underground Railroad passed through the Champlain Valley. Famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass delivered impassioned speeches in the state. The son of the Great Emancipator lived in a Vermont house that to this day hosts discussions about the inequalities of race in America.

There are also the quieter stories of Black history in Vermont. A Chittenden County farm became one of the largest African-American farms in the state. A small African-American community thrived in southern Chittenden County starting in the late 1700s. One Black Vermonter is said to be the first Black college graduate in the U.S., while another became the nation’s first African-American college president.

The state has designated these moments and more as part of the Vermont African American Heritage Trail consisting of buildings and markers commemorating significant moments in Black history. Consider visiting some of these sites in February to celebrate Black History Month. You might also want to keep them in mind to travel to when the weather is warmer and more of these sites are open, with the idea that Black history is a topic for every month of every year.

Sites in the Champlain Valley

Winooski United Methodist Church – Many of the renowned Buffalo Soldiers, a Black regiment known for fighting in the West and during the Spanish-American War, came to Fort Ethan Allen in Colchester in 1909 and became members of this nearby house of worship. “These church members played an active role in rebuilding the church, donating both time and money,” according to the church’s website.

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Clemmons Family Farm – This 138-acre site in Charlotte protects the historic farm as “a model for preserving other African-American owned agricultural land,” according to its website. The Clemmons Family Farm also collaborates with artists from the African diaspora and, as its website notes, strives to “build a loving multicultural community around African-American/African diaspora history, arts and culture.”

Rokeby Museum – “Rokeby was the home of the Radical Abolitionist and devout Quaker Robinson family,” the Vermont Historical Society writes on its website about the Ferrisburgh home. “Rowland and Rachel Robinson wrote extensively, organized meetings, and lobbied on anti-slavery issues. They were part of the Underground Railroad network.” The museum presents exhibits and programs telling those stories.

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Middlebury College/Town of Middlebury – The college was the first institution to grant an honorary degree and a Bachelor of Arts to men of African descent and was the first to graduate a Black man and a Black woman, according to the brochure for the Vermont African American Heritage Trail. The town, the brochure reads, was the site of the founding of the Vermont Anti-Slavery Society.

Sites elsewhere in Vermont

Senator Justin S. Morrill State Historic Site – The U.S. senator who lived in a brightly toned Gothic Revival home in Orange County sponsored an 1890 act to prevent racial discrimination in admissions policies for colleges receiving federal funding. The home’s website notes that it celebrates Morrill’s work toward dismantling of slavery and affirming equal rights while acknowledging “the shortcomings and unfulfilled promises of some aspects of his work.”

Orleans County Historical Society/Old Stone House Museum – This Northeast Kingdom site tells the story of Alexander Twilight, who, the Vermont African American Heritage Trail brochure notes, was “an African American educator, preacher, and Vermont’s first Black legislator.” The museum’s website mentions that “Middlebury claims him to be the first African-American to earn a baccalaureate from an American college or university.”

Rutland Sculpture Trail – The sculpture trail in this central Vermont city covers many sites and stories, some of which highlight Black history in the region. The trail displays depictions of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment that included Black soldiers from Vermont as well as a bust of Martin Henry Freeman, an abolitionist, educator and first African-American college president (at the all-black Allegheny Institute).

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Hildene, the Lincoln family home – Robert Lincoln, the son of President Abraham Lincoln (“the Great Emancipator”), was president of the Pullman Palace Car Co. when he moved to southern Vermont in the early 1900s. “The site’s 1903 Pullman Car and ‘Many Voices’ exhibit highlight the history of the company and the story of the Black Pullman Porters,” according to the Vermont African American Heritage Trail brochure.

  • Hildene, the Lincoln family home, 1005 Hildene Road, Manchester. www.hildene.org

A selection of historic markers

Thaddeus Stevens – A marker in Danville commemorates the town native who became a U.S. senator from Pennsylvania and, according to the marker, “was both renown and reviled for his eloquent call for the abolition of slavery.”

Andrew Harris – Located at the University of Vermont in Burlington, the sign honoring the 1838 UVM graduate remarks that he was one of the first African Americans to earn a college degree and co-founded the American & Foreign Anti-Slavery Society.

Centennial Field – The Vermont African American Heritage Trail brochure notes that the three ballparks that have occupied the current’s park’s space at the University of Vermont hosted exhibition games for Negro League baseball clubs.

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Early Black settlers – A sign at Lincoln Hill and North roads in the town of Hinesburg pays tribute to “at least six related families by the end of the Civil War (who) cleared the land, joined the local Baptist church, had home manufactories, and exercised their voting rights at Freeman Meetings.”

The Great Convention” – “Frederick Douglass delivered a fiery abolitionist speech here in July 1843,” reads a marker on U.S. 7. “The Ferrisburgh meeting, organized by local activist Rowland T. Robinson, was one of the ‘100 Conventions’ sponsored by the American Anti-Slavery Society.”

Court Square – The first Addison County courthouse in Middlebury had an 1804 court case involving a man trying to reclaim an escaped slave. Justice Theophilus Harrington famously declared he would accept “Nothing short of a bill of sale signed by God Almighty Himself.” The former slave went free.

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If you go

Rokeby Museum in Ferrisburgh is presenting events during Black History Month in February:

  • 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15, free museum day includes an opportunity to visit the site’s main exhibit, “Seeking Freedom: The Underground Railroad and the Legacy of an Abolitionist Family.”
  • 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18, the virtual winter book discussion group talks about “The Life of Frederick Douglass” by David F. Walker, Damon Smyth and Marissa Louise
  • www.rokeby.org

For more information

Vermont African American Heritage Trail – www.vtaaht.org

Contact Brent Hallenbeck at bhallenbeck@freepressmedia.com.



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46 anti-Trump No Kings protests planned in Vermont. How to go

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46 anti-Trump No Kings protests planned in Vermont. How to go


Vermonters protest against deportations, stand in solidarity with LA

Vermonters marched up Church Street in solidarity of Los Angeles protestors and against the federal government’s immigration policies June 10.

Large scale anti-Trump protests are coming to Vermont for a third time, with at least 46 No Kings protests planned across the state for March 28.

This round of No Kings protests might be the biggest so far: organizers anticipate it’ll be “one of the largest single-day nonviolent nationwide protests in U.S. history,” with more than 3,000 events already planned across the country on March 28.

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“As President Trump escalates his attempts to control us, it is on us, the people, to show that we will fight to protect one another and our country,” the “No Kings” website says. “If he believes we will roll over and allow him to take our freedoms, he is mistaken. We are coming together again on March 28 because we know we can overcome this repression when we unite.”

In Vermont, protests are being held in all corners of the state, from Bennington to Newport. There are about six protests listed in Burlington, including a march to City Hall, a New North End Honk and Wave and a rally at the intersection of Shelburne Rd and Hannaford Drive.

Here’s what to know ahead of the protests.

What are ‘No Kings’ protests and what does it mean?

In June 2025, large crowds of Vermont residents took part in the first round of “No Kings Day” protests, planned the same day as the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary celebration and the president’s birthday.

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Another wave of nationwide “No Kings” protests came several months later in October, in which over seven million Americans joined events in all 50 states, according to the organization. In Burlington, thousands of protesters brought homemade signs protesting Trump, dressed in colorful inflatable costumes, played music and chanted.

Organizers behind the No Kings protests say that it is a “peaceful movement” to push back on President Donald Trump’s policies, including on immigration, foreign policy and the economy.

“With every ICE raid, every escalation abroad, and every abuse of power at home, Americans are rising up in opposition to Trump’s attempt to rule through fear and force. Each day Trump crosses a new red line, and more people are deciding they’ve had enough,” said Ezra Levin, co-executive director of Indivisible, one of the many organizations backing the mass protests.

Others include American Civil Liberties Union, the Human Rights Campaign, MoveOn and 50501.

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No Kings protests near me: See events, rallies in Vermont

As of 2 p.m. on March 26, there were 46 No Kings events planned in Rhode Island for March 28. Some towns and cities are holding multiple events.

Here’s a list of events in Burlington:

  • Burlington New North End Honk and Wave: 11a.m. – 12:30 p.m., 1127 North Ave, Burlington
    • “Invite your friends and neighbors and meet up at 11 a.m. at 1127 North Avenue along the sidewalks at the entrances of the Ethan Allen Shopping Plaza (home to Hannaford Supermarket and many other shops). Bring your signs, banners, noise makers, and American flags,” the listing reads. “This joyous, non-violent honk and wave action will wrap up at 12:30 p.m. Following the Honk and Wave, participants are welcome to proceed to City Hall Park to join the conclusion of the North End and South End marches.”
  • Patchen Road Overpass: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Patchen Road & Landfill Road, South Burlington
    • “We’ll be unfurling our huge NO KINGS banners on the overpass as 4,000 – 5,000 vehicles per hours pass below on Interstate 89. Bring a sign, bring an American flag, and bring a friend,” reads the listing. It says to register and to follow the guidance of safety marshals, and encourages attendees to carpool as “parking is tight.”
  • Burlington South End March: 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Calahan Park, 45 Locust St, Burlington
    • “We’ll be marching from Calahan Park to City Hall Park,” says the event description. “If you don’t want to march or are unable please join us at City Hall park at 12:30 p.m. for singing, chanting and more.”
  • South Burlington: 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Intersection of Shelburne Rd and Hannaford Dr in South Burlington, 1001 Shelburne Rd, South Burlington, VT
    • “Join Champlain Valley Indivisible at the intersection of Shelburne Rd and Hannaford Drive in South Burlington to stand up and speak out against this administration’s unjust and cruel acts of violence,” the event listing says, adding that those interested should register.
  • Burlington March to City Hall: 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., 1 S Prospect St., Burlington
  • Burlington Old North End March: 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Roosevelt Park, 57 Oak St., Burlington
    • “We’ll be marching from Roosevelt park to City Hall Park,” the listing says. “If you don’t want to march or are unable please join us at City Hall park at 12:30 p.m. for singing, chanting and more.”

Here’s a list of all the towns in Vermont holding protests so far, plus when, where and other helpful information listed on the event pages or provided in press releases:

  • Bellow Falls
  • Bennington
  • Bradford
  • Brandon
  • Brattleboro
  • Burlington
  • Charlotte
  • Chester
  • Essex Junction
  • Fair Haven
  • Fairfax
  • Hardwick
  • Hartford
  • Huntington
  • Jericho
  • Manchester
  • Middlebury
  • Milton
  • Milton
  • Montpelier
  • Morrisville
  • Newbury
  • Newport
  • Northfield
  • Randolph
  • Randolph
  • Richmond
  • Rutland
  • Saint Johnsbury
  • Shelburne
  • South Burlington
  • South Burlington
  • St. Albans
  • Wallingford
  • Waterbury
  • Westfield
  • Williston
  • Wilmington
  • Windsor
  • Winooski
  • Wolcott
  • Woodstock

More events may be planned. You can check the map on the No Kings website to see if your town is holding a protest.

What time are No Kings events?

“No Kings” protests in Vermont start at various times on March 28, with some events planned at 10 a.m. and others planned throughout the afternoon, according to the online map of events.

Contributing: Paris Barraza

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Vermont Sports Hall of Fame adds two members to 2026 induction class

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Vermont Sports Hall of Fame adds two members to 2026 induction class


An international ambassador for tennis from South Burlington and a three-sport captain at Burlington High School and the University of Vermont more than 100 years ago are the final members for the 2026 Vermont Sports Hall of Fame banquet, the organization announced in a news release on Thursday, March 26.

Jake Agna, the former legendary tennis coach at South Burlington High School, is the 2026 David Hakins inductee, which honors an individual or a group or organization for exceptional promotion of sports, athletics and recreation in the state. Fenwick Watkins, a pioneer and exceptional athlete and coach who helped break color barriers in sports in the early 1900s, has been named the hall’s historic inductee.

Agna and Watkins join 10 other members previously announced this year who will officially be enshrined during a celebration banquet at the Delta Marriott Burlington Hotel on 1117 Williston Road in South Burlington on Saturday, April 25.

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The dinner begins with a reception at 5:30 p.m. followed by the induction ceremony. To purchase tickets to the 2026 event, visit the VSHOF website at vermontsportshall.com. The cost is $95 per plate with part of the proceeds going to Prevent Child Abuse Vermont, the longtime designated charity for VSHOF.  

Over 38 years coaching girls tennis at South Burlington, Agana compiled a 489-95 record with eight perfect seasons, 16 Division I titles and 13 runner-up trophies before stepping down prior to the 2023 season.

Agna is also founded Kids on the Ball in 2000, which is designed to teach children life lessons such as relationships and respect by learning the game of tennis. He has led 31 trips to Cuba to help expand the sport. His tennis programs reach out to over 200 kids each day in school and after school programs.

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Agna’s work to help resurface 10 courts and renovation of the National Tennis Center in Cuba in 2017 was recognized by the Tennis Channel.

Watkins was a three-sport star in football, basketball, baseball at Burlington before graduating in 1905. At UVM, he is believed to be the first Black captain of a non-historical Black college or university sport and was captain for all three sports at both BHS and UVM, according to VSHOF.

After UVM, Watkins went on to become a high school and college head coach in North Dakota at Concordia College (football) and what is now known as North Dakota State (baseball and football). He died in 1943.

The previous winners for the Hakins award are: Barry Stone (2024); Thomas Dunkley (2023); Ted Ryan (2022); Cochran’s Ski Area, Mickey & Ginny Cochran (2020); Mal Boright (2019); Helmut Lenes (2017); Ernie Farrar (2015); Tom Curley (2014) and Ray Pecor (2013).

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The previous historic winners include: Leo Papineau, St. Michael’s College, athlete, coach and official (2025); Clarence Demar, South Hero, distance running, (2017); Fred Harris, Brattleboro, outdoors/ski jumping, (2015); James Taylor, Windsor, outdoors, (2014); and Charles Adams, Newport, National Hockey League, (2013).

Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter: @aabrami5.





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See the Brattleboro student who won the Poetry Out Loud state finals

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See the Brattleboro student who won the Poetry Out Loud state finals


Eason DeMarsico-Thorne, a student at Brattleboro Union High School, won the 2026 Poetry Out Loud State Finals, held the Flynn on March 5, according to a community announcement.

DeMarsico-Thorne will represent Vermont at the national competition at the end of April in the nation’s capital. Gretchen Wertlieb of South Burlington High School was the runner-up, and Aiva Reed of Windsor High School placed third.

The state finals featured 10 students who recited poems over three rounds. The top three, with the highest cumulative scores after the first two rounds, advanced to the final round.

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DeMarsico-Thorne recited “Fruit of the Flower” by Countee Cullen, “I Shall Return” by Claude Mckay and “A Southern Road” by Helene Johnson.

Wertlieb recited “To a Young Dancing Girl” by Elsa Gidlow, “Thoughts in Jail” by Katharine Rolston Fisher and “I shall forget you presently, my dear” (Sonnet IV), by Edna St. Vincent Millay.

Reed recited “Why We Oppose Women Travelling in Railway Trains” by Alice Duer Miller, “Militants to Certain Other Women” by Katharine Rolston Fisher and “If I Had Known” by Alice Moore Dunbar-Nelson.

The other finalists were Phoebe Gresham from Mount Mansfield Union High School, Ranee Hall from Thetford Academy, Marcus Burns from St. Johnsbury Academy, Taylor Daleb from Peoples Academy, Moya Thayer from Burlington High School, Theo Novak from Champlain Valley Union High School and Patrick Tester from Lyndon Institute.

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Eighteen schools across Vermont registered to bring the national Poetry Out Loud program to their classrooms for the 2025-26 school year, reaching 2,000 students with about 60 teachers participating, according to the announcement. Fifteen students were selected by their teachers as school champions and participated in the statewide semifinals, held on Feb. 12 at the Barre Opera House.

DeMarsico-Thorne received $200 and advances to the national finals, where $50,000 in awards and school stipends are distributed. The state champion’s school receives $500 for the purchase of poetry materials. Wertlieb received $100, with $200 for her school.

Poetry Out Loud is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Vermont Arts Council. Since the program began in 2005, more than 4 million students across the country have participated. The Poetry Foundation provides and administers the monetary prizes.

For more information about Vermont Poetry Out Loud, visit flynnvt.org/Education/poetry-out-loud.

This story was created with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.

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