BRATTLEBORO-On June 24, The Root celebrated the first recipients of the Black Youth Scholarship, awarding a total of $10,000 in scholarships to five youth from Windham County. Each recipient received a $2,000 scholarship to support the education pathway of their choice.
“Historically and today, education for Black folks has been denied, taken away, colonized, privatized, co-opted, and is rooted in white supremacy culture,” wrote organizers in a news release. “Access to education and the right to choose the kind of education you want continues to be a barrier, especially for Black folks. By creating this scholarship, The Root intends to address gaps for Black youth in Vermont while providing opportunities for Black youth to explore what their dreams and visions are for themselves.”
The scholarship is also an opportunity for Black youth to be seen, celebrated, and affirmed for the impact they are already making.
“It felt good knowing the important impact I had on others’ lives, said Black Youth Scholarship recipient Jermall McCalla. “It felt good knowing that someone is seeing the hard work I’m putting out there.”
Some of the youth’s career paths included engineering, legal, and medical fields. Youth were celebrated with a catered meal prepared by Marcel Maxwell of 802 Soul Kitchen and dessert by Maya Watson of Vegan AF.
For members of the Black Youth Scholarship Committee, the experience of helping select and celebrate this year’s recipients was just as meaningful.
“Joining The Root as a Black Youth Scholarship Committee Member has honestly been amazing,” said Sarissa Sailsman. “I got to see the different life experiences of people in my age group, and the impacts youth have made in our community.Through this experience, I realized that being involved in my community is very fulfilling, and helping create this scholarship has given me motivation to put my mind to new goals and new projects to support youth in our community.”
The Black Youth Scholarship was created in honor of The Root’s late co-founder and racial and social justice advocate, Angela Berkfield, who dedicated much of her life to addressing systemic racism and shifting resources into communities of color, especially for Black folks.
Because Black youth continue to face disparities in educational access and outcomes compared to their white peers, The Root said it created this scholarship to help address this gap while carrying Angela’s legacy forward.
The Root seeks to raise $15,000 for the Black Youth Scholarship Fund for 2027. To donate or volunteer to help with fundraising, contact blackyouthscholarship@therootsjc.org.
This Milestones item was submitted to The Commons.