Winooski restaurants team up for racial justice - WCAX

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WINOOSKI, Vt. (WCAX) - Local restaurants are teaming up in the fight for racial justice.

All across Winooski, you’ll see a design of Black, brown and white arms linked together. It’s the official logo of Winooski Strong. It’s a new racial justice organization that raises money for other groups of similar goals who are working toward change.

“We just kept coming back to the idea of how strong we are as a community and that was the genesis of Winooski Strong,” said group member Luis Calderin.

One of the group members, Craig Mitchell, an employee at Waterworks, says it all started during the national unrest following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody when a coworker said the restaurant wasn’t doing enough to stand up for the Black community.

“So, we had a meeting and out of that came, you know what, let’s start a campaign,” Mitchell said. “Let’s raise money for organizations that need the money that are trying to affect change to make life better for people of color and otherwise. And also educate people who are not of color — and I got to back up on that because sometimes even people of color need to be educated on our own stuff because we’re not being taught the way we need to be taught. So, that’s our goal.”

That’s when he grabbed a few of his friends, who also work in the restaurant industry, and started Winooski Strong.

Through selling t-shirts and tote bags, they raise money for groups like the Black Perspective, Black Lives Matter of Greater Burlington, and the Loveland Foundation.

And they’ve added a new product to their lineup-- a Winooski Strong Beer. It was created by Four Quarters Brewing.

“It’s tropical porter because it reminds one of the islands and people who are in the sun, that are diverse and lovely and wonderful and thriving,” said Mitchell.

Mitchell says the money aims to help justice groups host events, whether that’s a protest or an educational discussion.

“Giving people the money to go and do their protest, to do their sit-in, but also to go into the schools to have that meeting to educate and to have those tough discussions and that’s not cheap,” he said.

Members of Winooski Strong say they hope the creation of their group will keep the conversation going, the needle moving, and the progress toward equality happening.

“We have an opportunity to lead the national charge for what it could look like when we come together in a combination of the people and those in power to really come together and make a plan that works for everyone,” said Calderin.

Calderin says the Winooski Strong logo pays tribute to those who fought for justice, rights and equality during the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s.

“The word Winooski Strong-- the font itself was borne out of a font called ‘Martin’ which came out of the 1968 protest and marches after [Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.] was assassinated,” Calderin said. “So, in the spirit and because of what was happening this summer, all of that went in to inspire this artwork and this concept.”

For the logo, they used the same lettering seen in a famous picture of a Civil Rights protester holding a sign that read ‘I am a man.’

“It’s a classic sign that says ‘I am a man.’ It went on to be, sort of, a Civil Rights statement and font. That’s the font from that poster from the late 60s,” he said.

Winooski Strong officially launched their website on Wednesday. The group says they have raised $30,000 so far since starting the campaign in June.

The Winooski Strong beer is available for pickup or delivery from the Monkey House, Commodities Natural Market, Mule Bar, Beverage Warehouse of Vermont, and Bluebird Barbecue.

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Winooski restaurants team up for racial justice - WCAX
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