On Friday, October 25, the BIPOC Home and Business Ownership Project (BHBO) team hosted its Community Kickoff Event, bringing together nearly 100 people in an inspiring gathering.
CJ Jackson and Julius Turner at the podium.
The event was an overwhelming success, attracting a multitude of individuals involved in the homeownership process, local businesses, and social well-being of BIPOC community members. Together, they all joined in for an opportunity to learn, network, and share their experiences and ideas.
Attendees expressed how impactful the event and its resulting discussions felt to fostering a thriving Upper Valley, with many sharing “let’s do more of this!” before departing for the day.
Held at the Hilton Garden Inn, the event was the official launch of this project created to support Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in putting down roots in the Upper Valley – a partnership of Vital Communities, Mascoma Bank, and Upper Valley community members Conicia “CJ” Jackson and Julius Turner.
The event began with remarks by Vital Communities Executive Director Sarah Jackson who spoke to the project’s alignment with Vital Communities’ mission of engaging Upper Valley people, organizations, and communities to create equitable solutions to our region’s challenges, with a focus on those disproportionately impacted by them. Following her was a thought-provoking and powerful keynote speech given by Latonya Wallace, Director of Economic Inclusion of the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund and Co-founder & Chair of Business Alliance for People of Color (BAPOC) on the importance and impact of this work, with the message inviting everyone in the room to “be the change” for our communities. CJ and Julius then shared personal reflections and firsthand experiences that inspired the project’s creation. Finally, an overview of the project’s work and future goals was given by its manager, Vital Communities staff member Miranda Dupre.
Working at tables.
Then the participants set to work. Assigned to small groups at tables throughout the Hilton’s spacious meeting room, they engaged in deep discussion led by the following questions:
- What are the challenges/barriers for BIPOC community members in relation to homeownership / business ownership / belonging in the UV?
- What programs/resources/organizations are addressing these challenges?
- What programs/resources need to be expanded or created?
- What does our community look and feel like when we are successful?
The groups recorded their responses on large sheets of chart paper so that the project team could capture the thoughtful conversations taking place. While the responses are plentiful and still being synthesized, we would like to share some of the initial and impactful takeaways:
Many groups highlighted the systemic barriers that BIPOC communities face, such as historic policies that banned them from owning property or being able to obtain credit/loans from a bank; redlining policies that directly denied them access to homeownership; and not having access to generational wealth, and as a result lacking the generational knowledge of financial systems and the ownership process. They also cited barriers within our local communities like seclusion during the winter months, how resistant we can be to change, and how we define what it means to be a “Vermonter” or “New Englander”, noting that these often imply the individual is white, another way that racism is unconscious yet pervasive throughout our communities.
A recurring theme throughout these discussions was the urgency in which we need to band together to strive for equity so that our communities can be as successful, safe, thriving, accepting, engaging, collaborative, vibrant, connected, and welcoming as we all wish them to be. Said one participant, “This room is what our community looks like when we’re successful!”
Attendees also compiled an impressive list of organizations and programs that support equity and tackle barriers to homeownership, business ownership, and belonging for people of color, which is still being finalized to be shared out in the coming weeks as a resource for the community.
More About the Speakers
Latonya Wallace serves as the Director of Economic Inclusion for the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund and Co-Founder & Chair of the Business Alliance for People of Color. At the Community Loan Fund, Latonya is responsible for sharing the fund’s stories and work in the community, listening to the community’s needs, and building relationships to strengthen connections. Additionally, she runs the Community-Driven Economic Empowerment Accelerator program, which supports entrepreneurs of color with funding and business coaching. Her background combines decades in banking as well as extensive community service, including serving as a board member for multiple nonprofits in our community. Her hard work and dedication have earned her several accolades, including being named one of New Hampshire’s 200 Most Influential Leaders in 2021 and an Outstanding Woman in Business in 2023.
Conicia “CJ” Jackson has been deeply involved in both homeownership and business ownership through her roles as a board member for Livable Real Estate Cooperative—a cooperative addressing the housing crisis in the Upper Valley—and as the owner of Boloco in Hanover. She serves as a board member of The Co-op Food Stores of NH & VT and believes in community-based solutions, a commitment reflected in her work.
Allison Clarkson and Joe Major
Julius Turner knows that the solutions to the issues that affect our communities lie within the community itself. He embodies this philosophy in his work as a Founder of the Upper Valley BIPOC Network and board member of Twin Pines Housing, Public Health Council’s Upper Valley Equity and Antiracism Group, and Youth in Action. Julius is a passionate advocate for local change.
Miranda Dupre, a native of New Orleans, made the move to the Upper Valley in 2022. She originally joined the community to support her partner’s graduate studies, but has since found her home here. With a strong background in community engagement work and a Master’s in Environmental Justice, she is passionate about fostering community relationships and ensuring the futurity of the BIPOC community in her new home.
Sarah Jackson joined Vital Communities in 2020 and works with the Board, staff, and partners to achieve the Vital Communities mission of engaging with our communities to create equitable solutions to the region’s challenges, with a focus on those disproportionately impacted by them. Prior to joining Vital Communities, Sarah spent over 25 years in the Middle East and Africa, leading diverse program portfolios focused on academic exchanges, education, training, entrepreneurship, civil society, gender, agriculture, and climate change. She serves on the Boards of Gifford Medical Center and the East Central Vermont Economic Development District, and as a Member-at-Large on the Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission and as an Advisory Board member for the White River Land Collaborative.
More About the BIPOC Home and Business Ownership Project
The BHBO project emerged in response to the broadly recognized need for the Upper Valley to attract and retain workers and full-time residents to keep its economy vibrant. Many new arrivals are discouraged by the difficulty of finding a home and building a community. This is particularly true for BIPOC community members who – due to the historic marginalization of BIPOC community members and the Upper Valley’s history as a predominantly White area – face unique difficulties in maneuvering the job market, securing housing, establishing businesses, accessing cultural goods, and, above all, experiencing a sense of inclusion and belonging.