Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Vermont Governor Apologizes On Behalf Of His State After Incident Involving Black Family With Out-Of-State License Plate

Vermont Governor Apologizes On Behalf Of His State After Incident Involving Black Family With Out-Of-State License Plate
Don Emmert/AFP via Getty Images

Don Emmert/AFP via Getty Images

The existence of racial bias in the United States has been well established by statistics kept by the FBI and the Justice Department.

People of color are more likely to be viewed as suspicious, stopped, questioned, confronted, detained, charged, convicted, imprisoned and killed when engaged in identical activities as their White counterparts.


An incident in Vermont is drawing a spotlight on racial bias once again.

Law enforcement and media coverage are two areas where racial bias can be easily identified, studied and documented.

In daily life, the proof is harder to display for people who insist there is no bias and that racism doesn't exist. Even when a black jogger is chased and killed, some people will insist race was not a factor.

Such people see news articles or even videos about incidents of racial bias and decry them as fake news.





Despite people who insist it can't be true, the incident prompted Republican Governor Phil Scott to issue an apology "on behalf of the state of Vermont" to a family from Hartford, Vermont after they were harassed while driving a car with New York license plates and told "the governor did not want them [in Vermont]."

Governor Scott said:

"And … they were, amongst other things, told they were not welcome here and that the governor did not want them here either. And sadly this happened in front of their 11-year-old child."
"Even more disturbing was the racial undertone used during this exchange with the individual, who is a person of color."
"So let me be very clear: This is not acceptable and it can't be tolerated and there's no excuse for it."

Scott clarified that he asked people with family in Vermont or with second homes in the state should not violate stay at home orders to try to come to Vermont.



Scott added Vermonters should welcome everyone, however.

"This virus cannot be used as an excuse for hate, bigotry or division of any type for any reason. We cannot let this become an us-versus-them situation, and I want to make sure everyone hears that."


In March, the governor said:

"We can't let this become an us-versus them view of the world."
"That's not who we are as Americans and certainly not as Vermonters, and we shouldn't let anything change that."

Scott's more recent comments were to:

"[Clear up] any misconception about my views, because my name was inferred in [the incident]."

Governor Scott also took to his Twitter account to address the need for civility.








Vermont State Police are investigating the harassment of the family. They are Vermont residents, but still drive a car with New York license plates.

Many state Bureau of Motor Vehicle offices are closed across the country. Each state is handling the issuing of and renewal of licenses, license plates and vehicle registrations in different ways.

The book Race on the Brain: What Implicit Bias Gets Wrong About the Struggle for Racial Justice is available here.

More from Trending

Nancy Sinatra; Frank Sinatra; Donald Trump
Dave J Hogan/Getty Images; Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images; Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

Nancy Sinatra Shuts Down MAGA Fan Who Claimed Her Famous Dad Would've Voted For Trump

It's no secret that MAGA Republican President Donald Trump hasn't been able to attract the cream of the crop when it comes to the entertainment industry. While Kid Rock, Kevin Sorbo and Scott Baio are Trump ride or dies, pretty much every other Hollywood or music legend or rising star is taking a pass on Trump.

And some outright despise the man and let everyone know. Often.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pope Leo XIV; JD Vance
Simone Risoluti - Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images; Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

MAGA Brands New Pope 'Woke' After His Past Tweet Criticizing JD Vance Resurfaces

After Cardinal Robert Prevost—a Chicago-born Roman Catholic Augustine cleric who ministered in Peru and later led the Vatican’s influential Bishops’ office—made history as the first American ever elected Pope in the Church’s 2,000-year history, a tweet from February resurfaced in which he shared an article criticizing Vice President JD Vance for "ranking" his love for others.

And MAGA is not happy about it.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
Win McNamee/Getty Images

Dept. Of Energy Roasted After Posting Bonkers Light Switch Meme To Praise Trump

The U.S. Department of Energy was mocked online after it shared a photo of President Donald Trump signing executive orders next to an image of a hand turning a light switch on—a bizarre meme that had people scratching their heads wondering what in the world the department was aiming for.

The official X account posted the meme without a caption or a comment of any kind—just one of many posts in recent days lauding the Trump administration and particularly Secretary Chris Wright for ensuring that "energy equals freedom" and that the U.S. has entered a "golden age of liquid gold."

Keep ReadingShow less
Tim Walz; Donald Trump
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images; Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

Tim Walz Perfectly Explains Why Trump Running The Country 'Like A Business' Is A Bad Idea

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz criticized President Donald Trump during an interview with MSNBC host Jen Psaki, stressing just why the people who elected Trump to run the country "like a business" were completely misguided.

Walz particularly lamented the impacts of Trump's ongoing trade war with Canada and Mexico, noting that Trump has a history of scuttling deals and "a proven track record of being an absolute failure."

Keep ReadingShow less

People Reveal Red Flags That Scream "This Couple Won't Last!"

Love is not a many-splendered thing.

Ok, maybe it is for some, but not for most.

Keep ReadingShow less