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09/05/2017 12:00 AMThose who drive by the Deep River Town Hall on Friday evenings might have noticed what has become a new fixture in town over the last eight months or so: JEDIs. No, there are no light sabers to be found, but rather, local citizens taking a stand to promote the ideas of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion through the Justice Equity Diversity Inclusion (JEDI) Center of the Lower Connecticut River Valley.
“It’s taken on a life of its own,” said Colin Bennett. “The JEDI Center is an ad hoc group. We’ve been holding weekly vigils at 5 p.m. on Fridays for about eight months. It can have anywhere from two people to about 30 people.”
One of the JEDI Center’s largest showings was after the death of a protester in Charlottesville, Virginia; more than 30 residents turned out for a Stand Against White Supremacy vigil on Aug. 13. The group has also had discussion groups and some public education nights to highlight different issues regarding the four core ideas in which it centers. According to Bennett, they hope to start doing more tangible education work again in the future.
“I took a role in getting it started because I have experience with anti-oppression work and organizing in the community,’ said Bennett. “There was an idea of creating inclusive welcoming communities, and it takes the community to do that. The vigil is a small way to take a proactive approach, and say we are a community where hate is not welcome.”
The response to the vigil has been mixed, but mostly positive. Those who attend carry signs representing different causes and support for different marginalized groups, as well as general statements promoting kindness and inclusivity. Some of those signs have provoked strong responses from passersby.
“I get a lot of hate from holding the Pride Flag, so does the woman who holds the Black Lives Matter sign,” said 17-year-old Chris Birdsey from East Haddam, who got involved with the JEDI Center in January because he wanted to help people and thinks that there should be more equity and justice in the world.
“Some people are shocked by the swears or the slurs. I just say, ‘Whatever,’” said Birdsey. “I always wanted to spread peace and live in a small area; even if I have a bad day, and people are cussing me out, I’m doing something right. We’re small, but we can still band together to make a big difference.”
Betsy McManus of Chester got involved in the JEDI Center after seeing Bennett and Birdsey at the Deep River Town Hall.
“I thought, these people are upset about the election. We saw there was going to be so much injustice,” said McManus. “I was upset, and it felt good to know there were like-minded people, waving and smiling...It was nice knowing that other people supported being nice.”
McManus hopes that other people join or attend the vigils for the same reason she’s become more involved in the group.
“I had my little bubble burst,” she said. “If you live in a protected area, you don’t see it, so the vigil is to keep it out there. I don’t know that we’ll change people’s minds, but maybe some people will look at some facts, start questioning things, start paying attention more.”
Diane Adams of Chester also became involved in the JEDI Center because of the safe environment it provided to talk about concerns that she, and others, share.
“The door seems to be opening for a lot more prejudice to rear its head,” said Adams. “This was a group where we could share what we were feeling. It gave me the courage to sign up for the women’s march; I hadn’t put myself out there. I’m trying to do more, to show up when it might make a difference.”
Adams says that awareness is the key to opening the door to education and acceptance.
“People are frightened by the unknown, and fear can lead to hate,” said Adams. “It’s important for people to realize that they might not know that they know people who are LGBTQIA+, but if there are support groups in the area, there must be a need. Being visible helps create awareness.”
To those who might be more hesitant to put themselves out there, as she was at one point, or afraid of the reactions, Adams said, “Of all the people who react to us, the response has been overwhelmingly positive.
“We’re there, we’re real people standing up for what we think are positive things,” added Adams. “There’s power in numbers and we want love to conquer hate—it’s cliché, but we want love to win and we’re afraid it’s too close right now.”
For more information about the JEDI Center and its mission and upcoming events, visit www.facebook.com/jedicenter, or just show up at the Deep River Town Hall on Friday nights at 5 p.m.