2024 Chain Reaction Day

January 10, 2024

The Sharon Academy is pleased to announce that Vermont State Treasurer Mike Pieciak will be the keynote speaker for this year’s 15th Annual Chain Reaction Day. Pieciak is a Vermont native who earned his law degree and served many years in government before ultimately joining the state’s administration in 2014 as the Deputy Commissioner of the securities division of Vermont’s Department of Financial Regulation. He was the first openly gay candidate to be elected State Treasurer in January 2023.

Chain Reaction Day is a day of student, teacher, and community-member led workshops focusing on celebrating, exploring, and engaging in the spirit of the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Program objectives include:

  • Explore the unspoken assumptions we make every day.
  • Increase our awareness of how our differences can enhance our relationships.
  • Begin to engage in difficult conversations.

This year’s workshop leaders are:

  • Christa Wurm: Palestine and Israel: Context and Collaboration
    • We will work together to understand some historical context about the relationship between Palestine and Israel.
  • Christina Meagher: Traveling to India: Challenging Cultural Assumptions Through a Wedding Story
    • Travel challenges us with the unfamiliar; we may learn and experience other languages and ways of life and rethink our cultural assumptions. Consider a recent journey to India for a wedding that challenged some cultural norms, even within India. Together we’ll see photos, watch video clips of the wedding, and consider the differences and similarities to Western ceremonies. We will learn about the origin and intention of some Hindu and Eastern India Miji rituals, and reflect on and challenge our assumptions of what weddings include and why.
  • Clare Shamith: Jesse Owens: The Idolization and Oppression of Black Athletes in America
    • The most famous athlete of his time, Jesse Owens’ stunning triumph at the 1936 Olympic Games captivated the world even as it infuriated the Nazis. But when the four-time Olympic gold medalist returned home, he could not even ride in the front of a bus or stay in a hotel. We will view and discuss clips from the PBS documentary, Jesse Owens. This documentary is about his triumphs over adversity, and also about the elusive, fleeting quality of fame and the way Americans idolize athletes when they suit our purpose, and forget them once they don’t. We will also use his story to examine how this view of athletes continues today and how black athletes are prevented from speaking out and advocating. 
  • Fallon Abel: Blaccent: Whose Words Are They Anyway?
    • Bruh. Sus. No cap. Fire.  Much of teen slang comes from African American English. Why do so many people who understand that engaging in blackface is offensive have a double standard when it comes to blaccent? This workshop dives into the often-ignored history of African American English and how it has been appropriated by non-Black speakers, from Elvis to Billie Eilish and Awkwafina. Together we’ll watch video clips, debate where the line between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation falls, and reflect on questions that non-Black speakers should ask themselves when considering “borrowing” from African American English.
  • Henry Harris: Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: Echoing the call of the civil rights movement TODAY
    • What did the civil rights movement makers do? What do the needs of their movement have in common with the racial Justice and climate movements now? How can we double down on movement strategies and learn from past mistakes? Learn about the people and strategies and how the media represents one of the most brilliant moments in  America’s struggle for justice. 
  • Michael Livingston: Who Is In Charge Of Your Life? You Or Your Assumptions?
    • Join us for a fun, thoughtful, and interactive discussion about the inadvertent assumptions we make, and how they shape our lives. It could change your life.
  • Julie Boger Hawkins: The Black Panthers: Food Justice and Community Care
    • We’ll combine education with direct action by creating dry soup mixes for our local community fridge while learning about the history of the Black Panther Party’s Free Breakfast Program. Join us to find out more about the fascinating history of the Black Panthers, the radical women behind their free breakfast program, and the long-lasting impacts of their work from federal lunch subsidies down to our own Food Justice Garden!
  • Tara Goreau- Images of Justice: An Art/Mural Workshop
    • We will create 1-3 large painting & collage pieces inspired by the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. 

After Treasurer Pieciak’s opening remarks, middle and high school students will participate in an 80-minute workshop of their choice. The Reverend Jan Hutslar of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Upper Valley will deliver closing remarks. We look forward to a morning of thought-provoking and interesting discussion and learning.