There have been a variety of
statements written in the past few weeks about the systemic racism that has been
recognized and acknowledged by a variety of educational organizations. Friend
and colleague Michael Barbour posted the ones he was seeing on his blog Virtual School Meanderings. He posts, for
information purposes, the messages he gets. I get many of the same, but look
through his blog to find the full texts of the few I’d like to highlight.
The “thoughts
and prayers” comments used, especially by politicians after mass shootings –
rather than a commitment to action were not used this time. But organizations
have claimed to be allies to Black Lives Matter, condemning racism. What’s
interesting is the vow to continue keeping on.
Which
organizations would you prefer to support?
-
Saying “Black Lives Matter” simply is not enough.
As a community of researchers, we must unite to take bold, evidence-based
action that exposes and ultimately ends the catastrophic police killings of
unarmed Black people. AERA has issued calls like these before, sadly far too
often. Our Executive Director Felice Levine and I welcome your suggestions for
ways AERA members across divisions, SIGs, and committees can unite to have a
collective impact on this issue. We intend to use the influence of AERA to move
ahead.
- We recognize that our Black
colleagues are hurting, and are mindful of the pain and trauma these ongoing events cause. Know that we stand in solidarity with you and are working
diligently to address how to move forward as an organization, mindful as well
that our field must also move forward with us. In the interim, we reach out
with words of encouragement and support to you and your loved ones. The world
may be burning both literally and figuratively, but we are committed to the
possibilities for transformation and making UCEA a more responsive, reflexive,
and just community for all our Black brothers, sisters, and siblings
-
The Christensen Institute stands in solidarity with the Black
community in condemning racism, hate, and injustice in our country. We
stand alongside those who support a more equitable and just country in which
Black lives matter and an education system in which students of color thrive.
Our
education team works hard to identify and analyze promising innovations that
could unlock more student-centered systems. We are committed to finding and
understanding new approaches to undo entrenched practices and build an
equitable education system that enables learners, particularly those from
marginalized communities, to reach their fullest potential.
We
commit to holding ourselves to account. To that end, we are reading,
listening, learning, and partnering with experts who can help us to examine our
own organizational practices to root out the biases that affect our work.
We invite feedback and hope to engage in open dialogue as we move forward on
this journey.
- The Aurora Institute stands with communities of
color, especially Black communities, as we all grapple with the systemic racism
and the unthinkable traumas playing out on the national stage today. While the
heartbreaking death of George Floyd and the protests have arrested our
attention, and perhaps only momentarily, we know that Black and Brown
communities contend with these injustices on a daily basis
And then I got this one…
(Highlander Institute) We as white leaders can no longer claim to
be part of the solution while simultaneously sitting on the sidelines, and so,
we commit to the following:
- We will
become more aware of and attuned to our white privilege. Until we – as white
educators – put in the effort to understand how our identity as white
adults impacts our behavior on a daily basis, we cannot make progress toward
challenging policies and systems that perpetuate our privilege. - We will
cede power and make room for Black and brown people to lead – both within and
outside our organization. We stand in solidarity with our BIPOC (Black,
Indigenous, and People of Color) colleagues, who come to the table with
expertise and funds of knowledge beyond our capabilities as white leaders. We
will amplify and elevate Black-led organizations by using our platform to
showcase organizations that are doing this work through the lens of lived
experience. - We will
listen, show empathy, and take action in the form of learning. There are so
many resources guiding white people on how to show up for Black colleagues,
students, and families. We will buy the books, read the articles, attend the
workshops, and act on our new learning. [Diversity Talks is offering free
online professional learning for white teachers this summer. Equity Institute has released a
statement titled, “Racial Equity and Justice. Now.”].
We will follow Black education leaders on Twitter,
and honor their perspectives by liking and retweeting their work without
inserting ourselves. We will read, read, and then read some more. - Finally,
we will engage in difficult, uncomfortable conversations that hold ourselves
and other white people accountable for our statements, biases, actions, and
inaction. We will engage in these conversations with humility, compassion, and
a commitment to supporting the journey of others as well as our own.
And one that I didn’t see on Michael’s blog and this is only the final
paragraphs of the message from John von Knorring President and Publisher Stylus
Publishing
It’s now time not for reaction, but action.
In whatever sphere we operate, as employees; employers of service workers;
users of gig services; business owners; educators; buyers of food, goods, and
services; sports fans; citizens; and voter s, we need to be aware of the
conditions under which people are working and whether they have opportunities
for advancement or to earn a living wage, and whether these conditions of work
are equitable across race.If they are not, complain; call them out; write to the CEO; move your support
While this is a personal statement, it reflects the collective sentiments and
views of Stylus’s staff and their commitment to equity and social justice, and
who are working on a company-wide response. For my part, I will, beyond the
work I do, keep this conversation to the fore within my family and social
circle; work to influence my local community; and push my local, state, and
federal representatives to work for equity and dismantle the racist structures that
discriminate against Black and Brown people. to a different business; get on social media; get out and demonstrate (with
social distancing); call your local, state, or federal representative. We can
no longer afford, for the sake of our democracy and society, to be complicit. Bottom
line: we white people MUST DO SOMETHING!(The entire statement is here)
If you’ve gotten this far, please take action when you receive
a message like these. Let them know you support them or help them understand why what
they are saying isn’t sufficient. And if
they need help knowing what to do
send
this link 75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice
