Getting Beyond the Hype

 

Today I am inviting, no, imploring you to click on a link and read something somewhere else because I believe quite strongly in what is being said. 

The Anti-Racist Education Alliance, Inc. Board of Directors responds to the incident at Long Reach High School.

Like you, I’ve read news reports about this incident and some of the many individual responses from community members on social media. I’ve been disheartened by the accusatory, punitive, and angry tone that flows through many. This statement from AREA is the first thing I have read that 1) addresses the underlying causes and 2) contains concrete suggestions to address them. 

In my opinion, their words are the ones that we all should be reading, thinking about, and discussing right now. 

If you haven’t heard of this local advocacy group before, this is how they describe themselves:

The purpose of the Anti-Racist Education Alliance (AREA) is to dismantle the racist systems & structures within education and the greater community, & to build structures that promote equity of access for Black, Brown, & Indigenous Students. 

Its members are educators, parents, and community members. You can learn more about the Anti-Racist Education Alliance on their Facebook page.

I’ll be writing about this tomorrow.