Dear White Friends, Part 2…
Dear White Friends, Part 2…
Your public displays of solidarity are a step. They are one step on a long journey of change. But it is not enough. The knee is still on my neck and I am still struggling to breathe. I recognize that you need space to grapple with your emotions. Examine your beliefs and actions with a white friend who will help you think deeply. You will be uncomfortable, you will feel vulnerable, and at times it will be scary. Uncomfortable, vulnerability, and scary are necessary for change. You must expose yourself in order to reform yourself.
I, too, am grappling. I have experienced every emotion you can imagine over this past week. I am exhausted. I am worn out. I am depleted. So I have chosen to take the time I need to rest and recharge because I know that my emotions guide my decisions. I need to get still so I can realign my mind, body, spirit, and soul because I, too, have work to do. I need to take care of myself so that I am ready to get to work for change. I appreciate those who have stepped up to take action now so that this movement is not lost.
Right now the attention is on the injustices of the criminal justice system, but I encourage you to begin to think about the injustices of the education system as well. Nationally, black and brown children struggle to succeed in our current education system. Our children are exhausted, worn out, and depleted. They will return to school hoping that the teacher will see them as worthy of more than an intervention that has not worked. They will return to school hoping that what is presented for them to learn helps them make sense of the world around them. They will return to school hoping that the teacher will hold space for them and actually listens to what they have to say. Our children deserve to be held and nurtured. They need to know that school is a safe space for them. Let your dreams and plans for the world you want to live in be centered on the success of black and brown children too.
As I review plans to reopen school, I’ve noticed that the plans are more about how to bring teachers and students back to the school buildings rather than thinking about how to address the inequity of the system. So as you prepare to return, I ask you to contemplate these questions and closely examine your responses. Reflect on the work you need to do to begin planning for a reopening that shifts the success rate for black and brown children.
What will you do to become an ally for the black and brown children?
What will you do to intentionally listen without judgement to black and brown children?
How does power and privilege influence/inform/impact your teaching?
What stories do you tell yourself about the black and brown children you teach?
When your personal biases come up in teaching, how will you address them?
Best,
Rhonda