7 minute read
OPINION
OPINION Power to Speak
To our dear students, tomorrow’s leaders
Life and history, in the forms of a as well as school sites. In these, we hope you itself into our political system, corrupted it virus and the largest racial uprisings may begin to recognize how injustice has and robbed us of our democracy. In many of your lifetime, have perhaps taught served some while hurting others and underways, our nation has substituted the rule of you more in the last 12 weeks than you have stand the challenge of righting these wrongs. the monarch for the rule of the privileged. learned in our classrooms . . . if you have been W e, as teachers, recognize that we have W e must think creatively about the probpaying attention. come up short. We have not sufficiently looked lems we face. Old solutions and old ways of
Robbed of the opportunity to see you and inward to ourselves, our classrooms and our thinking are not good enough anymore. They speak to you face-to-face in times that history schools; we have not addressed the inevitable appear helpful and ease unrest but only serve books and classes will mark, we, some of your but fatal subconscious biases that infect our to mask the underlying problems so that they teachers and counselors, hope to reach you practices and our interactions with you, our will again re-emerge. We must recognize, as now in this time when we cannot remain silent. own shortcomings, our own privilege, our Albert Einstein said, that “we cannot solve
All people living through tumultuous times own racism. We have not always engaged in our problems with the same thinking that have faced four choices: flee, help, resist, the uncomfortable conversations that must be created them.” ignore. Do we flee from conflict to find a safe had. We ask that you join us in an awareness Our varying reactions to our confinement place, abandoning those who suffer around of these personal, societal, and inexcusable speak to our personal readiness to step up us? Or do we play our part and help in the shortcomings so as to engage in the difficult to the challenges of our times. In the days changes that drive society and history? Do and uneasy work of creating positive change. of isolation, when there was no one there to we resist in the face of injustice, tell us what to do, some of even at the risk of suffering? Do we act, engage, change? Or do we ignore injustice and igno History judges people by the decisions they make, and history will us pushed ourselves to make something of our day, to do something. We took control. rance with excuses of “that’s life,” “life’ s not fair,” “that’s ask us what we did in these days. Others among us, lacking someone to tell us what to how it goes” and “that’s not our do, dismissed our responsiproblem?” Often, it has been you who have taught us bilities to ourselves and our society. No one
We are in tumultuous times and our responsand, often, it was we who were wrong not to had expectations of us and so we failed to es have consequences. History judges people listen. have expectations for ourselves. by the decisions they make, and history will Life and history are change. Your educaWe recognize the burdens and emotions ask us what we did in these days. We hope tion has not fully prepared you to deal with felt in moments of crisis. We acknowledge that we will then be able to respond proudly of these changes, but now is the time to demand that we all had reason to stay safe, that the the things we did rather than feel shame at the improvement from all of the many systems situations were frightening, that we were things we did not do. that make up your society. As teachers and right to feel danger. Yes, we love you, but
Monumental challenges have always existstudents, we are part of a system within a syswe cannot assure you that you will always ed and the current crisis about race in our tem that perpetuates and reinforces inequality, be safe; we will refrain from telling you that nation and the pandemic have exposed them. inequity and injustice. We recognize our role everything is going to be OK; we cannot codConsider that many of us benefit from the in a change that must and can only occur dle you and reassure you of things that cannot inequalities and inequities that plague friends with awareness and dedicated action. We also be reassured. No longer can we hide from you and classmates. Call to mind the representaknow that it is not the responsibility of our the harshness of our world. We cannot protect tions of peoples from textbooks, the Euro-censtudents or any marginalized or under-repreyou from all things. Instead, we call on you to tric maps, the emphasis on United States’ hissented people to do this work for us. We must step up or to reach out, that we might help you tory through many years of school, the many do the work in good faith without adding to the step up and that you may help us learn, grow English language books you read and the few burdens of others. and serve. translations, the restrooms that matched your Do not subject yourself to arbitrary rules How we responded these last weeks is not biological gender, the discrepancies in the ethmade up by someone you don’t know only to the final word. Together, we can still and nic make-up of AP, honor and regular classes make their life easier. Privilege has embedded always do better, for we are not today whom
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PRESIDENT Steve Strickbine VICE PRESIDENT Michael Hiatt
we will someday become. Justice for the oppressed, human dignity and love for humanity are cornerstones of a common purpose between all peoples.
We pledge our good will, positive thoughts, help and hope; we pledge our commitment to action, resolve to respond, and we promise to provide meaningful assistance and learning opportunities in order to work through these challenges together so as to prepare you to deal with the hardships and opportunities of the future.
Where we go from here depends on what we do next.
