Shared Experiences

Hi Friends!

This summer, I’m planning to spend some time highlighting inspiration for the process of:
(1) Seeing your bubble and acknowledging white privilege;
(2) Identifying personal implicit bias and owning it;
(3) Educating ourselves about systemic and institutional racism and its foundation in white supremacy; and,
(4) Taking action through conversations (or more) to raise awareness of these things in our own communities.

I’ll be sharing some of my own experiences and I welcome your experiences if you want to share them (anonymously or not). Everyone is at a different point along this process (and sometimes we backslide or get stuck!), and understanding that can help us be patient and encouraging with each other.

We have all been conditioned by the racism that permeates everything around us, largely invisible to those with privilege. It takes work to see it and then to understand it well enough to work to dismantle it. The more we can support each other in this work, the more successful we will be.

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In the meantime, here’s some happy inspiration for the day. And the Washington Post picked up the news about Arlington’s transgender procedures.

Also, if you haven’t come across the ActionNow newsletter, I’m sharing two recent posts that I found particularly helpful and inspiring, one about immigration and one about being active in this space (language heads up!).

There’s a rally to protect immigrant children on Tuesday, July 2 from 10:00–11:00 am at 1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20004 (Outside U.S. Customs & Border Protection). For more info, contact novaintern@justice4all.org.

MORE RESOURCES:
(1) Here’s a story about how Alabama picks and chooses the history it remembers, presented by NPR journalists.
(2) The Southern Poverty Law Center released a new report examining the weaponization of the immigration court system.
(3) If you want to know more about Juneteenth, here’s an excellent piece by Jameelah Nasheed at TeenVogue.
(4) Also from TeenVogue, an article about high school students doing an investigative journalism piece about the use of prison labor by school systems.

Emily
Listen. Amplify. Follow.

Solidarity, Reparations, and Changemaking

Hi Friends!

Today is officially Juneteenth! There are many celebrations going on today and this week, so try to check one out.

The School Board meeting last night was very well attended, particularly by community members wearing purple to support transgender and gender nonconforming students. It was clear from the beginning that Dr. Murphy was going to move the PIP forward (hooray!), but it was still wonderful to hear so many supportive and affirming voices. If you want to watch any of the video, I love Tannia’s statements around 4:00:00. She throws down about tolerance in response to community members who did not support the PIP. And I didn’t watch the whole thing, so there may have been other wonderful responses.

Reparations are becoming something more and more people are willing to consider and understand. According to the ACLU, “Reparations are about acknowledging the damages inflicted on Black Americans through enslavement and post-emancipation exclusionary polices; repair, healing, respect, and restoring Black dignity and reconciliation, so that we can walk together to create a more just and humane society.” They urge asking your representatives to support H.R. 40, a bill that has been reintroduced in Congress. Please also ask them to support H.R. 35, the anti-lynching bill, to come before the full House of Representatives.

Hold The Line Magazine shared the following ideas for changemaking things to do with your kids in a recent newsletter:
“(1) Ask your library to order new books — Have a few titles that might diversify your library’s offerings? Visit their website and search for a “Suggest a Purchase” form.
(2) Start a daily practice of asking your kids how they’ve helped others recently and follow-up with questions and support for the differences their help can make.
(3) Make a donation (small or large) right now to an organization you value but haven’t given to financially.
(4) Support a local poc-owned business when you shop or dine this weekend.
(5) Write a letter or send an email to a local leader or politician, make your voice be heard!”

Resources:
(1) When They See Us series on Netflix
(2) The Southern Poverty Law Center’s Lecia Brooks testified to Congress about the influence of white supremacy on domestic terrorism and hate crimes. You can watch (Facebook) or read (PDF) her remarks.
(3) A New York Times Race/Related story about a high school in Minnesota highlights that sometimes conversations among students about race after an incident can lead to bigger positive change.
(4) Petula Dvorak wrote an article about black transgender women and the rise of violence against them.
(5) Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP, wrote the introduction to a recent Southern Poverty Law Center report on corporal punishment in schools, which is disproportionately implemented with children of color and children with disabilities.
(6) Debbie Truong often reports on education for The Washington Post and this past week, she wrote about bias in textbooks. I haven’t been in the system long enough to know — how does Arlington do when it comes to textbook content?

Events:
(1) Embrace Race is hosting another webinar on June 25, called “Nurturing children of color to remake the world.” If you interact with children of color in any way (even if they are not your own), please consider engaging with this material.
(2) Virginia Federal Advocacy Day on the Hill is happening June 24 with Virginia Coalition of Latino Organizations (VACOLAO) and Virginia Coalition for Immigrant Rights (VACIR). If you’re interested, you can register here.
(3) Also on June 24 is an event hosted by Empower DC called “DC Gentrification and Black Cultural Loss.”
(4) On July 9, SURJ is hosting a webinar with Angela Davis. Registration is free.

Emily
Listen. Amplify. Follow.

Challenging Times

Hi Friends,

I’m working on my update for tomorrow, but I wanted to take a moment to share that I am so grateful for this group and our focused attention on issues of equity, inclusion, race, and systemic discrimination. I am so encouraged by the fact that there are nearly 150 people on this email list and more people find us every week.

Things are tough right now, particularly in APS with so many things going on (leadership changes, PIP, end of school), and that means that for many of us, tensions are high and many people are feeling frustrated. That’s ok — that’s part of being engaged and active in our communities.

Focus on self-care, step away from AEM (a Facebook group called Arlington Education Matters), go for a walk, and take deep breaths. Focus on the little things you have control over and trust that other group members are doing the same. Find a way to go out of your way to do something kind — it will make you and someone else feel better.

And then come back and continue the work.

Emily
Listen. Amplify. Follow.