‘Please don't call me your average Black boy’ | Black Students Matter rally highlights disparities in education
Hundreds of parents, teachers, and educators rallied in front of the U.S. Dept. of Education to demand change for Black students.
WASHINGTON D.C., DC — Hundreds of families, educators, and students kicked off Juneteenth with a march from Freedom Plaza in downtown D.C. to the U.S. Dept. of Education to demand justice for Black students and to end disparities in education.
The Black Students Matter rally highlighted the systemic issues impacting the Black community and Black students across the D.C. area.
7-year-old Cavanaugh Bell read an emotional plea for change as part of the students' rally:
"'There's no way you did all your work that fast.' 'I wouldn't believe you by looking at you that you were that smart or my favorite.' 'He's not your average Black boy.' I heard all of those things from my teachers before I was in kindergarten. Please don't call me your average Black boy. We are extraordinary, and the ground shakers that this world needs to build a better future."
Organizers of the rally, Educators for Equity, are calling for five demands centered around equity and education.
- Defund DC police by redirecting money to programs and resources that focus on mental health
- Equitable district funding
- Revised curriculum reflective of African American students
- Abolish for-profit standardized testing
- Focus on fixing schools rather than shutting them down
CONTINUE READING: Black Students Matter rally calls for equity in education | wusa9.com
