TO ALL THE WHITE ALLIES SEEKING TO BECOME CO-CONSPIRATORS, HERE ARE THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
George Floyd, gasping for air, uttered a desperate final plea that was heard around the world: “I can’t breathe.” The image of a black man dying under the knee of a white cop is horrific — and symbolic of the racism embedded in every institution in America. Pre-K-12 education is no exception. The white-dominant education system is suffocating black students.
No universal pre-K. Inequitable school funding. Dilapidated buildings. Police brutality in schools. Unqualified teachers. Crumbling textbooks. No heat or air-conditioning. No Advanced Placement or dual-enrollment courses. Academic tracking of students. White teacher bias. High rate of school suspensions. Lack of teachers of color. White family flight. Redlining resulting in a decreased tax base. Fear of black male students. Black children’s behaviors labeled as inappropriate. Restrictions on black hairstyles. Bias in selective-admission schools. Parent meetings held during the workday. Lack of special education supports. Low levels of rigor. Devalued cultural identity. Biased standardized tests. “No excuses” models.
The results of these inequities are consistently recited as facts: Black students lack proficiency in math and reading. Black students are not college-ready. Black students experience significant learning disabilities.
The real fact is that the education system is failing black students.
On May 31, after watching the news with tears running down my face, I CONTINUE READING: To All the White Allies Seeking to Become Co-Conspirators, Here Are Things to Think About - Philly's 7th Ward