THE IDEA THAT BLACK LIVES MATTER IS NOT NEW – NEITHER IS YOUR HATRED FOR IT.
On Wednesday, February 6, 2019, I had the honor of speaking at the Black Lives Matter in Schools Week of Action rally last week. The audience was mostly educators, with a few powerful students (several spoke as well).
It is good to be here and great to see all of you.
As an educator who was born to two Black Panther Party (BPP) parents and had three cousins who were also in the BPP, I can tell you, unequivocally, that we cannot afford to assume that any American institution—including schools—naturally and without accountability holds Black students’ lives dearly.
Our Week of Action highlights the necessary recommitted action to ensure that Black lives matter. Your presence uplifts the humanity of our Black students and represents a call to action for all who lead in our classrooms and schools and those who lead in positions adjacent to our schools.
Some ask why Black lives matter at all, let alone an entire week. I tell them, it’s not a week, it’s a mindset and lifestyle— a core belief and a rallying cry.
Those of us who know better have never been inebriated with a false idea of a post-racial society in America. Those of us with clear mind and vision easily recognize that the points of Black Lives Matter (BLM) are similar to the 10 point programs of Black Student Union and the BPP.
We know that the BLM core is similar to the Organization of Afro American Unity CONTINUE READING: The Idea That Black Lives Matter Is Not New - Neither Is Your Hatred For It. - Philly's 7th Ward
