Letter: Teach Our Children the “Ugly Truth” of Systemic Racism

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By [email protected] | July 28, 2021

LETTERS

How many of you can name all the countries on earth? If you can’t, you can search for it quite easily. A little effort and education is enough. Does this mean that these countries that you cannot immediately name have not already been around for hundreds of years? Does it make entire nations obscure because you may not know them? With 54% of students of color in Chesterfield County Public Schools and no people of color on the school board, it is high time you made an effort to educate yourself and educate my children. What my children should learn in Chesterfield County are facts. These facts must include Americans of all stripes. Don’t think that progress comes to just anyone without some discomfort. Racism is an ugly truth, but decades of failure to educate people with the truth is exactly why we are so divided as a country now. I don’t care what label you give it, teach my kids that true race is just a social tool to divide and oppress people of color! Teach them about redlining and zoning and how it affects everyone, not just white people. Don’t let my kids be 50 like me until you hear about Black Wall Street, the Tulsa and Juneteenth massacre. And don’t tell me it’s the dark history of black people, it’s the history of the United States! I am issuing a challenge right now. Superintendent Merv Daugherty and school board members Ryan Harter, Dot Heffron, Kathryn Haines, Debbie Bailey and Ann Coker are expected to attend VCU’s eight professional development training sessions. [School Board plans to review equity training for teachers, July 14] listed in the memorandum of understanding that you have now let expire: 1. Understand implicit and institutional biases; 2. Develop a deeper understanding of power, privilege and perspective; 3. Having uncomfortable conversations about race; 4. Engage all stakeholders in efforts to disrupt racism; 5. Principles of anti-racism; 6. Racism and white supremacy; 7. Strategies for dealing with resistance within a school community; and 8. Create affinity groups or safe spaces for dialogue between colleagues of the same race. I challenge each of you to educate yourself. Put your actions where your mouth says it and show the students and faculty of Chesterfield how determined you are to condemn racism and to affirm the commitment of school systems to an inclusive school environment for all. Special thanks to Jim McConnell for the fantastic article from the Chesterfield Observer!

Tara Pearce MOSELEY

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