Dear School Leaders, 

As an American educator, I understand that diversity, equity, and inclusion have become “bad” words in the midst of today’s culture wars with white women who are against Black people and other nonwhite people. Most notably, they’ve picked a fight within public schools, claiming that white children are being made to feel bad about slavery and racial hatred in America. 

The real kicker is that in some cities in America, like Tulsa, Oklahoma, the public school system has adopted a curriculum that teaches children, particularly children of color, who are collectively the largest racial group in public education, that slavery was good and beneficial to Black people. 

They have increased attacks on families of color by removing equity, removing diversity, and stunting the growth of inclusion, taking us right back to Jim Crow days. 

I’ve worked in predominantly white-staffed public school districts, educating students who were majority Black, Latino, or immigrants. Yes, there were some flat-out racist white staff members. However, there were also many others who were nice but under the pretense of the white savior complex. They also help uphold and maintain a power structure that disenfranchises students of color by viewing them as less than because of their race, zip code, and data. 

The culture and climate of schools across the nation have definitely been impacted. Teachers aren’t quitting simply because of pay. Instead, they leave due to the negative consequences of speaking out about the need for equity and inclusion. Teachers, who are the experts in education, know that using real-life applications and using culturally inclusive texts is beneficial to all students. If they can’t teach in the ways that are best, they are choosing not to teach at all. 

Many texts or books written by Black or LGBTQ+ authors or texts that centered on liberation, equality, or civil rights are being removed from libraries and classrooms. I’m reminded of how in this school year, many teachers in certain states could not teach materials highlighting the 60th anniversary of the Birmingham church bombing, a tragic event where four Black girls were killed. in many schools.

Teachers fear losing their jobs for using real-life current events to teach children because it may be too “woke” for them, which means anything that reflects America, in particular white Americans, in a negative light should not be taught anymore. 

This makes me wonder, are we teaching children what we want them to know, or are we teaching them how to learn? If we’re banning books and whitewashing American history to avoid the harshness and hatred of racism, then we are creating the path to repeat history.

We cannot allow the actions that have become famously known as Karen-like behavior to become the law that rules us.

As an educational leader, I hope that you aren’t afraid and are unapologetically working to ensure that all students receive a free, fair, and equitable education. This means ensuring that all students are culturally represented and reflected in what’s being taught through historical, factual representation. It means not backing down to pressure from small groups who want to force their will onto everyone else.

Be on the right side of history in how this generation changes racial injustice. 

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