Weekly Shares (5/8/23) - Changing The Narrative Takes Ongoing Commitment
Congratulations to Henry Turner and Kathy Lopes on the one-year anniversary of publishing their book Change The Narrative! So often I read books and feel like that what I found beneath the title was less than I expected. However, that is not the case in this book as Henry and Kathy deliver on their title, How To Foster An Antiracist Culture In Your School, by giving readers a model of change that is a continuous cycle through which to undertake this work. This cycle of change is one that encourages a commitment to learn, reflect, act, and assess in regard to antiracism in your school or classroom.
Last week, I listened to Henry and Kathy as they appeared on Melody’s Bookchat to celebrate their one-year anniversary and continue to share their wisdom on what educators can do to Change The Narrative in their schools. One takeaway for me was the reminder Henry gave as he discussed the commitment to the daily work required to commit to anti-racism, noting that progress can be found if you are looking.
For me this book is a constant reminder that If I am not continuously following a cycle of learning, acting, reflecting, and assessing then I am perpetuating racism and staying comfortable in my white privilege. With this in mind, my question for school leaders would be - what do you do in your school to model this unending cycle to foster an antiracist culture?
Be sure to check out the Change The Narrative website and also sign up for Henry’s “Lessons In Social Justice Newsletter.”
Other things I am reading/watching/listening to:
Taking a Stand Against Divisive Concept Laws - This opinion piece from AASA’s School Administrator magazine is by retired MA Superintendent Sheldon Berman. An excerpt from the article:
“Divisive concepts laws infringe on students’ rights to learn in an open and honest environment where historical facts and opposing viewpoints can be considered. Avoiding or misrepresenting historical information and suppressing discussions of key issues facing our society does not further students’ development of independent perspectives. Nor does it serve a democratic society that needs students to become knowledgeable decision-makers.”
Florida Republicans pass school bills on pronouns and diversity -
Here’s the summary of this one: “Florida Republicans (on May 3) approved bills to ban diversity programs in colleges and prevent students and teachers from being required to use pronouns that don’t correspond to someone’s biological sex, building on top priorities of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. The two proposals were given final passage by the Republican supermajorities in the House and Senate. DeSantis is expected to sign the bills into law.”
Congressional Black Caucus Pressures Buttigieg To Reform Racist Traffic Stops That Harm Black People
This letter from the Congressional Black Caucus asks for a recognition of the disparity in the policing of black drivers for traffic violations noting the following: “It is critical that the Department of Transportation recognizes the social context of traffic enforcement disparities and identifies solutions to redress the harms.”
The Coronation, The Royal Family and Racism
This piece comes from Sharon’s Anti-Racist Newsletter and states the following: “While the pomp and circumstance were certainly eye-catching, I found myself musing on the need for and role of a royal family in 2023.”
Hall links to a LinkedIn post from Isabella Mascarenhas which highlights some of the historical facts behind the British Monarchy starting with “Over a period of 270 years, 12 British monarchs sponsored, supported and greatly profited from Britain’s involvement in slavery and colonialism”
That’s it for now, I’m in the middle of a couple of longer reads which I hope to highlight over the next two weeks.