By Seattle Medium
On Monday, Seattle education leaders held a press conference at the Rainier Beach Community Center to announce their new initiatives for the upcoming Black Lives Matter At School Week of Action taking place February 4-8.
Black Lives Matter At Schools, in partnership with Seattle Public Schools, the Center for Racial Equity, the NAACP and NYC (NAACP Youth Coalition), and community parents, builds on the nationally recognized work that They started last year to raise awareness and raise awareness about racism. racial equity in schools across the region and the country.
During the Week of Action, Black Lives At School will reintroduce its demands and introduce a new curriculum, a book titled Teaching For Black Lives for educators, students and parents on teaching ethnic and racial sensitivity , followed by a Black Lives Matters. Gathering at school and showcase of student talents.
In addition to urging school districts to offer ethnic studies as part of their curriculum, the organization also calls on school administrators to recognize the need to educate and train students and educators in “zero tolerance.” , discipline and implement restorative justice in the way they treat students. racism and systematic racism within education.
“The inclusion of Black Lives Matter At School movement curricula in classrooms across the country is an affirmation of the importance and power of ethnic studies,” says Ethnic Studies Program Manager Tracy Castro-Gill for Seattle Public Schools.
“Educators across our district shared how their experience over the past year teaching Black Lives Matter lessons has changed the way they think about ethnic studies and caused many educators to rethink their content and practices,” added Castro-Gill.
The organization also promotes the hiring of more black teachers and a “counselors, not cops program” that aims to provide students of color with a more positive and productive means of crisis control other than the justice system and the “pipeline to prison” as a solution. with meaningful advice.
According to Jesse Hagopian, ethnic studies teacher at Garfield High School, racism and systematic racism have increased in the Pacific Northwest in response to current leaders in Washington, D.C. and educators across the country are taking note and taking action to combat this and provide children with a head start through learning, introducing them to the diversity of people.
“With racist hate crimes on the rise and the president making openly racist comments about Africa and Haiti, it is essential that we transform our education so that it focuses on improving the lives of Black people and undoing racism” , says Hagopian.
The momentum of the Black Lives Matter At Schools movement is growing as its impact on the community has been successful.
The NAACP Youth Coalition has produced a growing number of young students who are taking on leadership roles as they strive to create a more compassionate, inclusive and productive learning environment.
Israel Presley, a student at Rainier Beach and member from New York, believes that “this (the Black Lives Matter At School movement) is because of the need for change, Seattle is having a hard time making change or even really listening. »
“What I’ve noticed is that a lot of times we make our voices heard, we try to say what we want, but they don’t respond,” Presley said. “They don’t realize it at all and I think with Black Lives Matter At School, it’s a wake-up call saying ‘hey, we’re here, it’s time to listen, it’s time to wake up.'”
Several events will take place during Action Week. On Monday, February 4, BLM At School will gather at Kane Hall at the University of Washington at 7:00 p.m. to present their new book “Teaching For Black Lives.” On Wednesday, February 6 at 4:45 p.m. at the John Stanford Center for Educational Excellence, BLM At School will unveil its agenda and demands and on Friday, February 8 at 6:00 p.m. at Cleveland High School, students will take the lead. with a rally and a talent showcase.
This article was originally published in The Seattle Media.
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