Ughh. Post election has been hard for so many. As an assistant principal of a school with a high population of immigrant families, we are affected, our students are affected. It hurts. It hurts in a way that I have never felt pain nor grief before.
I'm white. I sit in my own white guilt. I'm privileged, I've grown up that way , but only recently have I become aware and learned to recognize my own white privilege.
So I sit here and reflect on what my role as an education leader is to improve humanity. How do we teach our children to be kind, teach our children right from wrong and teach our children to prioritize kindness and equity?
I'm grieving. I've lost faith in our humanity and our population. Our countries population decided that racism, bigotry, and hatred was more important than human rights. My beliefs and hope about kindness, love and acceptance have felt shattered. I believed that we were moving towards a country of unconditional acceptance and love-- I feel as though I was wrong. On a daily basis I believe I made an impact on our students in teaching them kindness. Every day I reflect on how I can work to make our community, city, country and world a better place for not only Kora to grow up in, but ALL students of ALL backgrounds.
It's so easy to say this is not my burden-- I can blow it off-- I'm white. The system has worked and benefited me, my daughter and my family. But I'm choosing not to take that way out.
I'm choosing to use my whiteness & my privilege to make a change.
My local and immediate agent of change is the school. The school system at large. But, I wonder why we must be constrained within our system that has proven over and over again to not be successful for all students. Why must all students conform to the white system that has been put into place. My goal and my vision is to build anew, create a system that works for all. So I continue to question myself on ways that I can use what I have to build and create a new system?
I'm grieving and will continue to grieve the difference of my perception of humanity and the reality of humanity-- I will continue to live in disbelief. But, I will not continue to live in a world full of hate, bigotry, racism and un-acceptance. I will work to be the change and will use the agent I have to make a better place-- Because I believe, I truly believe in a better world. For Kora and for all my children (all children of MPS). I believe we can make a change-- this change needs to be at a systemic level and at an individual level.
So I ask you today-- What are you doing to stand up for change? A safety pin is not enough--
Be the change--
Change will not happen with out a coalition--
Join the coalition--
Be Brave--
Speak your truth--Let us stand together for LOVE. Kindness.. and most importantly for ALL our children.
