Regardless of outcome…

In the wake of this year’s election, we extend a statement of solidarity and collective action. In all parts of our work, we commit to heal from an exceptionally long year of electoral campaigning, a devastating public health crisis, and ongoing violence of systemic racism spanning centuries prior to 2020. As we remain steadfast in our commitment, we find ourselves reflecting on the Coalition’s organizational vision:

The vision of DCSC is that an ever-growing number of American public schools, including many charter schools, will embody the diversity of our nation’s people – across race, socioeconomic status, language and abilities – while preparing the children in their care to pursue higher education, meaningful and sustainable work in a global economy, and an equal role in a more cohesive and connected participatory democracy.

Considering this aspirational vision, we are asking ourselves: Is it reasonable to expect both a diverse-by-design community and a cohesive, connected participatory democracy? Our ways of thinking–including life experiences, ideologies, and understanding of facts–are increasingly divergent throughout all pockets of the US. Within every community, we would find more than one distinct view on the current condition of our democracy.

Photo by Tiffany Tertipes, courtesy of https://unsplash.com/photos/x0OXe9xEIL4

It is sometimes easier to celebrate a multicolored image of “diversity,” than to contend with real-world conflict and pain within diverse communities. Whether at the dinner table or in the classroom, we have folks in our own communities insistent that America was “great” at the expense of human dignity afforded to our classmates, neighbors, colleagues, and relatives. How do we move forward in this “us” versus “them” dynamic, especially when stakes are so high?

We don’t have a perfect answer, but we are listening and working to protect those most harmed by systems of power. We affirm that all Black lives are sacred. We do not shy away from insisting that no human being is illegal. We unwaveringly support equal protections under the law for LGBTQIA+ communities. We acknowledge occupying stolen land. And we denounce white supremacy and fascism, including its symptoms that surface throughout many parts of the education sector’s ecosystem. To move forward in this climate, we find inspiration in Coalition member schools and networks working to heal the wounds of 2020 and prior, and we also know that we have more work ahead of us to interrupt inequity.

Let’s also stay active in collective healing, whatever that looks like to you. We’ve listed below a handful of our favorite resources to care for one another during this time, and we hope you find them helpful as well.

In solidarity and health,

Amy, Ashley, Dave, Seon, Sonia