We Must All Do Our Part! Black Lives Matter.
A letter from our Executive Director, Teresa Arriaga sent June 4, 2020.
Black Lives Matter!
Parents, families, and colleagues,
We must not be silent and we must be clear. Black Lives Matter.
As I have witnessed and participated in the uprisings across the country in response to the murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and hundreds of others during our country’s 400 year history of atrocities against Black people, I have struggled with how Parents for Public Schools might best add to the conversation.
I think it is especially critical at this moment to amplify Black voices and not add to the clutter. I also believe it is important that each of us seize the moment to move forward together towards equity and to actively engage in all of our spheres of influence, challenging ourselves individually and collectively to grow our anti-racist muscles.
At PPS-SF we strive to equip families with the tools they need to support their child’s success while strengthening public schools as communities and institutions. We have stood with communities of color in support of public policies aimed to decrease educational inequality and systemic racism.
We were founded on the belief that parents and families can and do make a difference in the lives of our own children and the children of others. The events of the last week have proven what can happen when we work together for change and we must not let up.
We therefore humbly and publicly commit to standing with the Black community in striving for systemic change. We further offer you some tools and resources that we are using in the hopes that you might find them useful in your home, in your school, and in our community at large.
I invite you to share additional resources with our community via our social media or replying to this email.
In community,
Teresa
Q&A: How To Talk To Kids About Black Lives And Police Violence
Sesame Street Town Hall on Racism, 6/6/2020
31 Children's books to support conversations on race, racism and resistance
June 2020 Book Club: Raising White Kids: Bringing Up Children in a Racially Unjust America