Four days went by with no arrests as our city burned. No arrests, after the public murder of George Floyd only a half mile from one of our schools. Words have been hard to come by to describe our anguish. How many black and brown men, women and children sit in jail awaiting justice with far less evidence – for minor infractions, for just living – while the police officers who killed George Floyd sat free, in the comfort of their homes?
And while our city burns, how many of us sit free in the comfort of our homes? Feeling sad, yes, but with the freedom to turn the channel, scroll down the feed. Selective outrage is not enough. We must cry out today and every day until there is justice. Justice for George Floyd and for every Black man, woman, and child that has died at the hands of state-sanctioned police brutality in our country.
Each of us has the responsibility to act. And we know we haven’t done enough. But the shame of having not done enough must not stop us from doing everything we can now and moving forward. Are you a parent of a white child? Talk to your child about the ways racism plagues our country. Are you the parent of a black, brown or bi-racial child? Communities of color are grieving, for our collective loss and for the impact this has on every child. The Wildflower community is here to support you. Are you a teacher? Learn about your own racial identity, build your consciousness of how this impacts your practice, and teach your students to be anti-racist. Are you an organizational leader? Make space for healing in the midst of the constant traumas endured by our black and brown brothers and sisters in this country. Are you an employee? Speak up when you see subtle and not so subtle acts of racism.
Take action today, then set a recurring reminder for yourself to take action again tomorrow, next week, next month, and the month after that. When that reminder goes off, ask yourself if you are doing all you can, and then do more. So many don’t have the choice to opt out. Please don’t.
Teachers and other Wildflower partners are taking action in a number of ways as we grieve. Join us:
While the Wildflower network of schools comprises many communities around the U.S., four Wildflower Schools as well as the organization that supports our network are based in Minneapolis. The injustice anguishing our Minneapolis partners is the latest diminishment of Black lives in America. We work and hope for the day when no Wildflower community–or any community–experiences such injustices.
