Along with
National PTA
and
California State PTA
, we at First District PTA condemn the systemic racism, racial injustice, and continued brutality directed at African Americans in this country. We mourn the senseless killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless other African Americans who have had their lives cut short because of historic, systemic, and toxic racism. In shared outrage over these killings, millions of people have taken to the streets to demand permanent and lasting change.
First District PTA, in line with our organization’s founding mission, strongly advocates for all children. But that does not necessarily mean equal time and effort: we owe it to the most vulnerable populations to make the greatest efforts to ensure their safety and well-being. To effect change, we must recognize that children of color are faced with discrimination and injustice, which adversely impacts their health, safety, and scholastic success. We commit to examining our own practices to work towards eliminating racism, inequities, and implicit bias. We urge all of our councils and units to do the same.
Many PTA members have joined members of their communities to speak out and demand change so that every child can reach their full potential. We applaud you for making your voices heard.
Many of our PTAs are being asked to endorse, promote, and join local events focused on these very issues.
We want to remind you that speaking for, or taking action on behalf of, your PTA requires a vote of approval from your association recorded in the minutes.
For more information on this process, visit CAPTA.org:
How to Make a Study
Since we are now in the summer break and association meetings may not be happening until August, we encourage you in the meantime to speak up as individuals and to increase your personal knowledge of the issues.
Many of you are asking about next steps, in addition to/after the protests, so here are some concrete actions you can take that will help families of color, and benefit all children:
And most importantly, work to ensure that your PTA boards and membership are representative of the whole school community:
For more information and support, please contact:
Geoff Albert
VP Legislation
Kitty Cahalan
VP Community Concerns
Patty Scripter
VP Education
Here are some other useful links and resources:
PTA statements:
CA State Superintendent Tony Thurmond’s statement on racial violence:
You can also do an internet search for “anti-racism resources for parents” to find lists of books, articles, movies, and podcasts on this critical issue.
