"The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice." These are the words of the prophetic Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
I have been thinking about this quote for some time now considering the current state of America and the reckoning of racial unrest that needs to take place on American soil. Educators find themselves in a time where there is even more of a realization and call to action that significant ground needs to be made up. A historic pandemic that has ravished the American people and its children have educators anticipating individual and systemic impact. Those who fear change will doggedly try to maintain what they believe to be the natural social order, However, I sincerely hope that the people of goodwill and justice decide the fate of our Union.
Now, more than ever, educators conceptualize how important it is to engage in and deepen their racial equity lenses. Having a deep and profound understanding of who we serve and the collective experiences of our families, students, and communities matters to each student’s ultimate outcome.
The arc that Dr. King spoke of requires all folks of goodwill to stand courageous and speak up. We need to speak up when we see wrongdoing. We need to work toward change when situations, accessibility, and circumstances are inequitable or unfair. It is our collective responsibility to take on these tough challenges that we face. It is also our responsibility to care for the young people's lives and be courageous in doing so.
We need to challenge ourselves to create an equitable education system that benefits all. We need to reason with one another more often and learn how to disagree with civility. I am extremely hopeful that this can be done here and now. We are living in one of the greatest informational decades in history; we can learn from and with one another. Our Minnesota Public School systems rank in the top best school systems in the nation in some ways, but a success gap exists when we disaggregate the data. We can no longer accept excuses. This reminds me of other reflections of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter," and "In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."
