January 2020: Reflecting on the Urgency of Our Work

A Message from Our Executive Director: Why We Are More Passionate than Ever to Share Our Work

Hi Collaborators: 

This past summer, I had the honor and privilege of visiting the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, AL.  The incredibly powerful way in which this memorial forces us to face our history has sat with me for the last few months as we at Roots ConnectED have been working relentlessly to share practices of anti-bias education in school communities across the country.   

As our nation becomes ever more divisive, Roots ConnectED envisions a unified world, one that is only possible when built upon a foundation of justice.  We believe in the power of teaching young children to see the humanity in one another and believe that schools must be the ones leading this work. We believe that there is no one average learner and that notions of justice, power, and examining history from multiple perspectives should be woven throughout our day and within our curriculum and not be isolated to one class in one hour of one day or confined to one month of learning.  We believe that schools should be places where children are taught to think critically; biases are examined and addressed regularly; children see themselves in curriculum; and, where they are taught that their voices matter in creating change.  

Most importantly, we believe that teachers and school leaders have the power to create these spaces, and we are honored to be here to support them in this process. 

Since the start of the 2019-2020 school year, Roots ConnectED has hosted three 3-day Institutes focused on intentional practices of integration and inclusion.  Schools and leaders from across the country left our Institutes saying: "It changed the way I think about what's possible in a public school setting," and "I learned that action starts with mindsets. We have to work to change mindsets around what inclusion really means before we can achieve that vision." 

Uniquely utilizing Community Roots as a learning site, proven strategies and practices are shared as we offer educators opportunities to think deeply about theories that connect to anti-bias education, see that theory in practice, and consider how that practice applies to their own sites.  One participant shared, “It is one of the best conferences I️ have attended. You do the thinking and get the tools to realistically start to apply it to your classroom.”

Last week, I was in a social studies class in a school we have been working closely with in New Orleans, where students were connecting history to today and contemplating whether we now live in a democracy.  Students from different racial and economic backgrounds agreed and respectfully disagreed with one another as they asked each other questions and listened to multiple perspectives. In an advisory class in Brooklyn, students simply shared a moment from their weekend that brought them joy and authentically built connection upon connection as they recognized things they had in common and laughed about things they all agreed on.  These small interactions speak volumes about what it means to build schools where community is built across any lines of difference.  

This weekend, as we make space to reflect on the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, and the multitude of others who relentlessly fought and continue to fight for justice, I am reminded of James Baldwin’s words: “Children have never been very good at listening to their elders. But they have never failed to imitate them.”  Because our children are watching, we cannot afford to be silent and not take action. Join us in our work towards a more just and equitable society. 

 

Warmly,

Sahba Rohani
Executive Director