Anti-racism coalition: Wait to fly Black Lives Matter flags at schools
January 29, 2021 | By Waterbury Area Anti-Racism CoalitionEditor’s note: The following is a statement from the Waterbury Area Anti-Racism Coalition read by member Life Legeros to the Harwood Union School Board at its Jan. 27 meeting.
The Waterbury Area Anti-Racism Coalition (WAARC) supports Black Lives Matter (BLM). We are inspired by, learn from, and consider ourselves part of the BLM movement to dismantle white supremacy and create a society/community based on liberation and inclusion. BLM is an expansive movement but it also centers Black lives and leadership.
WAARC does not support the unilateral raising of the BLM flag by the HUUSD School Board at this time. This symbolic act must be considered within the context of BLM flag-raisings at other schools in Vermont and related conversations within our community.
At other schools, requests to raise the flag have been primarily led by students of color and the decision to do so was a show of support for those students. The processes that led to the requests included awareness-raising, community dialogue, collective learning, and the navigation of pushback and conflict. Those communities grappled with the impacts of racism and the significance of the BLM movement globally and locally.
At Harwood Union High School two years ago, a student group explored raising the BLM flag and sought input from students of color who reportedly expressed that they were concerned about the backlash that would likely come from students and families who misunderstood or disagreed with the BLM movement. Without a process that lays the groundwork for raising the flag, the board would miss the opportunity to mitigate backlash and more fully prepare to support students and families of color.
WAARC would support a commitment to raising the BLM flag at a later date contingent on reaching a set of goals related to anti-racism. These goals do not have to be comprehensive but they should be meaningful. We recommend that the board initiate a process to set one or two goals at each level (board, district, and schools) with input from relevant stakeholders such as students, educators, and families.
An important goal, likely most appropriate at the board level, would be truth and reconciliation: to put in place a process for acknowledging and addressing past impacts of racism within our school district and establishing a structure for future accountability. This would be a crucial step toward healing and regaining the trust of community members and students of color.
If the board wants to signify a commitment to anti-racism and equity via the BLM flag, it should be framed as an aspiration for a future community celebration of collective accomplishments.
Alternatively, the board could step away from the flag for now and be ready to support a request led by Black students and students of color if and when it materializes.
We are glad that the school board has expressed a commitment to anti-racism. We urge the board to focus on balancing learning and action, healing of past racist impacts, and forward-looking significant policy shifts, while always weighing the potential unintended consequences which most heavily negatively impact students and families of color.
Submitted by Life LeGeros for WAARC