Essex High School Library, May 15 Tuesday, 2 Educational Dr, Essex Junction VT School Board Meeting 7:00pm
Please join us in support of Westford School Students Raising the Black Lives Matter Flag at Westford School.
Let's zoom out folks. This is planet earth, humans live here along with other animal and plant beings. Throughout the evolution of humans there was earth plate movement and human movement (migration). Over time humans developed adaptations to their environments and climates. Let's move ahead to the time on Earth when some humans became the target of oppression by other humans either because of geographic occupation, resources or a mutation in humanity ie, hatred of skin color adaptations. Some humans had their land stolen by other humans. Some humans had their lives stolen by other humans. The history of the United States is based on and founded in the oppression of our fellow humans. This is the truth of our history. The systems and cultural structure that were developed from the oppression of Black and Brown humans is the point of focus for the BLM movement.
The fact that our systems ( education, health care, judicial, law enforcement, media, consumer, advertising, political ) were built on the actual oppression of some humans by other humans ... it is inherently tilted in favor of the humans who took the charge to structure these systems. This is a broken system. The point of education and understanding this truth is to understand the conflict of this country. Progress toward understanding the system and restoring justice is happening. These youths are asking that we take action and make visible a message that yes BLM, that the system in place is tilted to benefit the community members who identify as white. They are asking to understand the system so that they can make different choices than their great-grandparents, grandparents and parents did. The pattern of gaining benefit from a broken system has reached its end point, (privilege). The system and structure that gives one group of humans more privilege, access, agency, opportunity based on a skin adaptation (color) is not working anymore and it has caused a terrible divide in this country.
What if the white community is unable and unwilling to understand the development of US systems and cultural structure because they are afraid or embarrassed about their position in that structure?
"Having our unintentional racism brought to our attention is not the worst thing that can happen to us. But having our racism brought to our attention, and then not doing anything about it to make it right is the worst thing we can do." -LS
This is hard work but this is the United States, the land of the free and home of the brave and what is braver than facing your fears, your implicit bias, your position in a tilted system and making choices that align better with your integrity and your humanity. What is braver than walking toward your fears and putting yourself out on the front line to understand our broken system and develop skills and tools to help bring it to balance? The system has never been balanced before and this work is difficult. Your fears and anger are real and it is visible to everyone in this community, it is visible to the whole country, in fact the fear of the system coming into balance was the object used to win an election in November of 2016.
Since that election I have seen more US flags being raised on houses, in yards, etc. I often wonder what this flag represents. Does it represent support for our president ? Does it represent support of our US values such as the right to freedom of speech, freedom of choice, freedom to pursue life, liberty and happiness?
The request to start this process of understanding how our country was built, how systems were developed and reasoning why is important and essential.
What is authority? Who has authority of yourself? You are autonomous right? You have the ability to make choices and you know that there will be natural consequences (desired or otherwise ) for your choices. The choice these students are making is to ask how and why our US systems and cultural structure is the way it is.
Imagine your authority, your autonomy stripped from you daily, historically... imagine seeing yourself the target for hatred cultivated by the culture you live in ...imagine feeling like you don't matter.
This study is essential, this study is uncomfortable, this study is progressive, this study is valid, this study is righteous, virtuous and good.
Whatever your bias is, however it was formed might not be your fault, it might be the fault of the tilted system... but the system is tilting towards balance and to deny these children the ability to represent the flag as a reminder to continually do the work for a more balanced system is a mistake but it won't stop the movement and it won't stop progress.
Thank you. Ms. Anne Orellana Whitney
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