Statement on Racial Justice
We, the faculty, administration, students and families of Park East High School, stand firm in our unwavering commitment to address the systemic racism and racial injustice that plague our society. We understand that actions speak louder than words, and that it is thus imperative to identify concrete measures that we as a school community are dedicated to taking. We must be the change. We must help each other and hold each other accountable to doing this work.
Our commitments include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Empowerment-focused pedagogical practices
- Anti-racist instructional content in all classrooms
- Activism such as individual direct action
- Sharing personal narratives of racial injustice to our social media platforms: PE website, Instagram, and Twitter
- Writing letters to local, state, and national officials
- Drafting and signing petitions
- Voting in all federal, state, and local elections
- Supporting black and minority owned businesses
- Donating to organizations focused on transformative justice
We pledge to bear witness, face hard truths, challenge our implicit biases, work together to dismantle educational inequities and level the playing field, continuously educate ourselves, become effective allies, and stay powerfully engaged in this too long struggle for racial justice.
In order to create lasting and meaningful social change in our country and our school community, we must strive to challenge the status quo and reimagine structures that uphold systemic racism. In the words of Desmond Tutu, “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” Let this be a reminder to our community to always take a stand against injustice of any kind.