In my work as an
educational researcher and organizer, I have focused on improving educational
leadership - both formal and family/community - to create equitable educational
environments, with a particular focus on leveraging the expertise of students,
families, and communities of color and those marginalized in schools.
These 5 guidelines
offer starting points for families working to lead change in schools to foster
racial and educational justice. Collaborating across lines of race, class,
language, and other identities is challenging, but collective efforts to build
solidarities and power can realize equity-focused change in schools. (Check out the related webinar with EmbraceRace here.)
1) Recognize
that schools are racialized spaces.
Schools
have been a source of colonization and oppression for many Indigenous, Black
and immigrant communities. Recognize how school funding and resources; tracking
and access to specialized programs; and teacher expectations and behavioral
discipline are shaped by race and history. Class divides as well. Middle class
parents of color share some experiences of racism and oppression in schools
with working class families of color, but we need to build solidarities across
lines of racial and economic marginalization.
2) Center
families of color and those most impacted by injustices.
Start
small and build relationships among families impacted by injustices. Recognize
that the individualistic norms and expectations associated with white middle
class parents are privileged in schools. Move beyond the PTA/PTO and consider
meeting somewhere other than the school. Hold time and space for people to
share their stories and lived experiences. Work to build a collective focused
on addressing the racial injustices that matter to those impacted by them.
3) Explicitly
model putting race on the table.
If
you identify as a person of color, name how you identify as well as other
dimensions of your identity (for instance, perhaps you have experienced racism
but you also benefit from colorism or cis-gender privilege). Naming the
complexity of our identities helps to disrupt the notion of a hierarchy of
oppression in which one person’s issues or experiences are more valid
than someone else’s. If you identify as white, own and say that. Consider
naming how you hope to enact solidarity in that space (perhaps by not focusing
the conversation on your issues, listening more than talking, or working hard
not to express your fragility when people are sharing experiences or talking
about racism).
4) Invite
educators of color and other equity-focused leaders to partner as learners and
allies.
Some
parents have such faith in their schools that they inadvertently leave all the
power in the hands of schools. But families also have critical
knowledge about their children that schools need, especially when it comes to
disrupting injustices. Educators of color and other equity-focused leaders can
bring new insights and opportunities for change in partnership with
families when they enter parent spaces as learners and allies
(not experts with the “solution”).
5) Be
prepared to intervene in power imbalances.
Power dynamics
inevitably emerge in efforts to address injustice. Starting with explicit norms
can help frame conversations. Even with norms, though, an individual or group
(such as well-meaning white parents) may dominate the conversation or impose
solutions. Especially if they dismiss the concerns of families of color, evade
issues of race and power, or reinforce stereotypes, doing nothing can reinforce
racial inequities. Consider ahead of
time with others what to do, such as inviting others to contribute to the
conversation, naming what you see happening, or encouraging the individual to
address their concerns in another space. Work to transform power in the
moment and over time in collective efforts to foster “just
schools.”
