Black Lives Matter
We see you. We hear you. We stand with you. The Northshore School District has a duty to cultivate the necessary conditions for just and equitable change in our education system and community.
Black Lives Matter at School Every Day
Members from Seattle's Athletic Justice Collective wanted to help Northshore School District emphasize the importance of celebrating Black lives and history throughout the whole year. Video topics include: what it means for Black lives to matter in school, personal experiences with racism and injustice in school or professional settings, why it’s important to be a lifelong learner, personal commitments to fighting for justice, and words of empowerment for our youth and educators.
Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action
February 1 - 5, 2021
We are celebrating Northshore’s Black students, families, community members, and educators with a week of special events designed for all Northshore teachers, students, staff and the community members. Families and students should check their email for special webinar links if they wish to participate in the live discussion.
As members of the Northshore School District community, we must be committed to caring for each of our students, amplifying the voices of the unheard, and utilizing our tools and resources to dismantle hurtful structures and promote collective healing. It is imperative that we speak up about the injustices that have a 400+ year history in this country, continue to shape our institution, and perpetually minoritize individuals in and outside of our community.
In our house, we must reflect on the senseless killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and the many Black lives that have been lost in the name of racism and white supremacy in America. We must do more than simply witness the deep sorrow and hear painstaking cries in the Black community. It is important to be with them in solidarity. Of course, each of us matters, and yet we must take the time to put a spotlight on the lives that have been undervalued and oppressed systemically, institutionally, and interpersonally. This is a time to understand the harm that has been inflicted on the Black community, and just as much a time to see the beauty in Black lives:
This is the time to say Black Lives Matter.
In our house, we continue to stand for equity, for our staff and administrators to be equipped with the skills to have these critical conversations with students and one another, to come together and build a community of safety and belonging, to teach our white students how to be strong allies and our students of color that they are important and valued, and to show all of our students how to imagine and build justice-driven futures.
Juneteenth
Juneteenth is an annual observance that commemorates the ending of chattel slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, enslaved African Americans were freed in the state of Texas. This was the last state to adhere to the Proclamation, and a local Freedom Day celebration the next year has since turned into an annual day of observance in 47 states and the District of Columbia. It has yet to be recognized as a national holiday. Today, Juneteenth celebrates African American freedom, independence, advancements, and culture; yet we must also recognize that although there have been many strides forward, the deep struggle for Black liberation still remains. The Northshore School District values each member of our community, and is committed to building a better now and a better future, together.
Resources: Kids Books to Celebrate Juneteenth, Teaching Juneteenth, Juneteenth: All About Holidays
Resolution No. 818
During the June 8, 2020 regular meeting, the Northshore School District Board of Directors unanimously approved Resolution No. 818: Black Lives Matter.
Connecting with Kids About Racism & Injustice
If you have any additional resources or ideas, please email them to educationaljustice@nsd.org
Rick Lizotte from Woodinville High School and Ayva Thomas from our Racial and Educational Justice Department join Dr. Reid to recognize and discuss the importance of Pride Month.
Chris Bigelow Ed.D., Director of Equity & Diversity, and Dr. Reid discuss how to talk to kids about race, injustices and the current climate.