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.