Acknowledging that racism is in the fabric of all of our institutions isn’t painting everyone with the same brush. It isn’t being negative and it isn’t being judgemental. It is being truthful. Racism exists in the institution I work in. The “good” people are presently focused 1/

on examining the system in which they work, listening to groups who have been harmed, reflecting on their own practices, and working to make changes. I’m glad that there are good teachers, good police, and good ...all around us. It doesn’t change the fact that systemic racism 2/

runs deep in the institutions in which we work and if we are more concerned with protecting the feelings of all teachers, police officers, and citizens of this country (and their families) than truly looking at these systems then we don’t understand that as 3/

Dr. MLK said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” We don’t have justice unless everyone has justice. Saying that some practices need to change isn’t saying that there isn’t any good happening. It is saying that the good happening is more important than the 4/

hurt and trauma being felt by many. People are literally dying because of racism. The systems need to change. 5/5

*correction - the good happening *isn’t more important than the hurt ....