There has been some feedback on KIPP deciding to drop the motto, Work hard. Be nice.

Most of the feedback is from adults who never lived the experience of attending a KIPP school or being BIPOC.

Just a couple of thoughts...

I’m sure Breonna Taylor worked exceptionally hard and was really nice.

Elijah McClain’s disposition was nice while being harassed, even in the final moments of his life.

And how many folks have encountered people who are “nice” while also being harmful.

Nice Nasty is real.

KIPP and beyond, respectability politics coupled with poor practice have not does not served BIPOC well.

History shows us that Black people have worked hard and been “nice” and that landed us where we are now.

When we built our own and minded our business (Tulsa), it was burned to the ground.

When we created programs to serve and protect our communities (Black Panther Party), they were upended and destroyed.

When we invited folks to worship (Charleston), we were killed.

So miss me with criticism.

I’ll leave you with a quote and a question.

"If you are silent about your pain, they'll kill you and say you enjoyed it." Hurston

Q: Based on the examples noted and other known facts, who really needs to learn to “be nice”?

I’ll wait.

And stop appropriating terms and phrases you aren’t familiar with, being woke isn’t an issue. Policing what folks do to better align with their org mission, the needs of the families they serve and to take the feedback they received from alums is, how do y’all say...wack.

And in summary, that’s it. That’s the tweet. https://twitter.com/sirnathanwoods/status/1280617539878387713