“The nation and our community are reeling in the aftermath of the killing of yet another unarmed black man. The video that showed a white policeman kneeling on George Floyd’s neck until his death is beyond shocking. These images continue to reverberate across the nation, sparking protests and unrest. This clear display of racial hatred has enraged people young and old, black, brown and white. It has led to protests everywhere, including here in Dallas, even amid a global pandemic.
Conscience requires that those in power speak out against racism and prejudice and act to redress them. Our students and families are among those who have taken to the streets of Dallas to protest these ills. We join with them in declaring that the status quo of indiscriminate and violent over policing of minority communities is an affront to human rights that can no longer be accepted.
Dallas has experienced its share of injustice and inequity that has damaged relationships between white, black and brown communities and institutions designed to serve them, including the police and even schools. The scope of this disconnection is a clarion call to our district leadership and the 22,000 teachers and staff to devote ourselves and all available resources to rebuilding this broken trust. In a few short days, Dallas ISD’s Racial Equity Office will launch a series of community conversations that will help redouble efforts to provide services that create agency and change lives. We encourage the community to join us in this dialogue to plan the way forward.
As Dallas ISD continues the work to meet the needs of students with at-home learning, meals, uniforms, social emotional learning and mental health support, I ask the staff, city leaders and all residents of Dallas to really listen to the voices of our young people and their parents and to heed their cry for substantive change. Together we can transform Dallas from a place of haves and have-nots to a community where life-changing opportunity is within reach of every family.”
