Tag Archives: black lives matter

Black Lives Matter in DeKalb Schools

Black Lives Matter (BLM) began as a social media hash tag in 2013 by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi in response to the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin.

The phrase “Black Lives Matter” can refer to a Twitter hashtag, a slogan, a social movement, a political action committee, or a loose confederation of groups advocating for racial justice.

For 10 years Cullors was an organizer in the Labor/Community Strategy Center, established and run by Eric Mann, a former member of the Weather Underground, the 1960s radical faction identified by the FBI as a domestic terrorist group.

Cullors, Garza and Tometi are community organizers, artists and writers. They are also avowed Marxist, “The first thing, I think, is that we actually do have an ideological frame. Myself and Alicia in particular are trained organizers,” says Garza, “We are trained Marxists. We are super-versed on, sort of, ideological theories. And I think that what we really tried to do is build a movement that could be utilized by many, many black folk.”


DeKalb County School District Hosts Black Lives Matter Week of Action 2020
BLM 2020 Workshop Topics for Breakout Sessions
BLM School Instructional Activities Lesson Plans
BLM HBCU Videos
HBCUs by State
 

Message from DeKalb Schools

The week of November 9-13 will be “Black Lives Matter at DeKalb Schools Week of Action 2020” in the DeKalb County School District (DCSD). The weeklong event features daily Black Lives Matter school-based instructional activities, including a social media celebration of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), a celebration of Black-owned businesses in DeKalb County, the My Brother’s Keeper Kickoff, a “My Black is Beautiful Unity Day,” and a student-led panel discussion.

The Board of Education adopted the resolution for Black Lives Matter At DeKalb Schools Week of Action 2020 on July 13, 2020. The goal of this week is to spark on ongoing movement of critical reflection and honest conversation in school communities for people of all ages to engage with issues of racial justice.

“DeKalb County School District is a divers school district and we celebrate that beautiful diversity in every way,” Superintendent Cheryl Watson-Harris said. “Black Lives Matter at DeKalb Schools Week of Action 2020 gives our scholars and staff an opportunity to recognize the positive images for our students in our communities while speaking out against racial and social injustices in our communities.”

Black Lives Matter began as a social media hash tag in 2013 in response to the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin by a neighborhood watch coordinator in Sanford, Fla. The social media movement transformed into a global organization with the goal to build power to bring justice, healing and freedom to Black people across the globe.

DeKalb County Board of Education Chair Mr. Marshall Orson said, “DeKalb County School District’s Black Lives Matter at School Week is an affirmation of the district’s commitment to its students, staff, and communities of color. By focusing on the important contributions from, as well as the ongoing challenges faced by, these communities, we will enrich the lives of all who are part of or touched by DCSD.”

“In today’s society, the Black Lives Matter Movement represents a visual representation of what our ancestors fought for throughout history,” School Board Member Diijon DaCosta said. “Our ancestors fought for justice, freedom, equality, and change, which benefits minorities and people of color. We must continue to build on their legacy by being involved, staying informed, and choosing to let our voices be heard. Now is the time to shift the narrative towards progressive change, diversity, and inclusion. We cannot allow ourselves to continue to negative behaviors from the past that cause division. Change starts with us.”

 


 

Free Speech … For Some At DeKalb Schools … Part II

Martha Dalton at WABE released a story today, How Does The First Amendment Apply To Public Schools

Dalton is reporting that Russell Brooks has a son at Chamblee Charter High School and received a call recently that his son was going to be suspended for four days for wearing a sticker calling for the firing of the principal.

The school district’s statement is

“The DeKalb County School District supports the constitutional right of its students to freedom of speech, but it also requires that such exercises do not disrupt or degrade the learning environment. When that standard is violated, the district reviews each transgression on its own merits and uses the DCSD Student Code of Conduct as its guide in taking corrective action.

“Three students at Chamblee Charter High School were found to have violated that standard and were held accountable. The violations were considered disruptions of the school environment per the DCSD Student Code of Conduct.”

The administration has since reduced the punishment to a one-day in-school suspension.



Student Code of Conduct 2018 – 2019


Stan Jester
DeKalb County
Board Of Education

I advocate for the First Amendment across the board. I’m concerned once again the freedom of students to express themselves is not being equally defended. It would seem that the school district only defends speech they agree with and calls all other speech disruptive.

Recall Protesting Cheerleaders at DHS. The school district sanctioned a Black Lives Matter rally at Dunwoody High School where the students held signs and yelled “Hey Hey – Ho Ho – Racist white people have got to go!”

At Cedar Grove High School the girls softball team took a knee before their playoff game.

[Updated 10/17] As noted by the Pravda commentor, “Let us not forget the 2nd amendment walkout/rally thing that happened. That certainly wasn’t quiet. It was definitely disruptive. Students were not punished for walking out of class in mass.”

However, my son can’t wear a Fake News Network shirt and Russell Brooks’ son can wear a sticker calling for the principal to be fired. There seems to be a double standard here.

What are your thoughts?


Related Articles

Protesting Cheerleaders at DHS – The Whole Story
December 17, 2017 – A black cheerleader was auto cropped out of a cheerleader squad picture when the photo was auto formatted for printing by an online system. Some students sprung into action blaming the cheerleader squad for an intentional action demonstrating racial bias. A protest for this non-event is planned for tomorrow morning and sanctioned by the school district.

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DeKalb Schools – Free Speech….For Some?
November 10, 2017 – DeKalb Schools might have a consistency problem with the First Amendment.
We received a phone call from the principal of the middle school this morning informing us that Jaxon was not allowed to wear an FNN-Fake News Network shirt.
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DeKalb Schools
Students Kneel During National Anthem

October 13, 2017 – The girls at Cedar Grove High School in DeKalb County took a knee before their playoff game. “Basically right now, the flag doesn’t’ mean what it’s supposed to, to me.” a student said.
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