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
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.”
This is amazing. Great job, DeKalb!
There is no trademark on the signage, and the official BLM logo (white letters/black background) is not used here. I think as a community we should assume best intent that this is supportive of the students of color and not affiliated with the Cullor/Garza organization. Simply a way to show that in DCSD black lives do matter. More education on implicit bias and systemic racism has been sorely missing and desperately necessary in our education system. I am thrilled DCSD is offering this as a focus week and hope it continues to flavor choices in author focus, history lessons and other ways that highlight the contributions of people of color throughout history. It should not be conflated with a political movement, but instead should be a time to learn, appreciate (and unlearn.)
Thanks for all you do.
How about putting Math periods back to 5 instead of 2? What about utilizing the Wednesday day-off to further student education in the core subjects?
Do that and I can get behind efforts such as these, until then this should be an optional weekend event..
@laptopBoy it is not a zero sum game. Why can’t they do both?
Saying Black Lives Matter and supporting causes of social justice and raising awareness, does not mean you support a “movement” or are a Marxist. Many many Christians and people of various religions, faiths, Republicans, and Democrats are standing alongside to raise awareness and break down these walls of injustice. I am proud of our district for raising awareness in our schools.
Is it Black Lives, All Lives, or All Colored Lives? If everybody throws a hissy if we say All Lives Matter, then how is this a celebration of diversity? BLM supporters have made it perfectly clear that this is about black people.
These events concern me both for myself and for the 1/3rd of my students who aren’t Black. This is not because there’s anything especially wrong with the purpose but rather I am not certain it is appropriate for the public schools to take such an explicit step saying that one community matters more.
Honestly, it feels like we are going backwards in DeKalb. We have gone in a generation from propagandizing the Confederate Lost Cause (which also imagined its promoters to be an unjustly persecuted group) to this new version of heavy handed propaganda that holds up those in power as victims of infinite injustice that can only be righted by endless propaganda and denigration of other groups.
As a non-Black employee of DCSD, I find that I often have to put up with explicitly racial microaggressionsand macroaggressions (mad at Trump? Be like my department head and go cuss out the white guy! Irritated about police killings? Be like the teacher down the hall and send the white guy messages about how he is accountable and we’ll get back at y’all) as well as constant one-sided political propaganda from other staff and administration. It is fairly unrelenting and the constant chorus as promoted by DCSD is that all problems are caused by a vast conspiracy of white people. It’s odd in a county with a Black majority and overwhelmingly Black government that we are literally told by those in power that a barely visible group is pulling the strings and causing all problems. To be honest, it seems a lot like the rhetoric of a secretive Jewish cabal popular in certain 20th century states.
I have to wonder how this plays with our non-Black students. I suspect that many Latino and Asian students are learning that BLM and related causes are not about righting injustice but exercises in political dominance. Just as Lost Cause mythology excluded a large segment of the student body in the past, this does too. And, just as that did, it serves a point of saying to the non-Black students that their concerns (if not their lives) are explicitly of secondary concern to the schools.
This is a discriminatory political agenda that MUST NOT be introduced to students. There are equal protection and 1st amendment violations throughout this program. ALL LIVES MATTER.
Veterans Day ! November 11 – That would be a good opportunity to learn about sacrifice and love for one’s country.
The military is a completely diverse organization made up of people willing to put their lives on the line for all of us.
Maybe BLM week could be celebrated in February during Black History Month. Maybe the board could plan this event as a face to face exercise and get the kids back in school!!!!!! Maybe they could do their jobs!!!
If I don’t do my job, I don’t get paid. Must be nice to get paid for not working for all the kids.
Dekalb Parents, if you haven’t already pulled your students from this mess of a public school district you may want to now over later, the direction is clear that this Superintendent has a goal in mind to change Dekalb into NYC schools. No child will benefit from her agenda. Thankfully she hasn’t allegedly covered up crimes like the first option, but she’s going to further erode a crumbling school district with this type of devise forced programing. Do Asian lives matter? Do Latin lives matter? Do White lives matter? Do ALL lives matter? Good grief. Pull your kids now! I’m sure the Good Dr. will have something brilliant to say about this later as she takes a break from starring at those students dying left and right from Covid.
Pull your kid Defund Dekalb!
The BLM DeKalb Schools proclamation doesn’t seem to be very inclusive.
https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/Meetings/Attachment.aspx?S=4054&AID=1213273&MID=88982
This clearly shows again that N. DeKalb needs to get the Gov’s ear to promote the creation of new local school districts. If you had Chamblee, Dunwoody and Lakeside, you’d have efficiencies of scale plus enough local control to prevent this kind of stupidity (plus one of the top districts in the metro area). Our tax dollars could go into schools that support our community.
I’m all for learning about different cultures. But this is no longer a black/white world. If you look at the schools mentioned above, you’ll see lots of Indian and Asian American kids, Hispanic kids, along with black and white. My kids need to learn about all of the above, not just who is in power.
I’d recommend our students do not participate this week. Email principals and teachers and let them know you will not participate, and to allow the kids to have other assignments given to them.
@Demographics
I completely agree. This week of planned activities in the name of Black Lives Matter in and of itself is divisive. Teachers should be able to say, without retribution, that they will not teach this. Parents who disagree with this should be able to say, without worrying that their child will be targeted, that they won’t allow their child to participate. I am tired of everyone being offended and/or labeling others racists for exercising their constitutional right to freedom of speech. If I do not agree with this Marxist movement and their anti-family platform, or their socialist demands, I have the right to say so and to not have to teach it nor have my child exposed to it.
Some Requests made by a BLM leader… glad Dekalb is associating themselves with this. (not at all)
-White people, if you’re inheriting property you intend to sell upon acceptance, give it to a black or brown family. You’re bound to make that money in some other white privileged way.
-White people, if you can afford to downsize, give up the home you own to a black or brown family. Preferably a family from generational poverty.
-Reparations we demand reparations for past and continuing harms, the government, responsible corporations and other institutions that have profited off of the harm they have inflicted on Black people.
-Finally the founders claim “We are trained Marxists”
Who else would consider this appropriate material for a mandated school programing? I mean all elementary school kids should start hounding their parents now to give up their inheritance and learn Marxist policies.
@ All Lives Matter
Thank you for your intelligence and insight. I could not have said it better!!!
@All Lives Matter
I could not agree more! I would love for you to send this to Dekalb Co. BOE for publication in their weekly newsletter. How about seeing if the new Superintendent will include it in her weekly address? This needs to be sent to the news stations to see if they will report it or will it be confirmed that they are “fake news” when they don’t report it.
If you check what’s going on in the world NOW, not when it was founded, it shows the association of BLM with antifa and violence. The founders have been on video stating that if the police are not defunded, their actions will continue. The potential VP elect has said on video she agrees with their actions and that they should continue. I am all about Black History Month, Hispanic Awareness Month (there should’ve been an equal amount of work put into it as our population is huge). I would prefer to see a Cultural Awareness Month including all the nationalities served in the area. I love them all equally as I believe all lives matter. I do not believe our Country is systemically racist, I believe racists exist. There is a lot of information out there about indoctrination and workshops to void your whiteness, and I hope DeKalb is not going in that direction. I hope this is just a simple declaration with the wrong wording.
I’m disappointed but not surprised to see these comments here.
Even if you are concerned with promoting resilience among all ethnic and cultural groups, and don’t wish to single out Black people as a whole; even if you don’t feel it is the place of the school system to comment on racial disparities and injustices that impact huge numbers of students and families in this community; even if you celebrate free speech and feel that this initiative infringes upon it…
BLM was and continues to be the largest global civil rights movement in human history. The summer of 2020 was defined not only by the pandemic and an intense election, but also a crucial societal reckoning that demanded reexamination of the systemic structures that reinforce racial disparities.
This reckoning did not create divisiveness. It simply held up a mirror and forced people to reevaluate ugly realities that can be defined by data and facts. Black people are disproportionately arrested, convicted, sentenced more harshly, and killed by police more than other racial and ethnic groups. That is why this movement originated, and that is why people began protesting.
Don’t DeKalb students deserve to understand the historical context of this extraordinary time? Shouldn’t we all take the time to examine this initiative and the reasons for its development in a critical way?
For anyone who may have forgotten, reaffirming and uplifting one group of people does not take away from you or anyone else. When one of us shines, we all shine.
I’m concerned about the school district’s lack of inclusiveness. We seem to neglect the other people of color in our diverse community. Earlier this afternoon, I asked the Superintendent to please uplift and affirm the rich history and contributions of the rest of the people of color in our community as well. I asked her to cultivate in all students a sense of pride, self-worth, and self-love.
This new super has quite the political aspirations. So glad we pulled out of DCSD this year.
Translation of @Yes, BLM
Anyone who doubts the wisdom of this is a racist. Anyone who doubts that this will be read by many non-Black students as weighted against them is a racist. Anyone who doesn’t acknowledge the superiority of the race in power is a racist
This agenda has NO place in schools and is an affront to all non-black people. With an already divisive political and social climate, why do we need this?
What we DO need is a mandatory course in civics for all students- to include your rights as citizens, how you should behave when you encounter a police officer, how to engage in polite, respectful civil discourse, and how you respect those in authority. Think about how many escalated events could have been avoided if only the participants didn’t jump to the conclusion to attribute racism to every wrong/bad/questionable thing anyone has ever said or done.
https://www.icivics.org
@Yes,BLM
Facts dispel a lot of what you’ve stated, and that’s part of the problem (blacks are not disproportionately killed by police, more blacks kill blacks – but I digress. This is political, not for children. BLM might’ve been something special in the past, I don’t know nor care. What I know now, is that they’re associated with unrest and violence. This Summer did not define some peaceful protestors calling for change, I am all for that. Instead it was and still is a nightly event of violence, destruction, violation of peoples rights to just be alive on a street corner or eat dinner with friends, businesses burned, people killed, police attacked, lives altered forever. Chants of No Justice No Peace in neighborhoods with children, fires. Celebrate history, all history matters. Jews were slaughtered by the millions, Irish were slaughtered, Italians were slaughtered, every race has been in slavery at some time in history. They should be taught ALL history.
@DCSD Teacher
Equating the decades of teaching of “The Lost Cause” narrative with a one week exploration/celebration of BLM and suggesting that BLM promoters are as misguided in their belief in being a persecuted group as the progenitors of The Lost Cause narrative is so profoundly off base and a total lack of understanding of history that I can’t even begin to respond. That you state to the fact that DeKalb county has black leadership as proof of “new version of heavy handed propaganda that holds up those in power as victims of infinite injustice that can only be righted by endless propaganda and denigration of other groups” shows me you have little to no understanding of SYSTEMS of power in this country. Saying that fighting for rights and justice for African Americans (through a one week educational exploration) in a country that has systematically disenfranchised (and worse) them for CENTURIES is denigration of other groups is just plain wrong. As a white person, I take no offense at learning about all the ways that my fellow white people have perpetrated atrocities against other groups in this country, you might ask yourself, why does that trigger your defensiveness?
And for the people still making claims that being called a racist is infringing on your “freedom of speech” lets review: the 1st amendment protects speech from being infringed by the GOVERNMENT – i.e. the gov’t can’t sanction you or put you in jail for offensive speech. Your 1st Amendment right is NOT being infringed because you said something and someone called you a racist. Your 1st A is NOT being infringed because you “can’t” make jokes that are now considered offensive. You can still say anything you want and no one can arrest you – but that doesn’t mean it won’t have other consequences – like being called a racist. If you are afraid to say something for fear of being called racist, this is NOT an infringement on your Freedom of Speech it is merely the changing standards of the time. If you are afraid to say something for fear of being called racist, you have 3 choices: 1) say it anyway. If that’s what you believe, own it and accept the consequences of your words which may include anger or hurt; 2) Don’t say it because you don’t want to be called a racist, but continue to believe it and resent not being able to say what you think; or 3) acknowledge that what you said/believe is considered racist by someone else and do some self reflection and exploration into WHY that belief is considered racist – perhaps you have something to learn.
I believe Black lives matter, but then again I believe all lives matter. And I also believe that ALL Black lives matter, not just an extremely narrow band of Black lives that have been deemed worthy of protest or media attention. Forget about the thousands of Blacks killed by other Blacks each year, those lives don’t matter to BLM. Just the small number killed by whites- and the even more miniscule number killed by white police officers- THOSE are the only Black lives that really matter, or are worth fighting for, per BLM.
My opinion is, you can believe & affirm that Black lives matter, without supporting or embracing the political organization Black Lives Matter. BLM was clever enough to take as their name a statement that no one would argue against, and then conflate the concept of black lives mattering with their overtly political mission. One place they really lost me- besides being an unabashedly Marxist organization, even if they try to hide that as much as possible- was when they stated on their website in their “What We Believe” section that, “We disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement by supporting each other as extended families and ‘villages’ that collectively care for one another, especially our children, to the degree that mothers, parents, and children are comfortable.” Now, they have since removed this from their website to try to reduce the backlash that they were (deservedly) receiving for it, but the message still stands- BLM thinks a two-parent household is a thing of the past, and clearly doesn’t think it’s beneficial to the lives of Black people. Meanwhile, I would argue that the MOST detrimental problem facing the Black community these days is the breakdown of the intact Black family unit. Obviously you can grow up to have a successful life in a single-parent home, but those are much longer odds than if you grow up with a mother & father that are married & present in the home & in the lives of their children. Even if the parents get divorced, as long as they are both consistently involved with their children, the odds of success for those kids in life increase exponentially. And sadly in America today, over 70% of Black children are born out of wedlock, with the vast majority not having both parents consistently involved in their lives. But then you have BLM essentially saying, “Screw that, intact nuclear families are a racist concept”. Give me a break. And yet, DCSD apparently agrees with them. Shameful, but not surprising.
@BLM cannot oppress you
“As a white person, I take no offense at learning about all the ways that my fellow white people have perpetrated atrocities against other groups in this country, you might ask yourself, why does that trigger your defensiveness?”
Perfectly put.
Black people went through slavery, Jim Crow, etc. There are plenty of studies proving implicit and explicit bias, often internalized by black people themselves. But we white people are going to let a BLM week and some protests get us all offended?
As for riots, I don’t agree with them, but compared to white violence throughout the years it’s not comparable. Also, much of the violence in BLM protests have been tied to white participants.
If y’all want a Hispanic and Asian lives matter week by all means, put in the work.
Black lives matter. No one is saying white lives don’t matter. No one is saying latinx or asian lives don’t matter. What we’re saying, is that we need to admit more wrongful deaths occur to Black people in America.
I also think this is a good opportunity to talk about the protests which occurred over the summer for our students who don’t necessarily have a safe space to learn at the time. This week isn’t about calling anyone racist, but helping to foster the idea that we are all learning how to be kinder humans, how to ask questions, how to understand civil disobedience as it relates to politics.
Furthermore, a cursory dive into anti-racist pedagogy will often use the phrase, “intersectional” meaning we care about intersectional human rights. Again – no one is saying latinx or asian or any other member of our fantastic, diverse population doesn’t matter. In order to abolish discrimination for one, we need to abolish discrimination for all. This week, just this week, is talking about how that relates to Black Americans.
Yes, BLM “when one of us shines, we all shine”
And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why the fastest growing block of Republican voters are Latinos
My child’s teacher read a nice book about a black girl that was told she couldn’t be Peter Pan. At the end, she got to be Peter Pan. I thought it was nice book written by a white British women in 1991. He got a run down of historically black colleges throughout the country.
While I’m not sure that we can figure out policing reform everywhere in a short time frame, I’m pretty optimistic that the City of Atlanta and Dekalb County with 85% Democratic vote margins from top to bottom can make positive change pretty quickly. Kind of surprised we haven’t checked that one off the box already. To the extent that this week’s program helps children in the county, I’m all for it.
More wrongful deaths occur to white people than black people. In 2019 police shot twice as many unarmed white people as unarmed black people. I’ll hold my breathe for the White Lives Matter week in dekalb.
This is all so concerning. Black Lives Matter is political action group and social movement. Why are students of Dekalb this being forced this political indoctrination. All the details in my kids schools haven’t been pushed yet but what was sent to high school families is a 4 hour conference on Thursday. This is another day of lost instruction. How are the kids in courses that are more challenging, or kids struggling or AP students going to be able to learn all the content in half the instruction? So what happened to Veterans Day? will Veterans Day not be acknowledged or celebrated and the students learn about this important day and the importance of veterans service to our country and the world? What about other color students, they are know being told they are not of importance in Dekalb schools. Isn’t there a Black History Month, if you want to celebate Black Universities, black owned businesses etc all this then? These types of agendas are separting our community more. Don’t we want to unite all people?
While a majority of Dekalb students fall behind daily with basic education they were forced to look up and study how they can enroll in historically back college today. What a fantastic use of the little time actually spent on learning today. Do you know what’s not going to help kids apply for those colleges? Their subpar education handed out by a Superintendent and school board who is more interested in virtue signaling than they are about falling behind the rest of the state, let alone the country and the world. But I’m sure learning about black owned businesses will help with that next MAP or SAT test. Way to go Dekalb. Finding new devise ways to break this community while letting down the students yet again.
Also, please let me know when the Marxist education starts or how to loot 101 is implemented. . I also need to make sure we learn how to properly smash a person we don’t agree with over the head with a brick or properly steal. It would be nice to also lean when and where we should imply someone or something is racist. It’s all so confusing.
I view this as a diversionary tactic away from the real work of giving parent/students a choice for F2F and having the leadership to reopen schools. DeKalb leadership is utterly incompetent.
DeKalb supt’s message to DCSD kids…”Your education doesn’t matter”
I’m very disappointed in the lack of inclusiveness. This should be something that represents all people of color and not just black people. I feel like it draws a line in the sand between black peoples and other people of color in our district. That’s not what the movement is truly about yet DCSD seems to just single out black people.
I’m also disappointed the district chose the week where Veteran’s Day is celebrated. Veteran’s Day is a federal holiday and I find it highly inappropriate to completely disregard this holiday.
Personally, I don’t feel comfortable celebrating this movement if all people of color aren’t represented and until more direction is given as to what we can/cannot say. I fear if I accidentally say/do something wrong or offend my non-black families that I could be fired and the district wouldn’t have my back. Asking teachers to teach this is ethically problematic. If it’s not in the state curriculum, I’m not teaching it. If this is something the districts what to move towards then all movements that have oppressed individuals should be represented. It sends mixed messages if it’s okay to talk about BLM and not LGBT.
I’m sorry to those I offend as that’s not my intent. I think the district should’ve thought this out a little bit better. I do believe in the BLM movement l, but I also believe it’s up to families to teach this. As a school system, we can show zero tolerance to racism in schools and enforce policies that promote equality.
I am a black teacher and I will NOT entertain teaching this in any of my classes. It’s just not the place for it. Period.
What happened to that #meto movement? We should teach that next week. And what about gay pride week. That should be taught in school, right? Oh, and let’s not forget about people with severe food allergies. We definitely need a week to teach kids about that. Where does this end? If we give a week to every disadvantaged group, then there will be no school. No math. No reading. No science. We need to teach inclusiveness and love. Not further the hatred and divide.
An entire month devoted solely to black history is not enough?
Remember when that one European Country celebrated one race and promoted that race superiority over other races… while diminishing and vilifying other races? Promoting the beauty and institutions established by one race over others. Remember how it infiltrated the education system? I guess we’re not bright enough to keep political brainwashing out of our systems and we should all take a knee, raise a hand in solidarity while celebrating one race over another. (sounds familiar…again)
Geez…some of you all don’t seem to get it. I’ve been a white guy all of my life and am unlikely to change, but even I get that the deck is stacked against people of color. The colorblind society is a wonderful ideal but it doesn’t exist. Is BLM the way to address this reality, and should we be taking away class time when it’s already so limited? Probably not, but let’s get real. If you don’t recognize that being Black in America comes with challenges that other groups don’t face, you are not grounded in reality.
A majority of homicides are committed by black people. A majority of robberies are committed by black people. I’m saying that a lot of the problems black people are facing are self inflicted.
Chris Rock was on to something when he discussed “How not to get your ass kicked by the police!”. Like Chris Rock says, “You probably won’t get your ass kicked if you just obey the law.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj0mtxXEGE8
Geez @ I have answers…no you don’t.
The majority of comments on this post are EXACTLY WHY BLM EXISTS. I am speechless. I wonder how many of you are fellow parents at my kids’ school and if I knew who you were, I’d avoid you like the plague.
White people (and I’m white) just don’t get it. Racism is a complex system of social and political systems set up generations ago to benefit white people. Our society is designed to benefit white people whether we like it or not. Our children are exposed to racism every single day and the majority of that exposure is derogatory about black and brown people. So yes, HECK YES, there should be curriculum to address this. Otherwise, our kids are going to grow up to sound like the majority of the people on this post.
And I can’t even believe this still needs to be said, but the phrase black lives matter does not mean all lives don’t matter. That’s been cleared up time and time and time again. Once again, North DeKalb parents have shown a bright light on their fragility and it’s absolutely disgusting. It wouldn’t surprise me if most of these negative posts are from that nuts face-to-face group. I got some posts shared with me yesterday that were terrifying – their group think is dangerous and filled with incredibly racist undertones.
Did anyone actually look at the curriculum for the week–which everyone is invited to and I encourage you to do so. The level of snowflaking here by white people freaking out about another ethnic or racial group being centered makes me incredibly disappointed in our community. Stop hiding behind pseudonyms and dog whistle rhetoric about all lives matter and the BLM political movement. Why is a daily program on systemic racism so threatening to you? Why is it a zero sum game? Can’t they do this AND teach the main subjects? Can’t they do this AND provide support for other marginalized groups throughout the year? Why not? Why are you so threatened if our kids are exposed to a point of view that forces them to confront the issue of racism and bias against any group? Ask yourselves, if they hadn’t called it Black Lives Matter week but instead called it Racial Injustice Awareness Week, would you have taken it differently? Or would you have cried about the injustice of teaching about injustice? If all lives actually mattered equally, would we need this? I’m not going to change any minds here, but I’m so sad for our community after reading some of your posts-that no one had the guts to sign their own name to. If you are going to come out against character education involving racial injustice, at least sign you name to it so I can know which neighbors I can avoid and which teachers to make sure my kids DON’T get.
I heard graduation rates have been calculated by the state. Will DCSD report these?
DeKalb County School District’s (DCSD) four-year graduation rate for the Class of 2020 is 75.97%. I’m confident the school district will be pumping that out. I’ll post something when I get more statewide results.
Totally agree that systemic racism is a BIG problem in DeKalb County schools. There are simply far too many reports from parents, students, teachers, and staff of everything from microaggressions to openly racist displays and discussions against members of minority communities to think otherwise. Many of them, of course, are afraid to come forward for fear of retaliation especially when members of the school board itself are some of the most fequent contributors to the problem.
We need to teach our students, ALL our students, that, no matter what race or ethnicity they belong to, they do not need to feel that they are second class. We need to encourage all our staff and teachers to similarly avoid making some students feel like they are considered lesser by the school system simply because of the accident of their birth
Together, we can make DeKalb a place of inclusion and equity and put divisive and aggressive racialisms in the dustbin
Dr King stated that “2 of the most dangerous things on the planet is Sincere Ignorance and Conscious Stupidity “ .Knowledge is Power, black people have been undervalued, underestimated and marginalized, so BLM is important and all lives matter also, if all of us eliminate those 2 things Dr King stated, we will be able to see that all lives matter .
@Sahri Bayer is IS a zero-sum game. It’s why we have laws in Georgia on the number of days of instruction. Last time I checked there is only 24 hours in a day. We worry about overloading our teachers and our students. Why? Because time is a limited resource. I’m not suggesting the BLM curriculum is right or wrong in my reply. But I think it’s naive to think that teaching this new curriculum doesn’t come at the sacrifice of teaching something else.
That’s my biggest concern with this. Our educational system has already limited itself with reduced hours and days. Is there anyone out there who would refute that? Why would you add something new into the mix when we are struggling to keep up with the existing curriculum of math, science, english, social studies, etc.
Also, I challenge anyone responding to use your real name. Stan does it. Why won’t you?
Funny how almost everyone here who loves this program has to resort to name calling and shades of racist attacks while those pointing out the flaws with this programming have stated facts. Here’s the problem, you can’t defend BLM without resorting to calling out a specific race or calling names. Interesting, seems like BLM is indefensible. Black History Month is fantastic, BLM agendas are rooted in Marxism. Your move BLM defenders, please state where BLM isn’t an organization rooted in socially destructive belief systems. We can all use Google so be sure to list your sources.
@Shari Bayer
Respectfully, you sound like a boiler plate for critical race theory, which is political, abusive to whites and condescending to blacks. PARENTS should be teaching children about being kind and respectful, to obey the law and work hard at love and life (which is now supposedly racist to say.) BLM is not a subject it’s a movement, parents can talk with their children about movements, the difference in protesting and rioting and discrimination. How to get things done through channels and how to stand up for what they believe in without violence. The reason I don’t use my real name is because I need my job, I’ve seen people pushed out for less than expressing their opinion on a blog.
I have 4 kids in the system and none have had planned lessons or presentation for BLM week. Ho hum over nothing. Much more info on twitter and FB.
Y’all, there is so much work to do in order to achieve equality in our city/state/country. Our modern day society is not right or fair to Black people because it was literally not designed with their lives in mind. I say this as a white person and I wholeheartedly believe it to be true.
I do not understand how any sound-minded person can read through this blog and associated comments and not see how absolutely critical this curriculum is. While I agree that parents should be the primary teachers on this subject, how do people who deny the daily aspects of racism in our society possibly teach their children to be better? Just look at the gaslighting already happening on this post. Those same people are supposed to be able to articulate to their kids what this means when they don’t seem to understand it themselves?
It’s so much more than teaching love and acceptance. Yes, that’s important. But to negate the trials of the last 200 plus years is not going to change things for the better. We need to have tough conversations about why – why are people “rioting”? Why are people kneeling? Why is this happening? Just saying “love and respect everyone” is not the answer. That’s just a BS meme that people who want to appear “woke” throw on their instagram page.
For what it’s worth, the curriculum for my elementary aged children was just fine and it wasn’t a zero-sum game. Both of their assignments including reading, critical thinking, and writing. It was wonderfully integrated into their regular lesson.
And there are all kinds of reasons people don’t use their real names. We could be reporters. We could be employees of the County. We could be your lawyer. That doesn’t mean we don’t have the right to share our opinion on a blog that was intended to create a dialogue.
Hello @Unreal. Interesting and thoughtful points. How would you say modern society is not designed with black lives in mind? I’m curious to know specifically which design you are talking about. How would you change the design of society that you are referring to with black lives in mind? Thanks, Stan.
This truly is disgusting. People really are just outing themselves. People of my generation, the generation that has school-age children, should be aware of how harmful our public education was when it comes to race, diversity, and tolerance. Part of the reason BLM exists now is because we as a society need to unlearn our aspirations for “colorblindness.” Trying to pretend that biases and differences don’t exist does not erase social inequities and it certainly doesn’t erase this country’s appalling history of violence, prejudice, segregation, and discrimination against Black people and other minorities. As a White person, I am continually learning how the messaging I received as a young person literally whitewashed the realities of being a POC in America. This doesn’t mean that I am marinating in White guilt or am virtue-signaling; it simply means that I accept that maybe I didn’t see the bigger picture when I didn’t have access to all the facts.
It’s okay to change your opinion when you get new information. It’s okay to listen. It’s okay to be skeptical, evaluate, reflect, and revise.
As a previous commenter said, it’s clear that these people that are triggered by this initiative haven’t even looked at the curriculum. Some of it is based on medical research published by the Surgeon General. Some of it is just HISTORY. And no, it shouldn’t be relegated to “Black History Month,” because Black history is American history, and it’s relevant year-round. It’s particularly relevant when it’s in the zeitgeist.
To the person that said we shouldn’t focus on this because we need to focus on MAP scores–I honestly feel sorry for your child, if you have any. I would much rather young people learn to think critically about nuanced social issues than continue to get hammered with mind-numbing lessons on test-taking strategies. Standardized testing is not education. And to the person who compared BLM to Nazi Germany, well, bless your heart.
I truly wonder how black students react to this week and emphasis. As a teenager, I would have loathed any special focus placed on my skin color that would differ me from others.
I don’t subscribe to all of the BLM political organization’s particular goals and don’t think it belongs in schools. I’ve already communicated this to my kids’ principals.
They are already struggling with the little instructional time they do have. Reading, writing, and arithmetic are more important in the era of virtual learning. That said, I sure hope Veteran’s Day is mentioned in school this week.
Stan, you are courageous, thoughtful, and fight for right. Thank you for your service. You put up a good fight for all of our children (regardless of skin color or sexual orientation). It is a shame that our board never chose to engage in an honest exchange of ideas with you (or anyone else, for that matter). Asking hard questions in an open minded was is vital to our ability to evolve. Stan, you do that well. Thank you. God willing, the rest of the DCSD board will eventually grow up and do the same.
Yeah . . . Just want my children to have a superior education. Not social indoctrination and engineering.
What has happened to education? This is why your children are less desirable as employees.
Clearly, DeKalb ain’t the place to live for public education.
@Stan, I sense your question may be intentionally obtuse but I’ll play along. Here are some examples of what I mean. Some are big and some are small but none are okay.
1. I can refinance my home based on my income and credit without my race increasing my rate. Atlanta Fed CEO Raphael Bostic has developed some excellent content on this.
2. I can see my dr or ER about a weird rash and will receive optimum care because my dr will have been trained to diagnose and treat based on white skin. There are countless other medical conditions that follow similar suit.
3. I can speak to my friends, family and coworkers without code switching because my natural tone, style and inflection are what’s acceptable in society.
4. I can wear my hair in any way I like without fear of backlash from my employer or school. Remember the kid that couldn’t walk in his graduation ceremony because of his lochs?
5. I can disagree with people without being labeled an “angry black woman”.
6. I can feel confident that if law enforcement hurts my family, they would be disciplined and/or prosecuted without protests or riots.
7. I can send my kids to a new school or a new friends birthday party without having “the talk”. Google this if you’re not sure what I’m referring to.
8. I can secure funding for my business through Atlanta’s COVID relief fund at an exponentially higher rate than my Black counterparts, despite many Black folks being more qualified. Several organizations have analyzed this data and it is downright depressing.
9. My entire life has included positive examples of people that look like me. Books when I was a kid. Disney characters. The way people are depicted on TV, in movies and in product packaging. I could buy bandaids and tights in my skin tone while my team mates had to dye their garments in coffee for a “nude” look.
10. I had 3 early voting locations within 5 minutes of my home. Black communities did not. A simple look at early voting maps across GA will illustrate this.
So yes, I think America was not designed for people of color. In every example I provided, a person, organization or industry made a decision or “designed” something. But it’s not hopeless and I think the issues of 2020 provide an opportunity to start talking about it. And that’s what I’m doing.
@Unreal. You didn’t mention anything about how America was designed. America was designed on the set of beliefs that all people are created equal, whether European, Native American, or African American, etc … and that these people have fundamental rights, such as liberty, free speech, freedom of religion, due process of law, and freedom of assembly. These designs were documented in the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, the Bill of Rights, etc …
I don’t deny the evils of racism, slavery and Jim Crow. Historically speaking, many of these designs have obviously been denied in practice, even by the people who championed them. Nevertheless, these designs were valid then and remain valid now. We need to fulfill the designs and beliefs dictated by those documents.
@stan you are being obtuse. Everything I mentioned above was by design. America was not actually created under the belief that we are all equal. Our founding fathers may have expressed equality but they didn’t practice it in their own lives. Some did stand up but many retreated when things became uncomfortable. Wordsmith my use of “design” all you want. I stand by what I said. There is power in being white and that’s exactly what was intended.
I’ll continue to question everything I learned, as so perfectly stated by @why is this even up for debate. But by all means, keep promoting what you believe as that will surely work – at some point – maybe after 3oo years?
I believe that BLM Week is well-intended, but the name unfortunately is too divisive based on the immediate reactions it causes among the public. This creates unnecessary controversy that detracts from the education that needs to happen about inequity and institutionalized systemic racial injustice. Skip the controversy, teach the facts.
@Unreal many of your examples of inequity in response to Stan’s question about design are clear and concrete examples that should be taught in schools during “Racial Injustice Awareness Week”.
@Stan Jester
I agree that the founding documents of this country had good intent in their “design”, particularly the added Bill of Rights. However, we also have to acknowledge that the original document itself had significant flaws, specifically in how the Constitution protected slavery.
Article 1, Section 2 – the famous 3/5th compromise – slaves in a state count as 3/5 person for purposes of allocating representation in Congress
Article 1, Section 9 – prohibits Congress from banning the importation of slaves
Article 4, Section 2 – the “fugitive slave clause”
Article 5 – prohibits above from being amended.
Racial inequity dates back to the founding of this country and various generations have been able to incrementally improve equality, but there is a long way to go. Just because the constitution included protection of slavery doesn’t mean we throw out the entire constitution. Likewise, just because BLM has contestable elements such as founder’s Marxism, doesn’t mean we wholesale throw out the other ideas behind having a BLM Week.
Stick to teachable and verifiable facts about system racial injustice, choose an inoffensive name. Personally, I don’t think BLM as a motto is offense, but we live in a society that has politicized a communicable illness into a culture war. So here’s my vote for #DCSDRacialInjusticeAwarenessWeek
so: this thread
TL:DR;
group 1: hmm, adding something to curricula with less than a week’s notice?Is this a good idea?
group 2: YOU ARE AN EVIL RACIST
group 1: we’ve lost 60% of instructional time. Is this a good idea?
group 2: YOU ARE AN EVIL RACIST
group 1: a lot of our students are not Black. this might make them feel excluded. Is this a good idea?
group 2: YOU ARE AN EVIL RACIST
group 1: many non-Black staff claim explicit workplace hostility and discrimination based on race. Is this a good idea?
group 2: YOU ARE AN EVIL RACIST
group 1: BLM for what ever else is widely seen as a divisive movement. Is this a good idea?
group 2: YOU ARE AN EVIL RACIST
group 1: to have an official push that highlights the group in power locally as needing to be honored is problematic. Is this a good idea?
group 2: YOU ARE AN EVIL RACIST
group 1: the shop at black owned businesses plank is actively encouraging students and staff to discriminate based on race. Is this a good idea?
group 2: YOU ARE AN EVIL RACIST
group 1: this seems like something that gets a lot of people upset. Is this a good idea?
group 2: YOU ARE AN EVIL RACIST
That any and all criticisms are answered in the same way is telling. More importantly, if, as many in this thread are claiming, the police, courts, school system, and other government institutions are specifically aimed at oppression of the Black population of DeKalb County and that even the polling places are specifically designed to stop Black voters in DeKalb County, doesn’t this explicitly mean that the leadership of those institutions (all of which are super majority African American) here in DeKalb County is actually white supremacist? If that is true, then clearly a week like this is not the way to end this.
Stan,
Have you seen the official “My Black Is Beautiful” material?
Is the district implicitly saying non-Black children are NOT beautiful?
@Steve in Stone Mountain
No.
Using the phrase Black Lives Matter, the name of the multi-billion dollar INTERNATIONAL organization, means you associate with and agree with all of their values and actions. To say otherwise is naive at best and sinister at worst. There is way too much known info out there now to make this mistake. Associating with BLM in 2014 was acceptable, but not in 2020.
Saw the tag line: Every.Shade.Slays ……really the best the PR group could come up with?!
BLM week, while there hasn’t been a peep about Veterans Day from Dekalb today on social media. Oh and almost 25% of Dekalb Students DO NOT GRADUATE FROM HS! Where is the focus??!? Let’s celebrate being last in the metro area in graduation rates, promote one skin tone over another and completely ignore those that fight on a daily basis to protect our right to be free in the greatest country in the world. (don’t believe that leave the country and ask a local in any location) Stay Classy Dekalb County Public Schools.
Just great. Dekalb County School District was just on national Fox News with Laura Ingraham, for the non-optional, week-long BLM indoctrination, when the educational/essential basics of virtual learning are already failing our kids. BLM should NOT be a priority. They said there would be more to come about this…maybe tomorrow night. Parents are in an understandable uproar.
Session 3: Health and Well-being: The Impact in the Black Community Did you know African Americans ages 18-49 are two times as likely to die from heart disease than whites and African Americans ages 35-64 years are 50% more likely to have high blood pressure than whites? Learn about social and economic conditions that may put African-Americans at higher risks than others for having health problems.
cabinet-mosobleirc.ru, Did you know all other people of color are more likely to die of suicide than black people? Probably not because everybody else can suck it.
Perhaps if we were serious about wanting to show that Black Lives Matter and reduce the toll from COVID in the Black community, DCSD would put efforts in to teaching proper health and nutrition as well as portion control to our students. Many of the faculty and staff too could learn from this. In fact, a challenge for all faculty who are obese to slim down would do a lot of good. Concentrating on the over-eating and poor diet choices of our Black families would be a really good thing
I have read many of these posts, and I recognize my own views in many of them. I am almost afraid to share one more idea. Anti-semitism is rampant on the left and the right, so I feel that as Jewish person, I won’t find support in either camp. However, one of the platforms of BLM was (it has since been deleted because of the backlash)was the destruction of Israel. Since Israel isn’t here, and Israel didn’t have slaves from Africa, and Israel was built on the graves of Jewish slaves murdered by Nazi monsters, I can only conclude that this organization is fueled by hatred of Jews from black leaders such as Obama, Farakhan, Jackson, Wright, and newly discovered information about Warnoch, who asserts that Israel is an apartheid country. Yes, black people should be allowed to live in peace, but why are they advocating the destruction of the only Jewish State where all Jews can be safe while complaining about the harm to their own people. It sounds oxymoronic to me.
Hello, I’m a Jew, and I do agree with the comparison of Israel to South Africa. Palestinians are treated worse than 2nd class citizens.
Jews are not a monolith. Not all of us support Israel’s politics.
Wow. I tried so hard to not engage with some of the most asinine comments here. But this is just too silly.
Y’all are watching the Nazi-saluting Laura Ingraham and bringing obesity into this. You’re actually asking if the phrase “black is beautiful” implies that other nonblack children are not. The verbal gymnastics is awesome. All the county wants to do is tell its black students that they are valued, that they are important, that they can be business owners (Go, Slutty Vegan!), that their skin and hair are beautiful, that even when a time when blacks were denied education, HBCUs were created to fill that void and an essential part of America’s colleges and universities. Celebrating this takes NOTHING away from others.
You guys are all meshugana, seriously.
mobile.twitter.com/IngrahamAngle/status/1326939963716407297?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet
Approx. halfway through this national Fox News video from last night, is the highlight on Dekalb County Schools! It is NOT good to make the news this way. BLM is SO wrong in their approach.
This discussion thread makes me very sad. To the teacher that spoke of her third grade students, no one is saying that someone’s race matters more than another. I am having a hard time even processing that this is where we are right now in 2020. It’s 2020, NOT 1820. It will be okay. The United States 44th President was in office for two full terms and look what happened in 2016. Eight years out of forever. If it will make you feel any better just pretend that Black History Month actually got one of the 11 months out the year this time instead of the shortest. All of this because a race is finally acknowledging their worth? NO ONE has said anything about the race being worth more than another. But if this is the reaction of adults who are actually raising and teaching youth this will NEVER stop. Whether you realize it or not, you are doing the same thing that has been done for years. This truly breaks my heart.
I grew up in a town and school district that was about 3% black and roughly 90% white, they had BLM rallies this summer and BLM yard signs are all over town. Thirty years later, the black population is almost 4% and roughly 84% white. Black people will never be the majority there, but they are acknowledging that a race actually matters and we can not stand the killing of defenseless people and justifying it and going about daily lives. And to be clear, that is white on black killing and black on black killing. It ALL needs to stop. When people feel valued and others actually acknowledge their worth its can be a win for all of us. Why do we have to be so divisive? This truly breaks my heart. God help us.
p.s. To the person that spoke of the Superintendent and her bringing New York here, not nice to say. I am not from NY, but it is still not nice.
DO BETTER
Cry more abtfocuz.
NYC is here in full force. Shutdown schools despite success around the state, extreme liberal agenda, underperforming students, corruption, buildings overcrowded and falling apart, etc. The superintendent should be ashamed of the direction she’s chosen so far. Her agenda may work for some but when the district loses accreditation and attendance don’t act surprised.
@To Yes BLM said on November 9, 2020 at 4:35 PM: Facts dispel a lot of what you’ve stated, and that’s part of the problem (blacks are not disproportionately killed by police, more blacks kill blacks –
——————————————————————-
The “blacks killing blacks” problem is one reason why kids need to repeatedly be told that black lives matter.
Black lives do matter.
@Stan Jester – November 10, 2020 at 7:49 PM “Y You didn’t mention anything about how America was designed. America was designed on the set of beliefs that all people are created equal, whether European, Native American, or African American, etc … and that these people have fundamental rights, such as liberty, free speech, freedom of religion, due process of law, and freedom of assembly. These designs were documented in the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, the Bill of Rights, etc …”
——————————————————————————
No Stan, I disagree.
The USA was actually built atop a foundation of white supremacy and slavery.
It doesn’t matter what the Constitution and Bill of Rights said because ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS!
Slaves didn’t have any of those fundamental rights you list and arguably black people still do not have freedom of assembly — whenever too many black people congregate in one place the Karens inevitably start calling 911.
All you woke white liberals, and allies, guess what? Blacks hate you. Despise you, and have no respect for you. None. But they should be glad you fall for it and voted progressives into office. Remember, Biden won because of black women. That’s what they believe. It’s comical.
Whites should never be willing to give up something to change the racial makeup of where they live or what school they send their children to.
Hello DSW2Contributor. “America was built atop a found of white Supremacy and slavery” is a claim made by the New York Time’s 1619 project and is gaining popularity.
I argue that America was built on the beliefs that people have fundamental rights, such as liberty, free speech, freedom of religion, due process of law, and freedom of assembly. I recognize that these principles weren’t always practiced and that slaves didn’t have these rights. Nevertheless, America is rooted in natural law and these principles remain true today.
Slavery was horrific. I also recognize that the origin of America is a victim of its time. Slavery and such horrors were prolific around the world. America fought these horrors over time here and around the world.
What America do we live in? What are our values? Are we a country based on freedoms and liberty? Slavery is the most horrific part of American history, but is it the root of American History?
The original Constitution was a victim of history. It did not prohibit slavery, but the Constitution also did not enshrine slavery. The 3/5 rule was intended to reduce the influence of the South.
Even Frederick Douglas recognized that saying, “Now, take the constitution according to its plain reading, and I defy the presentation of a single pro-slavery clause in it. On the other hand it will be found to contain principles and purposes, entirely hostile to the existence of slavery.”
The really fascinating thing about this is that the Board announcement of it came basically the moment that it began to look like Biden would win the presidential election
If he hadn’t, this event would likely have triggered a federal DOE investigation and loss of federal funds
@StanJester. Ya can’t win with some white folks. They just won’t own up to the America they built on genocide, revolution and slavery. America has just never live up to ” All men were created equal”. We keep trying though.
@Demographics~Do you need a hug? I’m black woman and I don’t hate all white people. The nerve. I’m a hard working educator, with three degrees, two jobs and working day and night to ensure my son has an opportunity. No one has had to give up anything for my son to attend a great school, learn to swim and speak two languages. I did that! You really should be banned from this site because you promote the type of hate this world needs to get rid of! It’s people like you that hide your hate and vitriol behind a screen!I pray my son never has to interact with anyone like you because you’ve made your mind up about him before you even get to know him!
@Obesity kills I know obese people in all races. Meh.
Looks like the “All Lives Matter” team is also mad that “All VOTES Matter”
Those who know BLM means “BLM too” understand that those mail in ballots mattered too.
BLUE WAVE
For those who automatically agreed with “ I have an answers” simple-minded, basis, and hate filed propaganda , please be enlighten and do not based fact on preconceived notions based on the principals on which this country’s belief system was created. Documented government evidence from an established American entity says different on who commits the majority of crimes in our country . Please speak facts before you post ignorant comments as factual information , as I’m sure you love to say “ fake news…. very, very bad”….
Fact on who commits majority of crime in America:
https://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/crime/ucr.asp?table_in=2
This is America. Thank you for those stats and proving what I said was accurate, “A majority of [murders] are committed by black people. A majority of robberies are committed by black people.”
Also, thanks for showing us how “Fake News” really works.
@ I have answers-You and Demographics should have lunch!
Interesting discussion on Laura Ingraham show, Fox News. https://twitter.com/ingrahamangle/status/1328755715796766727?s=21 She actually shows the episode on Moby Max.
Segment on Laura Ingraham show, Fox News. https://twitter.com/ingrahamangle/status/1328755715796766727?s=21 She actually shows the episode on Moby Max.
I have never been able to figure out why some white people hate black people when they have enslaved and oppressed black people for 400 years.
I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dekalb Co and BLM… hold my beer….
So much hate in this county by bitter angry hate filled racists. Remember the biggest armed militia march in 2020 was in deKalb county — the racist racial supremacist “No Fucking Around Coalition”(yes racial supremacists like so many of DeKalb County’s racist teachers and school administrators — they advocate a racially pure nation after they drive out or kill all whites)
These racists HATE half the county
DeKALB is LITERALLY the MOST RACIST COUNTY IN GEORGIA
MOVE OUT OF DEKALB COUNTY IF YOU ARE NOT DEDICATED TO THE IDEA THAT ONE RACE IS SUPERIOR AND ALL OTHERS SHOULD BE PUNISHED ETERNALLY
We need to be inclusive. When are we going to witness Latin Voices Matter? considering the fact of a growing Latin/Hispanic population in the school district…just saying.