Amanda Gorman is a 22-year-old Los Angeles resident and daughter of a school teacher who began writing at an early age in an attempt to cope with a speech impediment. By age 16, she was named the Youth Poet Laureate of Los Angeles, and a few years later while studying sociology at Harvard, she became the first National Youth Poet Laureate. Last week, she read her poem, "The Hill We Climb," at the presidential inauguration, a recognition of both the pain in America's past and the promise of its' future.
As we head into February and Black History Month we are proud that in 2020, the TUSD Board of Trustees passed a resolution in support of Black students, families, and staff:
A RESOLUTION of the Board of Trustees of the Turlock Unified School District to declare that the lives of Black students, families, and staff are valued and that we encourage district-wide participation in the national Black History Month recognition of the contributions of Black Americans held annually during the month of February.
WHEREAS, in response to both currently and historically disparate treatment of African Americans, a nationwide movement has arisen to assert that lives of Black students, families, and staff are valued; and
WHEREAS, a national movement has arisen to assert that the lives of Black students, families, and staff are critical to the success of campuses that serve all children; and
WHEREAS, throughout our nation’s history, institutional and structural racism and injustice have contributed to deepening racial disparities across all sectors of society and have had lasting negative consequences for our communities, cities, and nation; and
WHEREAS, historically, when Black people have fought for a more democratic society, the lives of all people have improved and, conversely, each time barriers to Black people’s potential have been erected, our whole society has suffered; and
WHEREAS, specifically recognizing that the lives of Black students, families, and staff are valued does not negate our commitment to ALL of our students, but rather increases awareness of Black students’ struggle to trust that our society respects them, we must affirm that their lives, specifically, matter; and
WHEREAS, the problems of society are mirrored in schools, and these problems can only be fully addressed with a united effort of community and school coming together for the betterment of our students’ future; and
WHEREAS, numerous and diverse community groups, residents, and teachers wish to participate in the education, reflection, dialogue, and action in order to engage educational communities throughout Turlock in activities that support the understandings and affirmations that underlie the national movement to assert that the lives of Black Americans are essential; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the Turlock Unified School District Board of Trustees declares that the lives of our Black students are valued, the lives of our Black families are valued, the lives of our Black teachers and staff members are valued, and that all Black lives are valued as demonstrated by enacting equitable policies and practices to their fullest extent.
Have a lesson you teach during Black History Month you'd like to share with colleagues? Will your students be writing a poem/story or creating a piece of artwork on this topic that could be featured in the TUSD Weekly Update? Reach out to Marie at mrussell@turlock.k12.ca.us.
