June 4, 2020

Dear Lab School Family,

If there ever were a moment that I deeply desired we could be together face to face in real space, it would be now. As that is not an option in the midst of this pandemic, we are doing our best to employ our video connections to be present with our students and faculty and staff to share our feelings of pain, urgency, and historical negligence.  We are making time to listen to each other. We are hearing and owning the truth that black and brown people are not safe in our country and they are denied the opportunities promised to all Americans. The recent egregious deaths of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd lay bare once again the reasons why. This is a moral moment in our history. We must acknowledge that our society of white privilege has denied others pathways to education, prosperity, and safety despite their inherent capabilities, determination, and contributions to our country.

Like all schools, we are in care of the future generation of adults in this country. We have a precious opportunity to change the future through education. This past week has been a siren in our ears; we have yet to do enough. We must study and better understand the scope and gravity of racism in our society and aggressively dig down to the roots of this scourge. We must teach our students the truth of the history of people who have been invisible in our white society, mistreated, denied access and ultimately whose lives have been stolen. Only through acknowledging these inequities and standing together for justice and love of all will we heal this country. Our faculty and staff are united in doing our part to reset the moral compass of America in pursuit of a better tomorrow for all people-black, brown and white.

In peace,

Katherine