The Language of Action: Statements That Walk [June 2020 Chat]

EduColor had a chat in June about the plethora of Black Lives Matter statements made by schools and districts across the country and how they stood as a mirror for the anti-Blackness we often seen in those very schools and districts. This was hosted by Yamil Baez, Hema Khodai, and Jose Vilson.

Here are some questions:

• How soon after the first wave of George Floyd protests did leadership in your educational communities send out a statement in its regard?
• What is some language you’ve found in these statements that is non-committal to making changes in response to recent calls to action?
• In what ways have you’ve seen or wished for language that is actionable and welcomes accountability?
• Walking the talk- which education community leaders connect action to their words? What does that look like?
• Have there been any silences from educational communities that you noticed and/or surprised you?

For more, follow us on Twitter.

Also, we didn’t need a statement for this moment. Our work is the statement. But if you need an explainer, here’s one.