June 10, 2020
Dear NOBLE citizens,
The actions across our country in recent months continue to remind us of the longstanding history of racial injustice that has occurred in America. We need not look beyond the recent brutal deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor to understand that systemic racism is a real thing in our country.
Speaking for our communities of Berwick, North Berwick, and Lebanon, I urge each of us to join in one voice to take a strong stance against such violence and to oversee the moral and ethical imperative before us. Education is not just something we receive in the school setting but is part of our daily experience. We all may work to become advocates for a peaceful society in which all people thrive, no matter race, color, ethnicity, or any other uniqueness which we can celebrate.
As a district, we strive for the promotion of culturally responsive practices. We support and believe in the development of equity, justice, empathy, understanding, honoring, and celebration, yet we are not “done” with our work. It is important that we, the staff of MSAD #60, continue to develop a better understanding of the lives and experiences of all with whom we interact.
We stand united with each of our community members to fight for racial equality. I, as a white male representative of the majority in a state that does not yet represent the statistical “melting pot” of color and ethnicity across much of our country, understand I have flaws and am a continual work in progress. I invite you to join me on my journey to celebrate the uniqueness of each person I encounter, which is integral to the ideals of America. I do not want to see one more person die or face other injustices simply because of the color of his/her skin.
To that end, I am sharing the following resources with you, my friends, colleagues, and students. I ask that you join me in making MSAD #60 a beacon of light for all of our families. After all, WE ARE NOBLE!
With hope for a better tomorrow,
Steve Connolly
MSAD #60 Superintendent of Schools
The following resources were excerpted from a June 6 Maine Department of Education publication:
For those who want to do something right now: starting with your own self-education on your own implicit biases and the history of racism in this country is a good place to start. Consider reviewing these resources and engaging in conversations with loved ones about the issues you’re reading about. Please be cautious about asking your friends who are people of color (POC) to educate you on these traumatic topics. There are a lot of materials already developed for you to learn from. It is not the responsibility of POC to teach white people about racism.
For educators:
Short video “I am from here” with discussion guide
Self-Care:
It is essential that we take care of ourselves and each other during this difficult time. Below are some resources for educators and students to support their own emotional well-being.
Activities and Books:
So You Want to Talk about Race, Ijeoma Oluo
Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria, Beverly Daniel Tatum
How to be Anti-Racist, Ibram X. Kendi
Waking Up White, Debby Irving
White Fragility, Robin DiAngelo
Me and White Supremacy, Layla F. Saad
Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates
Other People’s Children, Lisa Delpit
Books for children/the classroom:
The Hair Love, Matthew A. Cherry
A Computer Called Catherine, Suzanne Slade
Let’s Talk About Race, Julius Lester
Whose Toes Are Those?, Jabari Asim
Lovely, Jess Hong
Note: Many of these titles are currently on back order. Consider purchasing the audio book, watching online interviews with the authors, following them on social media, or listening to podcasts from the authors in the meantime.
Anti-Racist Resources for White Americans: An extensive list of resources scaffolded into developmental stages of understanding and advocacy.
On managing when things are not okay and haven’t been for centuries: Leadership resources
The National Association for the Education of Young Children, Equity Resources: An extensive list of resources for teaching for equity with young children.
Anti-Racism Resources for White People: A compilation of resources for white people and parents to deepen their anti-racism knowledge and work.
75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice: Curated by Medium and updated regularly.
Teaching about Race, Racism, and Policy Violence: A resource from Teaching Tolerance for educators to address subjects in the classroom.