By Meena Harris, Photo: iStock, November 15, 2021
Over the last year-and-a-half, as the coronavirus pandemic triggered school closures, haphazard virtual learning setups, and confusing safety guidelines, parents of school-age children have been driven to the brink — juggling their jobs with a full-time commitment to ensuring their kids are getting a safe, quality education.
For parents of color, including myself, that health crisis has been compounded by a racial justice crisis. While we navigated both crises, Republican lawmakers in 28 states have sought to bar educators from discussing racism, equity and justice in classrooms.
My home state of California, where my daughters go to school, is thankfully not one of them. But even the bluest states can’t escape the scourge of racism in America’s education system: today, New York, Illinois, and yes, California, are the most segregated states in the nation for Black students. It’s a reality I’ve experienced firsthand in the Bay Area, where we are one of few Black families in the school district — which, at least at the elementary-school level, doesn’t appear to have explicit plans to discuss anti-racism with an audience ready (and eager!) to learn about it.
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