(Reflection of Christopher Russo, Assistant Superintendent in Portland and Reynolds and currently the Director of the American School of Asuncion, Paraguay.)
“In this country American means white. Everybody else has to hyphenate.” Toni Morisson.
Don't look away. Lean in and understand what is happening--only then can one of privilege whether inherent or by birth begin to understand the plight of the underserved and oppressed. Given most recent events, it has caused me to reflect upon my roots and formative training in equity work.
Equity does not mean to "become equal" but rather it is a leveling of the playing field specifically for those who have come up in an environment that, whether overtly or systematically built, has not been designed to elevate the marginalized. For many of privilege the world has been designed to our norms, beliefs, and cultural axioms--I do include myself in that group! This is also interestingly the case in many countries abroad, even countries where the people are predominantly of color.
How do we change our organization to embrace individuals of color and different culture? First acknowledge color and/or culture--name it. Often we are taught to do so is rude or biased. Color and culture are real and tangible--specifically for those who it is their daily reality. They can't ignore it---it's their every day existence. Once these realities are acknowledged, then revaluate the foundations of the organization and note the places where either color or culture are not openly recognized and valued. Biases aren't always classically overt, but can manifest more subtly and hide in practices that appear inclusive.
I was blessed to be a part of the vanguard of Oregon's equity movement during its formative time when it started within public schools. The Board, the community at the time, my colleagues of many races and creeds all embraced the idea that business as usual needed to be challenged. It was difficult--it was wrought with conflict and courageous conversations, but we made systemic change. And more importantly we fundamentally believed in that change. A pillar to the foundational work was our district's equity policy--one of the first in the nation. This redefined our core beliefs and gave us a road map for the work which thankfully, even in these trying times, continues today.
We as people with power (often we are white) need to use our privilege and voices to elevate and make space for those who are not heard--that's what being an "ally" means. Its our obligation to use our influence to challenge and redesign systems that people or color don't have access to, at least to the point where those individuals can enter the work and take the lead filling the space with authentic and valuable perspective.
It all starts with a long look in the mirror and in that seeing and acknowledging what is observed both within yourself and the environment around. From that acknowledgement, committing to the change that truly embodies the values we aspire to is the next step And expect it to be difficult. Sometimes the look hurts, but honestly, that's what change does--through that pain, that difficulty, we can reimagine our realities.
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