George Floyd
DSST Community,
I reach out to share and voice the sadness, disappointment, and outrage around the recent racist incidents that have plagued our country from New York to Minneapolis to South Carolina to Louisville. In this already sad time of loss with COVID, it is hard to process the unexplainable and senseless deaths that we have witnessed.
All people, no matter where they live in this country, should not live in fear for their safety simply because of the color of their skin. And yet, the reality is that many of our own students, families, and staff live in this very fear today. This is unacceptable. This reality has been with us for hundreds of years and it will take all of us digging in to change this.
Ensuring that all of our students have the physical and emotional safety to learn, live, and thrive is at the heart of DSST’s mission. While we are not physically in school right now, we aim to create a learning environment where each of our students feels safe, seen, and deeply known by their community. It’s humbling to stand in this moment, where it is clear that simply closing the achievement gap is not sufficient. We need a bolder vision for the challenges facing our community, and we will rise to this challenge because we continue to deeply believe in the potential of every single one of our students and staff -- and we will not stop fighting for their right to be safe, free and able to become their best selves.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. voiced a hope in 1963, that I hold onto today.
“Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear-drenched communities, and in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty.”
I have hope that we, together, can help lift the “deep fog of misunderstanding” we live in and bring about the “scintillating beauty” of a truly equitable society in the years ahead.
Bill