Black Lives Matter at School
BLACK LIVES MATTER AT SCHOOL - 2022
Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action - January 31 - February 4
This year’s Week of Action will be taking place from January 31, 2022 - February 4, 2022. As you prepare for this year’s week of action in your school, district, and/or community, here are some useful resources:
• Review the curriculum resources [https://www.blacklivesmatteratschool.com/curriculum.html]. Choose some to use in your own classroom, share with your colleagues.
• Look though the 13 Guiding Principles [https://www.blacklivesmatteratschool.com/13-guiding...] and consider how you can expand student understanding of these principles through your Week of Action.
• Read about the BLM at School demands, and find ways to advocate for them in your school, district, and community [https://www.blacklivesmatteratschool.com/the-demands.html].
• Purchase BLM at School gear or publications [https://blmatschoolstore.com/].
• Use this Starter Kit to dive deeper into your planning [https://www.blacklivesmatteratschool.com/starter-kit.html].
• Submit this form to share your action [https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLSdWHGZXVpzEc9.../viewform].
While we do think it is important to give extra visibility to this work during the Week of Action, the National Black Lives Matter at School Steering Committee has called this the Year of Purpose to emphasize the fact that this work must continue all year long. See the Year of Purpose page for reflection questions and monthly activities [https://www.blacklivesmatteratschool.com/year-of-purpose...]
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BLACK LIVES MATTER AT SCHOOL - 2020
We are defined by the actions we take in the face of adversity. Over the past several months as we navigated the impacts the COVID-19 pandemic, and now as our communities are engaging in a moment in history where racial and police violence are at the center of the national debate, your building leaders have demonstrated that we are ready to rise to the challenge. At the June 8 Representative Assembly, building leaders endorsed taking several actions to support the anti-racism work in our communities:
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Thank you to all who attended the Black Lives Matter Statewide March and General Strike on June 12! See pics below....
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Call for SPS to divest all resources, contracts, and funding to the Seattle Police Department.
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Demand for the removal of the Seattle Police Officer Guild from the Martin Luther King Labor Council.
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Support the call for a 50% reduction in police funding and the redirection of funds towards prioritizing community-led health and safety strategies.
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Form a SEA committee to critically examine the current CBA language using a racial equity lens to address when educators should call 911.
Pics from the BLACK LIVES MATTER march on Friday, June 12:

To view larger versions of the pics, follow this link.
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BLACK LIVES MATTER AT SCHOOL 2019
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Black Lives Matter at School website link.
WEA Resources for Black Lives Matter at School.
The National BLM Week Story
Resources from the National Black Lives Matter Week of Action in our Schools.
SEA Representative Assembly Endorsement
Ethnic Studies – Educator Created Curriculum
Lessons (more to come; check back often)
Black Lives Matter In The Classroom
Race and Equity
- Bringing Black Lives Matter into the Classroom
- Classroom library assessment: How Culturally Responsive is your library?
- Social Justice Standards: The Teaching Tolerance Anti-bias Framework
- Can Equity Be Taught
- What Learning about Slavery Can Teach Us About Ourselves
- Teaching your kids not to “see” race is a terrible idea Studies have found
- 5 things well meaning white educators should consider if they really want to close the achievement gap
- There is no apolitical classroom: Resources for teaching in these times
- Back to School: A survival guide for teachers of color
Book Lists
- Black Books Matter
- Books about African Americans
- Black Boy Joy: 29 picture books Featuring Black Male Protagonists
- Books that Explore the Refugee Experience
- 10 Beautiful Indigenous Childrens Books to add to your library
- 37 Childrens books to help talk about racism and discrimination
- 17 New Authors of Color Writing much needed stories for kids
- Our Favorite South Asian Books in 2017
- Captivating Kids Stories to Recognize Privilege
- 15 Beautiful Books That Introduce Mexican Culture and History of Kids
Teaching Resources
- Why Teaching Black Lives Matter Matters Part 1
- Black Lives Matter At School: Chicago Teachers Union
- Tools and Resources to Support Social Justice and Antibias Lessons
- Relationship Building Through Culturally Responsive Classroom Management
- Here's a brilliant way to talk to kids about race and privilege
- Reading Racism in Dr. Seuss
- The Online Reference Guide to African American History
- A People’s History of Muslims in the United States
Recent Media
Seattle Teachers Rally for Black Lives Matter at School
NJEA Joins call for Black Lives Matter at School Week, Feb 5-11
Last year, Seattle Public School educators throughout the district worked together with colleagues, parents and families, community members, and students to make a statement that Black Lives Matter by wearing a BLM t-shirt and teaching lessons and holding events that recognized and honored Black Lives. Many other cities across the United States also collaborated and organized in solidarity. For the second year, educators from those cities and many more have come together to organize a Nationwide Black Lives Matter at Schools Week. According to TeachingforChange.org, "the goal of Black Lives Matter Week of Action in Schools is to spark an ongoing movement of critical reflection and honest conversation in school communities for people of all ages to engage with critical issues of racial justice." (from the blacklivesmatteratschool.com website): “…educators in the BLM at School movement developed these demands for the movement:
The lessons that educators taught during that week of action corresponded to the thirteen guiding principles of Black Lives Matter:
There are multiple ways to participate and join the educators nationwide in solidarity.
Thank you for your continued hard work and dedication to supporting our students. In Unity, Marquita Prinzing NBI on BLM Week passed by the Seattle Education Association Representative Assembly in December 2018 Whereas the Seattle Education Association has taken a national leadership role in the Black Lives Matter at School movement, now inspiring dozens of major cities to join us in our movement for change, Whereas there are far too few Black educators and educators of color in proportion to the number of students of color in the schools, Whereas zero tolerance discipline and over-policing of our youth has proven to be ineffective in the reduction of discipline, and Restorative Practices has proven to be a powerful tool in the reduction of disproportionate discipline, Whereas according to the Washington Post this year there have been 802 police involved killings, including 484 People of Color, Whereas the creation and implementation of an Ethnic Studies curriculum is of critical importance to supporting the diversity of our students and is currently in development in Seattle Public Schools, Whereas the Seattle Education Association RA unanimously voted to support a mandatory K-12 Ethnic Studies curriculum in SPS, Be it resolved that for a third consecutive year, the Seattle Education Association join the national call for Black Lives Matter at School Week to kick off Black History Month during February 4th to February 9th. Be it further resolved that SEA encourage its members to wear Black Lives Matter shirts to school on Monday and Friday of that week and teach lessons during the week about undoing institutional racism and the 13 principles of the #BlackLivesMatter Global Network. Be it further resolved that SEA will send email reminders to its membership encouraging educators to join the Black Lives Matter at School rally at the School Board meeting on Wednesday, February 6th to advocate for hiring more Black Teachers, implementing restorative justice programs, and fully implementing ethnic studies in the Seattle Public Schools. |