Virtual Equity Workshop
“Dismantling White Supremacy Culture in Schools”
Wednesday, November 15th, 2023 @ 6 pm
Sponsored by the BSD Office of Equity
Agenda
23-24 Equity Workshop Series
Save the Dates!
VIRTUAL EQUITY WORKSHOPS
LGBTQIA+: Building Safe and Inclusive School Climates Wednesday, January 17, 6 pm
IN-PERSON EQUITY WORKSHOPS
Disability Advocacy Series
Disability Rights and Student Advocacy – Wednesday December 6, 6-7:00 pm
Ableism in Schools – Thursday, February 8, 6-7:00 pm
Neurodivergence; Celebrating Unique Minds – Wednesday, March 20, 6-7 pm
Acknowledgement
While Tema Okun’s work has been widely accepted and used to reveal the characteristics of white supremacy culture, there are many scholars of the Global Majority who wrote about and identifies white supremacy culture long before Okun.
James Baldwin
W.E.B. Debois
Theodore William Allan
Ruth Frankenberg
Toni Morrison
Kimberle Crenshaw
bell hooks
And Many Many More…........
White Supremacy Culture in Schools Unpacking the work of
Dr. Tema Okun
Two Sides of
White Supremacy
A belief system created to justify colonization and slavery that divides people into racial groups based on physical characteristics based on the notion that the white race is inherently superior and deserving of dominion over others.
Systems, structures, and cultural norms constructed during a time when white supremacy was a prevailing belief system that continue to perpetuate racial disparities, uphold white dominance, and protect the status quo.
These systems were designed to resist change and therefor persist in the absence of explicit white supremacist beliefs.
White Supremacy
White Supremacy Culture
ANTI-RACIST?
“This is a list of characteristics of white supremacy culture that show up in our organizations. Culture is powerful precisely because it is so present and at the same time so very difficult to name or identify. The characteristics listed are damaging because they are used as norms and standards without being proactively named or chosen by the group. They are damaging because they promote white supremacy thinking. Because we all live in a white supremacy culture, these characteristics show up in the attitudes and behaviors of all of us – people of color and white people. Therefore, these attitudes and behaviors can show up in any group or organization, whether it is white-led or predominantly white or people of color-led or predominantly people of color.”
White Supremacy Culture-
a form of racism and systemic oppression found in policies, practices, systems, governments and institutions (including schools) that perpetuates and maintains social, political, historical and industrial forms of white dominance.
Question to consider:
Which of the following characteristics do you tend to uphold in your personal and professional lives?
Share in the chat!
What does the research say?
How will this raise our test scores?
We can’t just focus on equity. How will we get all of our other priorities covered.
How can we avoid push back.?
You’ll need to run that by admin first.
Our students need to show independence with these skills.
It’s not fair to the high achieving students if we slow down to meet everyone’s needs.
Our students/teachers are not racist, they just don’t know what they are saying…
I don’t know if we want to set that precedent. Then everyone will want…
That’s really not how we have done things here
I don’t think people are ready for that
How can we make it “safe” for everyone?
We don’t want to alienate anyone.
Perfectionism
Sense of Urgency
Defensiveness
Quantity Over Quality
Worship of the Written Word
Paternalism
Either/Or Thinking
Power Hoarding
Fear of Open Conflict
Individualism
Progress is Bigger, More
Objectivity
Right to Comfort
Decentering
Dominant
Culture
What is BSD doing to dismantle White Supremacy Culture?
Breaking Bread & Building Bridges for Black Parents
Summer Racial Justice Academy
Cabinet AntiRacist Cohort with Truss Leadership Collaborative
Year 2 AntiRacist Professional Development Strands for 6-12 Educators
Year 1 AntiRacist Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) for PreK-5 Educators
Office of Equity Trainings with Departments such as Property Services, Food Services, Athletics & Extended Learning Opportunities
We are proud of this work and we need to do more!!!!
Characteristic of WSC | Antidotes | BSD’s EXAMPLES |
Perfectionism | Develop a culture of appreciation & a learning organization. | BSD’s BEST, Teacher Appreciation Week, Restorative Climate & Culture Survey |
Sense of Urgency | realistic workplans; leadership which understands that things take longer than anyone expects | 5 Year Strategic Plan |
Defensiveness | understand the link between defensiveness and fear (of losing power, losing face, losing comfort, losing privilege); | Racial Justice Academy |
Quality over Quantity | make sure your organization has a values statement which expresses the ways in which you want to do your work; | “Every learned is challenged, empowered and engaged.” - Strategic Plan Overarching Goal |
Worship of the Written Word | accept that there are many ways to get to the same goal; | Flexible Pathways Alternative Programs |
Characteristic of WSC | Antidotes | BSD’s Examples |
Paternalism | include people who are affected by decisions in the decision-making | Superintendent Advisory Groups, Breaking Bread & Building Bridges Black Parent Group |
Either/Or Thinking | notice when people use either/or language and push to come up with more than two alternatives; | Alternatives to Suspension and BSD Restorative Code of Conduct |
Power Hoarding | understand that change is inevitable and challenges to your leadership can be healthy and productive; | Cabinet work with Truss Leadership Collaborative |
Fear of Conflict | don't require those who raise hard issues to raise them in “acceptable” ways | |
Individualism | evaluate people based on their ability to delegate to others; evaluate people based on their ability to work as part of a team | Professional Learning Communities PLCs |
Characteristic of WSC | Antidotes | BSD’s Examples |
Progress is Bigger, More | include process goals in your planning | Strategic Plan Steering Committee |
Objectivity | push yourself to sit with discomfort when people are expressing themselves in ways which are not familiar to you; | Restorative Practices |
Right to Comfort | deepen your political analysis of racism and oppression so you have a strong understanding of how your personal experience and feelings fit into a larger picture; don't take everything personally | Anti-Racist Professional Development Strands and PreK-5 Anti-Racist PLCs |
Student Panel - Summer Racial Justice Academy
2021 RECOMMENDATIONS FROM RACIAL JUSTICE ACADEMY
| PROGRESS Restorative Responses to Discipline Student Handbooks Safety Task force School Counselors & Demographics Strategic Plan Priority Area 4 Racial and LGBTQ+ Affinity Spaces Relationship Mapping |
2022 RECOMMENDATIONS FROM RACIAL JUSTICE ACADEMY
| PROGRESS Middle School Breaks Anti-Racism Professional Learning “Abolishing Microaggressions in the Classroom” Professional Development Strand Staff Accountability
Peer Mediation Not Yet Implemented: Increased Mental Health Supports Equity Advisors |
2023 RECOMMENDATIONS FROM RACIAL JUSTICE ACADEMY Improving Belonging and Wellbeing for Students of the Global Majority
Address Mental Health Needs at School
The Next Step in Holding Teachers Accountable
| PROGRESS Teacher & Staff Accountability Restorative Code of Conduct HR Learning Pathways Curricular Harm Anti Racism Professional Learning for PreK-5 Training in Racial Trauma Not Yet Implemented: Addressing Mental Health Needs at School Racial Affinity Groups |
Thank you!
Q and A