LPSG Families,
The Lincoln Parent Staff Group would be doing a disservice to all of our children if we did not acknowledge what is going on in our nation right now where “racism against the Black community is being laid bare for all families to see.” -Common Sense Media
We acknowledge that there are feelings of fear, outrage, confusion, uncertainty, and hopelessness. In line with the LPSG’s Purpose of working to make every child’s potential a reality, and Mission of collaboration, commitment, accountability, respect, inclusivity, and integrity, we would like to make three statements:
In our community, we believe Black Lives Matter. Black members, you have our love and support. We stand with you now and always.
Our children can have developmentally appropriate conversations about race. “Without guidance, children are likely to develop biased attitudes from exposure to negative racial stereotypes, racial disparities, and segregation.” -Embracerace.org If you’re looking for ways to help your child considering current events, Common Sense Media has published a webinar titled, “Helping Kids Process Violence, Trauma, and Race in a World of Nonstop News” which we believe is a great resource: https://youtu.be/dhjMyOqu2G8
Actions speak louder than words. The LPSG board unanimously agrees that we need to foster an anti racist community for LPSG members, students, and families. How do we do that? The answer to this question is deep and complex, and the approach likely needs to be multi-pronged. Change won’t happen overnight. However, we have decided to start with one small step; the LPSG will create a line item in our budget and reserve funds each year to support a nonprofit organization or program that will support our black students at Lincoln.
The bottom line is that we want to make lasting change at Lincoln and we know that it will take time. It will also require an ongoing effort to foster an environment that allows for deep and difficult discussions to take place. We welcome feedback and suggestions from the general membership and will be looking for ways in which we can facilitate these discussions and topics.
Until we are able to meet again in person, please know you are all in our thoughts and we hope you are doing well.
Sincerely,
The Lincoln Parent-Staff Group Board
(Teresa Vick, Lauren Staples, Katie Riley, Kaori Thier, Kirby Jozwiak-Bain, John Holmstrom, Lori Gascon, Liz Johnson, and Nick Evans)