At Indy K12, we are unapologetically Black. We want students in Indianapolis to be successful. We know this cannot happen without directly addressing the educational equity issues in our city. We are tired of Black students getting left behind.
Many of our readers have thanked us for our thoughts on current issues. We not only want you to read what we write; our main goal is to inspire you to action. Coronavirus is not the main story. The main storyline has always been racism in America. This systemic racism is why some Black people did not recover and died from the coronavirus and why there are failing schools in Black neighborhoods.
We cannot do this work alone. There is nothing shocking to Black people about the events that have occurred during the past week with Christian Cooper or George Floyd. Although we are fighting for educational equity at Indy K12, we know that a degree will not protect Black children from being killed.
Please do more than champion our work. If we are successful in gaining educational equity for Black children, what world are we leaving for them? What will you commit to doing in addition to reading and sharing what we write? We need more than likes and shares online.
We are dying. We want more than death for the Black generation coming behind us. Black lives matter! The Black writers at Indy K12 lives matter; Andrew Pillow, David McGuire, Cheryl Kirk, and Keisha McEntire matter. Do Black lives matter enough to inspire you to take action?
Your sister in action,
Shawnta S. Barnes, Indy K12 Editor-in-Chief and writer