The Future We Look Forward To
Dear Families,
In this week of learning and celebration, we think about the ways in which culture influences our lives and shapes our experiences. The Lunar New Year celebration and BLM in Schools Week together in the same week allows for many opportunities to think about history, its impact on present times, and the future we look forward to.
“Sometimes the first step toward change is closing our eyes, taking a breath, and imagining a different way.” This quote from Jacqueline Woodson’s new book The Year We Learned To Fly, synthesizes the future we one day hope to experience – a world in which we don’t have to remember that Black Lives Matter, they just will.
Taking the time and energy to teach about the BLM movement is an opportunity to have authentic dialogue with children about very important topics such as justice, activism, reconciliation, and Black Joy. If people understand the lasting impacts of slavery and the continued use of systemic racist policy to preserve white supremacy, the work of Black Lives Matter and similar organizations will perhaps be better understood and appreciated.
Unfortunately, BLM is a movement that has been misunderstood and mislabeled by many people in our nation. It is not solely focused on police brutality, nor do they advocate for “violent riots.” BLM’s work is much larger in scope than what their critics claim. Their principles are a blueprint for healing and do not include nor do they support ignoring or sanitizing the ugliness and discomfort that comes with dealing with race and anti-race issues. The principles remind us to celebrate all the beauty and diversity that exists within the Black diaspora while acknowledging that true healing comes from going through trauma not going around it. If we commit to collectively trying to talk about race with young children, we can lean on one another for support as we, together, envision a world where we actively challenge racism each and every day. These actions move us closer to healing and embracing all that the future can offer.
These first graders share their messages from their learning during this week through posters.
This Lunar New Year, as we celebrate the year of the water tiger, which comes up every 60 years, we focus on what this animal represents. The water tiger is action-oriented and represents strength, power, rebellion, unpredictability and bravery. Each culture celebrates the Lunar New Year differently with various foods and traditions that symbolize prosperity, abundance and togetherness. The images below are pre-k student expressions of the connections they’ve made to the Lunar New Year and what it represents as it relates to kindness and reflecting on history.
“Sometimes the first step toward change is closing our eyes, taking a breath, and imagining a different way.” This week reminds us we are moving toward change every day.
Until next time,
D&M
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