Press Releases

Why We Endorsed The Vision for Black Lives Platform

August 15, 2016
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This week, thanks to the work of our EduColor Policy Team, we as the EduColor collective agreed to broadly endorse the Vision 4 Black Lives platform. Much has been made about specific policies, including its opposition to the rise of charter schools and its prompt for divestment from Israeli operations.

Speaking as someone who heard the conversations both privately and publicly, it’s worth noting that, for EduColor as a whole, we come from truly diverse perspectives on any number of issues. But two things became clear as the dust settled in the debate. The first was that, within EduColor, we’ve created an atmosphere of respect and understanding that the voices of people of color shall come to the fore. In more colloquial terms, black lives >>>>> white feelings.

The second is that we didn’t necessarily have to agree on any one issue. Every point within the Vision 4 Black Lives deserves examination and critical discussion regardless of where we stand on any side of these debates. But the thrust of the V4BL document is this: we need to deconstruct the ways and means by which black lives in this country are devalued, and that they’re all interconnected.

We can no longer complain about solutions when they’ve been outlined with great conviction. We have no excuses. Black lives matter, and EduColor as a whole believes we must work towards realizing that point of equity and liberation.

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