Recent Posts
Join Grassroots DC for our Media Literacy Workshop!
Join Grassroots DC for our Media Literacy Workshop!
In the workshop we will:
- Learn how to make mainstream media work for you
- Deconstruct the way that local news reports on issues that affect our communities
- Understand when and why the news gets it wrong
- Learn how to convince local news producers to pay attention to issues they normally ignore and include perspectives they usually omit
Beyond Vietnam -- A Time to Break Silence
“One of Dr. King's most radical speeches, given at Riverside Church in Manhattan, 1967.
This is the speech that linked war, poverty and corrupt economics. This is the speech that talked about America being " the greatest purveyor of violence in the world" and on "the wrong side of a world revolution." This is perhaps the speech that helped get him killed--assassinated exactly one year to the day after delivering it.”
Biden administration called upon to end racial discrimination in D.C. public schools
D.C. government does not require schools to educate black students as well as white students according to a complaint submitted to the U.S. Department of Education by a D.C. resident.
Note from the editor:
This complaint was submitted just two days before the release of the Supreme Court’s decision on Affirmative Action admissions to universities. The author of this complaint, Jeff Schmidt, is a long-time DC resident and father of a student who graduated from DC public schools and then went on to graduate from college. Schmidt is a boomer, cisgender, white man, with a PhD in physics from the University of California, Irvine, who takes an active volunteer role in assisting DC public school science and math teachers in creating better curriculum.
It’s entirely possible for a student to get a good education in the DC public school system but it’s no easy task. According to the NCES’s National Report Card, only 17% of DCPS 8th graders are proficient at math.
After reading DC’s Education ESSA Plan, he sent the following letter of complaint to the US Department of Education. In it, he asks that they consider applying the same standards used in schools and classrooms with significant numbers of white students to every school and each student. Why don’t we do that? Why should we accept year in and year out that Black kids and white kids won’t be treated equally? Long after Brown v Board of Education, racism in DC public schools continues to be baked into the system.
A Resident’s Guide to the DC Budget
Because of a long history of racist policies and practices, DC’s Black and brown residents experience more job discrimination, inadequate access to health care, and a lack of affordable housing. Using the budget to prevent evictions, adequately fund all public schools, and get health care and cash to those who need it are just a few ways lawmakers can transform DC into a more equitable community where everyone can live well.
Outwrite DC Review
For those of us who call the DMV area home, we have the annual OutWrite DC Literary Festival. A project within The DC Center for the LGBT Community’s Center Arts programming, OutWrite DC has been creating space for writers who are non-hetero and trans since 2010.
The Best, Most Researched, COVID-19 Self-Care Guide for Black and Brown Communities
Not surprisingly, [Covid-19 has] hit communities of color particularly hard. This article was written to help individuals in African-American and Latinx communities deal with the Rona in the event that it enters their homes…
COVID-19 Remains a Problem within Black and Brown Communities
The coronavirus pandemic has a greater impact on Black and Brown communities. Here’s why Black, Indigenous and People of Color need to take greater precautions…
Should Black and Brown Organizers Trust White Allies?
Especially now, we all need to work together, fight injustices and help each other. I don’t want any level of distrust to get in the way of working together for the greater good. So consider this a case study: “Should Black and Brown Organizers Trust White Allies?”…
Supporting COVID-19 Mutual Aid Efforts
As the spread of the coronavirus has accelerated over the past week, we are reminded yet again of one key truth: The state will not keep us safe—but we can keep each other safe…
Martin Luther King Explains the Three Evils of Society
By focusing only on the speeches and actions that do not criticize Capitalism or US Imperialism, most Americans have no real understanding of the depth of King’s critique of the United States and its policies. Sure, overt bigotry is bad, and it’s kinda crazy to think of not sitting next to a Black person at a lunch counter or on the bus, but all that talk about poverty, his support for unions and the anti-war movement–do we really need to go there?…
One Student’s Take On What Really Matters In DC Public Schools
I asked DC Public School graduate Quintess Bond why she thought DCPS test scores were so low? She presents her thesis in the form of this documentary. In it, Quintess explores the theory that good schools need active parents, engaged students and a dedicated faculty and administrative staff. I think she puts a bit too much emphasis on the role of the parents but that can be forgiven. After suffering a stroke and losing her job, Quintess’ mother struggled mightily just to keep her daughter clothed, housed and fed. In addition, she insisted that Quintess stay on top of her school work. As a result, Quintess graduated salutatorian from School Without Walls in 2012. School Without Walls is one of the highest performing high schools in the DC public school system.
A Lesson in Systemic Racism, Part II: ALEC, School Closures, and the School-to-Prison Pipeline
The previous post, entitled “A Lesson in Systematic Racism: Stand Your Ground, the NRA, and the American Legislative Council (ALEC),” examined the connection between the untimely death of Trayvon Martin and the powerful lobbying groups that made laws like “Stand Your Ground” possible. This post expands on the previous one by highlighting ALEC’s connection to school closures and the privatization of education.
Events Leading Up To DC Public School Closings Lawsuit
Although the injunction that would have stopped the closing of 15 DC Public Schools was denied and we’re still waiting to find out the date for the hearing that will decide the actual merits of the case, it might make sense to remind ourselves of the events that led to the lawsuit in the first place.
In my experience, the seeds for the lawsuit were sown in the first week of January, 2007, when the newly elected Council chair (Vincent Gray) dissolved the Committee on Education and the newly elected mayor (Adrian Fenty) announced his intention to take over the schools.
There was strong opposition to that idea expressed in testimony at the hearings and through protests and demonstrations. There was a call for the matter to be decided by the people in a referendum since a mayoral takeover required a change to the Home Rule Charter that would decrease the people’s power in determining their own affairs for themselves.
Stop DC Public School Closures
For those of us who follow the debate over school reform/school closings in the District of Columbia, the story of River Terrace Elementary School is not unfamiliar. In December of 2010, Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson proposed that the school be closed due to under-enrollment. In January, a meeting was held at River Terrace Elementary to discuss the concerns of the community. Residents were angry about the decision to close the school and the lack of input from the community during the decision-making process. As you can see from the video below, many legitimate questions were raised; none of them have been answered.
River Terrace Elementary School is just one of the many Washington, DC public schools closed or threatened with closure since the reign of Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee. Despite overwhelming community support, River Terrace was shut down. But the tide is turning. Although Rhee and her policies were in favor during the Administration of Mayor Adrian Fenty, the lack of improvement in test scores and the disruption to communities is causing many to think twice about reforming schools by closing them down.