- “Raising Black children – female and male – in the mouth of a racist, sexist, suicidal dragon is perilous and chancy. If they cannot love and resist at the same time, they will probably not survive. And in order to survive they must let go. This is what mothers teach – love, survival.” – Audre Lorde
- This space, Equity Network, was founded in the grief and rage of a Black woman as Mr. Floyd uttered “I can’t breathe” while being murdered by a byproduct of colonial violence. That same rage and grief reverberated throughout countless communities across North America who collectively started to fight back. The Hamilton community has been no different.
- Anyone who has attended Hamilton-Wentworth District schools and identifies as belonging to one or more marginalized groups, understands the often problematic nature of the school board. During the pandemic, similar to the rest of the world, the oppressive and often manipulative nature of HWDSB was exposed by students, parents/caregivers, community members and even staff from within the institution. The harm that many had suffered through or stood up to in isolation, started to form a collective voice. Many of us realized for the first time that we were not alone. We could not be gaslighted, silenced or manipulated any longer because we started to bond in our collective struggle and resilience.
- As parents or caregivers of children who have been harmed by HWDSB, we have learned to read between the lines and to navigate the system with an understanding that despite their claims and PR spin, the school board will always prioritize their corporate agenda, not the safety and wellbeing of students.We hope to use this knowledge to push for change from the community, to both hold HWDSB accountable and to support parents/caregivers who face similar struggles in protecting their children. We notice a massive gap between what is stated in policy and discussed by senior leaders during board meetings compared to what trickles down to grassroots student experience in schools.
- Acknowledging there is a well established culture of fear within the school-boards, we will speak the truth as we now know that many board employees are not able to due to the fear of reprisal. We will identify the gaps system leaders are not talking about and their tactics of diversion and distraction.These gaps allow for students marginalized by the system to slip through thecracks. Those are the students we are writing this blog to protect.
- Through our advocacy we hope to push for transparency and accountability from those who make decisions about our children. Over the years we have observed that the system does not effectively change itself or shift from the status quo that repeatedly causes harm to children. It does, however, follow the performative pattern of putting out policy documents, branding initiatives and public relations propaganda as a temporary fix whenever they are called out.
- Through its hollow promises and gaslighting jargon, time and time again, HWDSB has shown no demonstrable commitment in action to real change that truly prioritizes the safety and wellbeing of our children. As an act of deep love and care for all past, present and future students of HWDSB, including our own, we intend to use this blog to call attention to and disrupt practices and mental models which continue to harm children in HWDSB schools. We are determined to hold the system accountable and to ask critical questions to increase transparency from our school board leaders.
- Our hope is that this will lead to more equitable outcomes for Black, Indigenous, racialied, LGBTQ2S+, disabled and all other students who continue to be marginalized by their experiences in the current education system. With this blog, our intention is to ground our writing and advocacy in the racial equity principles illustrated below. It is a space for community activism that amplifies the voices of parents, aspace which holds the vision of a safer future for children in our community.
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