Moving Beyond Words: GLISI’s Resolve and Commitment to Eradicating Racial Injustice Endures
To our partners and friends,
If your inbox looks like mine, it’s flooded with statements of outrage and commitments to racial justice. I hope you read them—many have been exquisitely crafted and thoughtfully researched.
It has been an emotionally draining two weeks as an American, as a person of color, as mother of a Black son, as wife of a Black man. These past days have been a time to deliberately search my own heart, invite GLISI’s board and team into self-reflection, and push ourselves past surface level allyship. The ocean of emails leaves me longing for fewer words and more action to effect change.
Before viral videos illuminated the brutal murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, the purpose of GLISI’s work had been to build more excellent and equitable schools. Why? As parents and educators, we have seen Black and brown students dehumanized by often unconscious social norms that devalue, derail, and silence students and families based on the color of their skin. GLISI works directly with leaders to embolden their agency to make the unconscious conscious. To disrupt the “norm.” To build cultures of belonging and learning together.
Our work isn’t done. We boldly reaffirm our commitment to equity and a more explicit focus on racial justice in our work with school leaders. We are taking action to push the conversation into new spaces, strengthen our own skills and understanding, develop new service lines to support our district partners, and bring about deeper connection and empowerment for our children.
Join us in taking action. You can:
- Build your own Equity Consciousness with our free Leader SEL Toolkit
- Join our Connected Community on Tuesdays at 3:00pm or Thursdays at 10:00am to engage in dialog with others
- Practice these simple ways to engage in wholehearted conversation with others in and across racial lines
- Study & implement concrete actions for school and district leaders from this Leaders for Equity Playbook
Thank you for what you’ve already done, and in advance for what I know you will do, to respond to the challenge that calls us. As we head into the weekend, commit with me to making small daily differences not only today when our hearts are broken wide open, but in a week, a month, a year to realize a safer, more loving, and more connected future for our children.
In hope and action,
Leslie Hazle Bussey, Ph.D
CEO/Executive Director