‘End the gross violence on black lives’: Kansas City school leader speaks out
While the nation is reeling from protests against police brutality and for black lives, Mark Bedell, superintendent of Kansas City Public Schools, said Thursday he and his board will “defend the lives” of black and brown children in the city.
“We mourn for George Floyd, Ahmaud Aubery and Breonna Taylor,” Bedell wrote in a statement released in English and Spanish. “We mourn for every black person who has ever gasped for breath under the knee of society against their necks. When we see those names, we see our own children.”
Of the district’s more than 15,500 students, nearly 60% are black, 28% are Hispanic and about 98% come from low-income families.
Every year, the district is rocked by the violent death of students, an issue Bedell, who is African American, has been vocal about since coming to Kansas City in 2016. Bedell has talked candidly about his challenging upbringing. He grew up in a rough neighborhood in Rochester, New York, and at one point as a child was homeless. He has used his story to relate to and inspire his students.
Bedell said many of the district’s students and their families have participated in the ongoing protests in Kansas City. The protests, in cities across the country, were sparked after Floyd, a black man, died on a Minneapolis street when a white police officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for several minutes to restrain him.
“We support our students as they question, protest and demand change,” Bedell wrote. “We join them in this call to action to end the gross violence on black lives allowed to thrive in a system designed to prevent them from full participation in and benefit of the American dream. “
Here is Bedell’s full statement:
“Black lives matter in Kansas City Public Schools. This is simple and true. We say it proudly and we will act on it as individuals and as a public school system urgently and intentionally.
“We love our children, our schools and our city. The events of this past week unnerve us as we think about and care for our community. We’re painfully aware that our children of color, family members, staff and neighbors bear the weight of 400 years of systemic racism in this nation. We know the history of segregation that continues to have a generational impact on the economic, social and educational opportunities of our kids. We will call out and name racism when we see it.
“We mourn for George Floyd, Ahmaud Aubery and Breonna Taylor. We mourn for every black person who has ever gasped for breath under the knee of society against their necks. When we see those names, we see our own children. We will speak and take action on their behalf. We will defend the lives of our black and brown children.
“As a black superintendent and as the most diverse elected School Board in the region, we have made equity our top priority. We support our students as they question, protest and demand change. We join them in this call to action to end the gross violence on black lives allowed to thrive in a system designed to prevent them from full participation in and benefit of the American dream. When we have equity as a priority, it elevates our ultimate outcome of student achievement and success in this world.
“Because black lives matter, it’s time to do the hard work of real change. We are prepared to use our platforms to craft laws, policies and practices that will promote true equity for our black and brown children, families, staff and neighbors. We implore our entire community to engage and do this hard work with us.
“We have to address the deep, implicit biases and underlying stereotypes that surround black people in this nation and that feed racism, fear and hate. We know our education system can help, but we can’t do it alone. We call on our partners in the business, philanthropic, civic and faith communities to stand with us in active engagement to tear down the institutional barriers that have long been foundational in this country.
“Because black lives matter, equity is the foundation of everything we do in KCPS. Equity is why we launched an initiative to end the school-to-prison pipeline in KCPS and create a restorative justice model of school discipline and security. Equity is why we are bridging the digital divide by teaching our children remotely, providing Chromebooks and wifi hot spots, connecting with our students to check on their mental health, feeding our families and fighting budget cuts to critical services. Equity is why we work to reform policies on economic development, the criminal justice system and affordable and sustainable housing.
“This work is only the beginning. Our hearts and minds must be tender, ears open to plea for air in the black and brown communities and our feet ready to march for action. We do this because black lives matter.
“We join Michael Casserly, Executive Director of the Council of the Great City Schools, in saying, “The nation’s urban public schools offer our full-throated condemnation of this killing and the racism behind it. And we vow to redouble our efforts to ensure racial justice is at the center of everything we do.”
