The Struggle to Dismantle White Supremacy

Welcome back,

The transition from summer to fall is a time of excitement and hope for educators as we welcome new students and lay out plans for the months ahead. As this school year begins, however, our country's foundation in slavery, racism and white supremacy - and the way this history maintains in the present - is on full display. But so is the courage needed to sustain a different vision of our common good.

For people of color, the violence of Charlottesville was no surprise. It is a violence of centuries. But also on display, led by people of color at the Boston counterdemonstration this past weekend, was the moral outrage we need to continue to dismantle racism and build a more just world. I am proud that the MTA supported the rally and march against white supremacy, that members marched behind our banner, and that Alexizendria Link, from the Educational Association of Worcester, spoke for the MTA.

There is so much more to do. As we welcome students back to our schools and colleges, we need to carry the spirit and purpose of the Boston counterdemonstration into our work lives. The MTA has collected some resources for educators. I recommend Ta-Nehisi Coates' Between the World and Me, a book that frames the realities of being black in the United States. The MTA will have copies available for groups of four or more members who want to read it together. To receive copies for your group, please fill out this form.

This is difficult and essential work. It requires listening, allowing ourselves to be discomfited, and then building the trust needed to take collective action - such as we saw this past weekend. This is educators' work. This is union work.

Let's do this with each other, with our allies and for each other, our students and our communities.

Solidarity,

Barbara

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