OurSchoolsPVD Statement of Solidarity with Youth & the Black Lives Matter Movement
On Friday, June 5, youth in Providence organized a historic protest in defense of Black lives, condemning police violence against Black people, and demanding safety and dignity for our communities. Over 10,000 Rhode Islanders took to the streets in what many are calling the largest demonstration in our state’s history, led by a small group of youth organizers & their allies. Many of us were struck by the heavy military presence that Friday - we witnessed soldiers with assault weapons protecting Providence Place Mall and police in riot gear threatening to tear gas the crowd gathered on the steps of our State House. To be clear: militarized police do not belong on our streets, in our communities, or in our schools.
The demonstrations on Friday, June 5, Sunday, June 14, and Friday, June 19 (Juneteenth) were beautiful displays of community power, thanks to the leadership of our youth.The youth of Providence are powerful & visionary.
OurSchoolsPVD stands in solidarity with students & youth of this city and with our Black community at large.
We mourn the loss of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery, Rayshard Brooks, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Sandra Bland, Kendra James, Philando Castile, Eric Garner, Stephon Clark, Aiyana Jones, Trayvon Martin, and the countless others who have been murdered by a centuries-old system which classifies Black lives as disposable.
OurSchoolsPVD formed to ensure that state control of the Providence Public School District (PPSD) results in a racially just and equitable public education system for Providence youth and families.
We need anti-racist schools now!
To start, we need to divest from the police and reinvest in our communities:
We demand that PPSD sever contractual ties with the Providence Police Department, including the removal of all School Resource Officers (SROs) out of our schools, and the reallocation of resources towards systems that support student mental health and an anti-racist, non- punitive approach to school discipline. Echoing the demands of the Providence Alliance for Student Safety (PASS), we need Police-Free Schools and Counselors Not Cops.
We have seen COVID-19 disproportionately impact RI’s Black and Latino/x communities, in addition to increased racism and harassment of Asian Americans. We will not accept the continued reinforcement of existing racist structures in our schools and communities:
We demand transparent, student and community led decision making processes for the issues that impact our lives. It is unacceptable to close an entire school without any community input, as is being done with Evolutions High School.
We need educators who affirm our Black students and communities. We need investment in teachers of color and teachers who are culturally and social-emotionally fluent and supported by community-led professional development. And, we need structures to hold teachers and administrators accountable for racist acts.
We need curriculum and learning opportunities that embrace our cultures and histories. We demand education as a constitutional right, mandatory ethnic studies for all students, and anti-racist curriculum. We need individualized learning plans and student-centered, project-based instruction for each student that prioritize growth over grades or test scores.
We need a school reopening plan that centers the needs of our most vulnerable families. At the very least, we demand language and food access for families, PPE, social distancing, clean lead-free drinking water, working bathrooms, and safe and comfortable schools buildings that are well-ventilated and sanitized daily.
As we move forward with our vision for justice in Providence Public Schools, OurSchoolsPVD is committed to amplifying and prioritizing youth power and youth voices. We continue to center Black students and youth of color, who are impacted most directly by systemic racism and anti-Blackness within our education system. We believe in community power and we know that our schools are not separate from our communities. For us to achieve racial justice in our schools and our society, we need parents, educators, and the wider community to stand with youth. While we look to and invest in the leadership of our youth, this work cannot and should not fall solely on our young people.
A say, voice, and decision making power
Adequate and equitable resources
Cultures, climates, classrooms, and curricula of respect
- OurSchoolsPVD -
Alliance of Rhode Island Southeast Asians for Education (ARISE)
Center for Youth and Community Leadership in Education (CYCLE)
Providence Youth Student Movement (PrYSM)
Providence Student Union (PSU)
RI Center for Justice (RI CFJ)
RI Urban Debate League (RIUDL)
Youth In Action (YIA)