Dear Superintendent Michael Martirano, Assistant Superintendent
Dear Superintendent Michael Martirano, Assistant Superintendent Karalee Turner-Little, Board of Education Chair Mavis Ellis, Board of Education Vice Chair Vicky Cutroneo, Board of Education Member Kirsten Coombs, Board of Education Member Christina Delmont-Small, Board of Education Member Jennifer Mallo, Board of Education Member Sabina Taj, Board of Education Member Chao Wu, And all Principals of Howard County Schools, We are reaching out to you on behalf of current and former students of the Howard County Public School System, regarding racism within our community. Given the recent senseless murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, George Floyd, and countless other Black people, it is important to address how the Howard County Public School System has upheld structural and institutional racism in its schools. We must ensure that People of Color in the HCPSS community are heard and advocated for. HCPSS has a duty to provide their students with safe learning environments, where they receive equal education and adequate representation within that environment. The actions we have seen from HCPSS thus far are inadequate in addressing racism within the community and ensuring that Black students feel safe and represented in their communities. Regarding the June 4th statement from the superintendent regarding hateful incidences, we believe that simply addressing reported incidences of racial biases is not sufficient. Not all students who experience discrimination in the HCPSS school system feel comfortable reporting incidents of racism, so there are undoubtedly countless cases that go unnoticed and unaddressed. Punishing reported instances of racism is not enough. We need to dismantle the White supremacist notions that fuel these incidences.
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