June 4, 2020: In Solidarity — A Note from Shelly

Dear CDS Family,

As a white person, no matter how closely I am an observer, I will NEVER understand the suffering in our Black community. What we are witnessing now is the manifestation of years of pain, trauma, and the pushing down of emotions in response to systemic state-sanctioned racial violence and . At this moment, the pain is present and acute. The critical way forward is to keep the observance of this pain in mind as we navigate the next steps individually and collectively. For some additional learning and perspective, watch the film Just Mercy (streaming for free this month) and Bryan Stevenson’s follow-up TED talk.

As a faculty and staff community, we have committed to putting our resources where they can help. Together, we have donated more than $4,100 to the organizations listed at the bottom of this email. Some have made monthly commitments and others are first-time connections to organizations which may become a lifelong philanthropic focus. We encourage you and your family to donate what you can to organizations defending and celebrating Black lives as well as individuals in your community who are in need. Another opportunity to stand up is to support Black-owned restaurants in the Bay Area with your business.

I thought this article would resonate with you as you support your children and yourself in unpacking this complex topic of race. Kindergarten’s Word of the Day - Protest offers young children an age-appropriate perspective on the protests and can be a catalyst to start or continue your conversations at home. To continue adult learning, this short video on redlining will provide some historical context. (Note: this video starts with explicit language, so watch out of earshot of young people.)

While our community cannot take away the pain that is being felt, we can take action. Among our plans for next week's June Work Week is dedicated time in which we will craft a STATEMENT and ACTION PLAN. In times like these, our Black and POC communities need us on the front lines. They are looking to us to take action and stand up for what is right.

There are many opportunities to celebrate the year of learning together this week. Classes are working to include timely conversations about protests, racism, and access to resources. As a parent, I am appreciative of the expertise of the educators in our community to take the lead from students and address these tough topics in developmentally appropriate ways.

In just a few hours, we are hosting a conversation from 5-6 p.m. about how to talk about race within and outside the CDS community. All are invited – families, faculty, staff – as everyone's experiences and perspectives are needed to attack the racist virus that's chronically infected our nation.

Individually and as a family, I encourage you to have conversations that will make a difference with family and friends. We are here to support you, and we send love to the members of our Black community most deeply impacted by racism.

In solidarity, Shelly in collaboration with members of the CDS community

American Civil Liberties Union

Anti Police-Terror Project

The Bail Project

Bay Area Anti Repression Committee

Bay Area Bail Fund

Bay Area Protest Fund

Black Lives Matter

Black Lives Matter Global Network

Black Visions Collective

Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco

Brooklyn Community Bail Fund

Brown Girl Surf

Chicago Community Bond Fund

George Floyd Memorial Fund

GoFundMe for Destiny Harrison

GoFundMe for Justice for Jamee

Homeless Black Trans Women Fund

Know Your Rights Camp

Louisville Community Bail Fund

Minnesota Freedom Fund

Movement for Black Lives

NAACP Legal Defense Fund

National Bail Out

National Lawyers Guild Bay Area Chapter

Northwest Community Bail Fund

People’s Breakfast Oakland

Philadelphia Bail Fund

Reclaim the Block

Showing Up for Racial Justice