Equity and Anti-Racism Task Force

The Hyde-Addison ES Equity and Anti-Racism Task Force is a group of Hyde-Addison staff, teachers and parents interested in promoting equity and ending racism. To these ends, we are working on a variety of activities this year, including an Equity and Anti-Racism Reading Group. In addition, we will be sharing tips on talking to your children about race and racism, suggesting home resources for children on the topic, promoting the celebration of diversity at Hyde-Addison, and more. If you would like to join in these efforts or provide any feedback, please contact hyde.addison@k12.dc.gov or join us on Konstella by searching your Feed for “Equity and Anti-Racism Task Force” and clicking on “Sign Up.”

The Equity and Anti-Racism Task Force will host a reading group discussion via Zoom videoconference (link below) on the 2nd Thursday of each month at 9pm. Each month the group will discuss a few articles announced in the preceding task force newsletter, and at the last meeting of every academic quarter we'll also discuss a book.

At our Thursday, Oct. 8, 9pm meeting, we will discuss the following articles:

Race to the Bottom, a 2017 article in The Baffler by Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, a law at UCLA and Columbia who developed the theory of intersectionality in the late 1980s, is one of the founders of the critical race theory in legal academia, and continues to be one of our nation's most important thinkers on race and civil rights;

Is This the Beginning of the End of American Racism?, an article in The Atlantic this month by Ibram X. Kendi, a professor and director of the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research and author of several award-winning books, including How to Be an Antiracist, which this group will discuss later in this academic year; and

President Trump’s September 22 Executive Order on Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping.

Here’s the Zoom meeting information, which can also be found on the Konstella calendar:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88161788292?pwd=SFM2NWlaZzVyd1RmMDQvQVlYL0hCUT09

Meeting ID: 881 6178 8292

Passcode: EARTF

And for those interested in book-length explorations of equity and racism, our group will discuss Becoming by Michelle Obama at our Thurs. Nov. 12 meeting, our last meeting in the 1st academic quarter. Start reading now!

This PBS.org article provides tips and prompts for talking to kids about Race and Racism: https://www.pbs.org/education/blog/10-tips-on-talking-to-kids-about-race-and-racism

Nice White Parents is a 5-episode podcast that takes a critical look at the power that white parents' presence plays in Public Schools even when they are absent. If you are willing to examine your own privilege in the Public School System this podcast is for you!
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/23/podcasts/nice-white-parents-serial.html

Life Kit - Talking Race with Young Children. Short on time? This is a 20-minute piece with useful tips for talking to young children about race.
https://www.npr.org/2019/04/24/716700866/talking-race-with-young-children

Our own Hyde-Addison ES teachers have compiled suggested book lists by age group: Early Childhood, Grades 1 & 2, and Grades 3, 4 & 5.

Did your student celebrate any holidays or traditions related to their race or ethnicity this month? Please share any photos or videos related to your celebrations via email: hyde.addison@k12.dc.gov.

September

• Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15)
• Yom Kippur (September 27-28)
• Amerindian Heritage Month (Guyana)
• DC African Heritage Month

October

• Filipino American History Month
• Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month
• LGBT History Month
• Polish American Heritage Month

Disclaimer: The Hyde-Addison ES Equity and Anti-Racism Task Force is an independent group not associated with DCPS and any viewpoints or activities associated with this group are not endorsed by DCPS.