UPDATE 6/5/20: Please click here to read our Commitment to Anti-Racist Action.
May 29, 2020
The Freire Family grieves with our community and our country for George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and the many other Black lives lost to racist brutality.
This grief has many forms. We are sad for the Black lives lost and mourn with their families over futures brutally cut short, celebrations that will never be had, milestones that will never be reached. We are angry that systems that promote racism continue to persist and that our leaders continue to fail to hear our cries. We are scared that neither daylight nor threat of public exposure provides safety from violence, and that our young Black students inhabit a world where their lives are consistently in peril.
Racism is a failure to recognize our shared humanity. Today, we remember the names of those lost.
George Floyd.
Ahmaud Arbery.
Breonna Taylor.
Tony McDade.
Michael Brown.
Tamir Rice.
Quanice Hayes.
Aiyana Jones.
Eric Garner.
Stephon Clark.
Sandra Bland.
Kendra James.
Trayvon Martin.
This list is too long, incomplete, and ever-growing. Our hearts break.
The repeated experience of racist violence takes a profound traumatic toll on our kids, our families, and our staff. Over the next few days, each Freire campus will be offering forums for the entire Freire Family to come together to grieve and discuss these acts of violence and racial injustice. In these safe spaces, sadness, anger, frustration, confusion, and the entire spectrum of emotions are welcome. We will also continue to reflect on ways to further develop a school culture where every student is seen, heard, and supported—and where Black lives are celebrated and protected.
As a core pillar of our program, Freire Schools has always encouraged students to develop their voices, recognize and speak out against injustice, and be agents for positive change. Peaceful protest is a powerful act of freedom and a beautiful expression of our hope for the future. As our students use their voices, the Freire Family stands shoulder to shoulder with them in this urgent fight against racism.
Freire Schools is resolute in our commitment to Black students and their power to build a better future.
