KIPP DC Families,
Almost a year ago today, we watched as another visceral example of America’s history of systemic injustice was laid bare in front of our eyes with the killing of George Floyd. Over the past month, the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has been at the center of discussions among our students, families, community, and each other—with our country’s ugly history of racism and systemic injustice perpetrated on Black lives distilled into 9 minutes of horror. Today we are overwhelmed with relief and gratitude to see justice served.
In collaboration with our school leaders and executive team, we’ve decided to pause learning tomorrow to allow our staff, students, and families to reflect and process this news while honoring the life of George Floyd. Asynchronous learning is cancelled, Wednesday, April 21 and school materials distribution will be rescheduled. Meal delivery will still take place tomorrow for families participating in the program. At this time, we plan to resume learning on Thursday, April 22. Please take the time you need to take care of yourself and your loved ones.
Like many of you, we approached this trial with a sense of pessimism, thinking back to the many lives lost due to the hate that has been rooted in our country since its inception and what we all have seen continue on today in the recent killing of Daunte Wright and the profiling and pepper spraying of Army 2nd Lt. Caron Nazario.
We are pleased to see our country take a step forward with Derek Chauvin’s conviction in the killing of George Floyd on all counts. We think about our students and this being a statement that their lives truly do matter. We think about the work we are doing to be an anti-racist organization to disrupt systems of inequity and be a catalyst in building a better world. Our journey is long and hard, but we are proud to make it in partnership with our families.
Martin Luther King, Jr., reminded us that “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” Today we were able to see justice served in the killing of George Floyd, and we are hopeful for what this means for tomorrow and the world that our students will inherit.
With love & gratitude,
KIPP DC
