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For Black lives to matter, we must reconstitute our nation’s classrooms and ensure that they are places that push back against the epidemic of racism and anti-Blackness.

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Together, we — parents, students, community, educators and our local unions — believe we can cure anti-Blackness in our children’s classrooms 

Here are the 10 things we can do today to combat anti-Blackness and racism for the sake of our babies and their neighborhood public schools: 

Our school curricula must be culturally relevant, responsive and designed to prepare Black students for a future as global citizens.

Privatization hurts Black students and communities by excluding the neediest students, stealing funds that would otherwise support the 90+ % of kids enrolled in neighborhood public schools, and requiring those schools to further cut budgets and services for the vast majority of students.

The Journey for Justice Alliance has suggested following Maryland’s lead by turning any school receiving Title I funds into a sustainable community school — neighborhood public schools that bring together many partners to provide a range of supports and opportunities to children, youth, families and communities.

Standardized tests are the excuse decision-makers use to stigmatize Black neighborhood schools with misleading grades before targeting them for closure, privatization and disinvestment — despite obvious student need.