Division A expresses our deepest condolences to the families of those lost in the most recent acts of violence. The violent deaths of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, and the police officers at the BlackLivesMatter demonstration in Dallas represent a tragic loss of life that has left the country deeply wounded. Adding to sorrow is the more recent senseless murders of officers Montrell Jackson, Brad Garafola, and Matthew Gerald in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Individuals have reacted in different ways to these incidents—saddened, outraged, heartbroken, retraumatized. The continued attack on Black lives and bodies in the U.S. has been more visible than ever in recent years through videos shared through social media, as in the case of Sandra Bland, Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, and Tamir Rice. Such events are reflective of the deep-seated history of racism in this country that continues to permeate our society and disproportionately impacts Black communities and other communities of color on a daily basis.
Educational institutions are uniquely positioned to foster and enliven principles of democracy, equity, and justice. However, schools and higher education institutions are woven into the fabric of our society and are not immune to racism and injustice. History, experience, and scholarship provide evidence that Black students continue to be criminalized through disciplinary means at alarming rates, are provided inequitable opportunities and access to college preparatory courses and resources, and are overwhelmingly attending under-resourced schools with inexperienced teachers when compared to their counterparts. At the same time, we know that schools and the learning that can take place in educational spaces can provide a means to engage in critical discussions about these issues, tap into the humanity and assets present in our communities, and develop cross-cultural relationships and understanding to confront and combat racism at its core through changes in thought, practice, and policy. Educational leaders play a critical role in this process, as they prioritize these discussions and the work to transform our schools and educational organizations.
We stand in solidarity with other activists and scholars who have voiced a call to action in light of these tragic events. As Dr. Michelle Alexander recently wrote, “I think we all know, deep down, that something more is now required of us.” Even as we are saddened and outraged by recent events, indeed as educators and scholars, we should expect more of each other and ourselves. Members of Division A must keep the goals of democracy, equity, and justice central to our mission and practice. We must prepare leaders who lead just and equitable schools where all children learn and enjoy a positive and empowering educational experience. Our scholarship must seek to understand how leaders and educational systems can interrupt legacies of racism and contribute to building a society where racial violence is no longer commonplace.
After the AERA 2016 conference, the Division A Affirmative Action committee chose to include “action” as a part of our new name to become the Equity, Inclusion & Action Committee. This change was done purposefully to reflect the committee’s efforts in moving forward an agenda and engaging in work that is inclusive and promotes equity. Through action we are confident that there can be positive change, even when hope feels distant. We invite all Division A members to join us in undertaking “something more” in our scholarship, policy, and practice of educational leadership and to consider the words of Mahatma Gandhi in making change in dark times:
I dimly perceive that whilst everything around me is ever changing, ever dying, there is underlying all that change a living power that is changeless, that holds all together, that creates, dissolves, and re-creates. . . . in the midst of death life persists, in the midst of untruth truth persists, in the midst of darkness light persists.
Melissa A. Martinez, Ann M. Ishimaru & Lisa Bass
(Division A Equity, Inclusion & Action Committee Co-Chair & Chair, and AERA Affirmative Action Chair, respectively)
Educational institutions are uniquely positioned to foster and enliven principles of democracy, equity, and justice. However, schools and higher education institutions are woven into the fabric of our society and are not immune to racism and injustice. History, experience, and scholarship provide evidence that Black students continue to be criminalized through disciplinary means at alarming rates, are provided inequitable opportunities and access to college preparatory courses and resources, and are overwhelmingly attending under-resourced schools with inexperienced teachers when compared to their counterparts. At the same time, we know that schools and the learning that can take place in educational spaces can provide a means to engage in critical discussions about these issues, tap into the humanity and assets present in our communities, and develop cross-cultural relationships and understanding to confront and combat racism at its core through changes in thought, practice, and policy. Educational leaders play a critical role in this process, as they prioritize these discussions and the work to transform our schools and educational organizations.
We stand in solidarity with other activists and scholars who have voiced a call to action in light of these tragic events. As Dr. Michelle Alexander recently wrote, “I think we all know, deep down, that something more is now required of us.” Even as we are saddened and outraged by recent events, indeed as educators and scholars, we should expect more of each other and ourselves. Members of Division A must keep the goals of democracy, equity, and justice central to our mission and practice. We must prepare leaders who lead just and equitable schools where all children learn and enjoy a positive and empowering educational experience. Our scholarship must seek to understand how leaders and educational systems can interrupt legacies of racism and contribute to building a society where racial violence is no longer commonplace.
After the AERA 2016 conference, the Division A Affirmative Action committee chose to include “action” as a part of our new name to become the Equity, Inclusion & Action Committee. This change was done purposefully to reflect the committee’s efforts in moving forward an agenda and engaging in work that is inclusive and promotes equity. Through action we are confident that there can be positive change, even when hope feels distant. We invite all Division A members to join us in undertaking “something more” in our scholarship, policy, and practice of educational leadership and to consider the words of Mahatma Gandhi in making change in dark times:
I dimly perceive that whilst everything around me is ever changing, ever dying, there is underlying all that change a living power that is changeless, that holds all together, that creates, dissolves, and re-creates. . . . in the midst of death life persists, in the midst of untruth truth persists, in the midst of darkness light persists.
Melissa A. Martinez, Ann M. Ishimaru & Lisa Bass
(Division A Equity, Inclusion & Action Committee Co-Chair & Chair, and AERA Affirmative Action Chair, respectively)