Category Archives: Uncategorized

By Asuka Conyer, Director of Development and Programs

At Washington Ethnic Studies Now (WAESN), we sure do talk quite a bit about transparency… not just as a principle, but as a practice. It’s most certainly no different when it comes to the topic of Artificial Intelligence (AI). If anything, transparency matters more now than ever.

AI isn’t a pacifist, nor a bystander. It’s complicated, political, and oddly enough…uncomfortably “human”.  Not just because of what AI is, but more so because the way someone uses it says a lot about who they are and what they value. 

So, let’s talk honestly about what AI looks like for us at WAESN, why we use it, and how we stay grounded in anti-racism and anti-capitalism while doing so. 

How We Use AI (and Why We’re Cool With Talking About It)

At WAESN, AI is never a replacement for people. What it is is a support tool for accessibility, clarity, and communication.

For those of our staff who choose to utilize AI, AI acts as a tool in ensuring our text materials remain clear, concise, and organized for our readers with the ability to summarize complex contexts, clarify grammar, or turn a flood of intersectional thoughts on a Zoom call into a structured report. Make no mistake, all of our material comes from real people with lived experience, community knowledge, and care.

We can’t be anti-racist and anti-capitalist without advocating for disability-justice. For those of us who identify as neurodivergent (ND), AI use is a personal choice that can assist in various ways. 

Whether it’s organizing the many hats we wear within our responsibilities, or using it to help us understand our observations, sometimes AI’s (slightly creepy) robotic mono-tone clarity serves as a mediator between the complex cognitive, vocal, and sensory experiences that differ between us all. For us ND folks, it’s an accommodation tool that helps us navigate language processing disorders, executive dysfunction, and nervous system regulation.

Learn more about AI as a tool for accessibility here.

For us, AI is a tool, not a voice. It helps amplify what’s already been here, and what we know is to come as we observe a new wave of technology. We use it to compile, to edit, and sometimes to help us find the words that have been on the tip of our tongues for the past week! 

Most of all, AI helps small, grassroots orgs like us stay afloat in dismantling fast-paced spaces of oppression.

Let’s Be Real, AI Is Already Everywhere

In all truth, AI is already in almost everything we do, whether we like it or not. Much like many of the daily (and inherently problematic) things we are faced with, most Americans interact with AI every day, typically without even realizing it (Tyson & Kikuchi, 2023).

When you unlock your phone with facial recognition? That’s AI. 

When Netflix suggests what you should watch next? That’s also AI. 

Or maybe you take a wrong turn, and Google Maps reroutes you around traffic? 

How about when your email spam filter flags those terrible spam emails? 

Yeah… that’s all AI, too.

If the use of AI is demonized entirely, it’s a bit more harmful than you think. Apathy is dangerous to the advancement of liberation efforts even in the face of (sometimes almost scary) technological advancements.

We can’t resist something we refuse to educate ourselves in, especially considering, in all truth, living “AI-free” in the U.S doesn’t exist for most. The same goes for the thought that pushing others to avoid it makes us morally pure. Instead, it only hands over power to corporations and systems that will gladly continue to use it without transparency, equity, or ethics; without our lived experiences in mind. 

To a grassroots organization like ours, to outright reject AI is also to reject the battlefield it represents. If AI is becoming one of the most powerful (and potentially dangerous) tools shaping our social, political, and economic realities, then refusing to engage with it means denying ourselves the ability to fight for justice on a new, undeniable platform of oppression. 

We must learn to engage with AI critically, intentionally, and collectively if we ever want to make it an effective instrument against its own inherent harms.

AI as Resistance, Not Replacement

With all said, it would be an absolute injustice to deny the inherent harms inflicted upon global majority communities. Especially as new digital futures too often evolve into tools of oppression. Yet, what if we disrupted this historical pattern and re-envisioned AI as a tool to empower?

Priscila Chaves (2025), in her blog “Resistance Strategies in the Age of AI”, argues that our resistance must “embrace and subvert” technology. In many ways, trying not to reject it outright, but instead reimagining it through an ethical, community-driven lens.

That’s exactly what we mean when we talk about a decolonized AI future. To deny AI’s existence doesn’t protect us, it just leaves historically marginalized voices out of the conversation. Instead, WAESN is interested in using AI as a tool for disruption and accessibility: 

to continue creating space for marginalized voices in a fast-paced digital future that too often replicates oppression.

This wouldn’t be the first time we’ve observed a tech-assisted resistance either! In the 1990s, the Ejercito Zapatista de Liberacion (Zapatista Army of National Liberation) in Chiapas, Mexico, used the early internet to sustain a transnational advocacy network. They built online networks to mobilize global solidarity and effectively bypassed traditional media that silenced Indigenous voices. It was radical, it was creative, and it was one of the first times this early technology was used as a grassroots tool for liberation. 

Learn more about Ejercito Zapatista de Liberacion

One of the most radical acts of resistance is envisioning a world in which we dismantle the inequities that AI represents through collective engagement and inclusive conversations about AI ethics (Chaves, 2024). There is a real potential for AI. It can amplify stories, connect movements, and challenge systems that were never designed for us. 

The existence of AI has also created an undeniable battlefield for quite a few climate justice groups as well, especially in consideration of AI’s inherent environmental harms. 

The use of AI can be a radical instrument of accountability only if we engage with AI intentionally through moderation and care, not trashy corporate convenience.

Our Commitment to Transparency and a Just Tech Future

At WAESN, we don’t pretend to have all the answers, but we do commit to continued transparency. When we use AI, we use it with our staff, community, and informed caution in mind. 

When we learn something new about its risks or possibilities, we share that too, because liberation is accessible education. 

AI isn’t just about algorithms, data, or undermining the depth of our human creativity. It’s about power; who holds it, who’s excluded from it, and how we reclaim it together.

For us, using AI ethically means centering equity, accessibility, and collective imagination. It means believing that technology can be part of a decolonized future.

One where justice—not profit—drives innovation.

We’re not just asking how AI can serve us.

We’re asking how it can serve justice, and how WAESN can efficiently serve you.

REFERENCES

Chaves, P. (2019). Resistance strategies: Capitalistic narratives and anti-racist imaginaries for AI futures. Priscila Chaves. https://www.priscilachaves.com/the-ethics-of-ai/blog-resistance-strategies

CJA. (2025). Climate Justice Alliance supports a people’s AI action plan. Climate Justice Alliance. https://climatejusticealliance.org/climate-justice-alliance-supports-a-peoples-ai-action-plan/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Curry, R. (2025). People with ADHD, autism, and dyslexia say AI agents are helping them succeed at work. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/08/adhd-autism-dyslexia-jobs-careers-ai-agents-success.html

King, M. (2004). Cooptation or cooperation: The role of transnational advocacy organizations in the zapatista movement. Sociological Focus, 37(3), 269–286. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20832239

Tyson, A., & Kikuchi, E. (2023). Growing public concern about the role of artificial intelligence in daily life. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/08/28/growing-public-concern-about-the-role-of-artificial-intelligence-in-daily-life/

WAESN History; Cliff Notes Style

WAESN started in 2019 as a loosely organized network of educators in Western Washington who were practicing, or interested in practicing, Ethnic Studies in their K–12 classrooms. We decided to officially incorporate as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit in the spring of 2020 because we believed that an official structure would provide a sense of legitimacy.

Since we were all educators, we had no idea what we were doing and quickly learned that philanthropists rarely award grants to 501(c)(4) organizations because they are considered “too political.” In 2021, we also founded a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Together, these two entities are collectively known as Washington Ethnic Studies Now (WAESN).

In the formative years, WAESN sustained itself entirely through contracts with schools and districts along the I-5 Corridor, with a few partnerships out of state. The year 2020 marked a national reckoning; an outcry against police violence and a call for anti-racist education in classrooms. However, by fall of that year, Christofer Rufo emerged in national media, bringing with him years of local attacks on femmes of color, including WAESN’s co-founder and Executive Director, Dr. Castro-Gill, and exporting that rhetoric to Fox News. It became the perfect storm of racial justice progress and white fearmongering: the beginning of the so-called “anti-CRT movement.”

Over the next few years, WAESN faced some of the harshest headwinds since our founding. As the national conversation turned against Ethnic Studies and Critical Race Theory (CRT), our organization, and the educators, students, and community members we support, became targets. The rise of fascism, state censorship, and anti-CRT legislation gutted our ability to raise funds through school and district contracts. Both conservative and self-proclaimed “liberal” lawmakers attacked WAESN, mischaracterizing our work and values.

Online trolls and political operatives launched personal attacks intended to discredit our leadership and silence our movement. Despite our team’s best efforts to sustain operations, we ran out of operating funds in January 2025. For months, WAESN functioned as a volunteer organization held together by the willpower of educators and students already stretched thin.

Even during those difficult months, our community never stopped organizing.

The Tipping Point

What I believe finally tipped us over the edge was WAESN’s principled stance against HB2037, proposed in 2024. The bill would have awarded the Holocaust Center for Humanity a $400,000 contract to create “genocide education” that also included funds to draft anti-Islamophobia curriculum. The bill’s sponsor, Representative Travis Couture (R–D35), claimed it had nothing to do with the genocidal actions of the State of Israel. However, testimony from other lawmakers made it clear that the bill aimed to minimize—or erase—the horrific crimes against humanity being committed in Palestine.

WAESN led a statewide coalition of genocide survivors, facilitated by our lobbyist, Oliver Miska, to demand that non-Jewish genocide survivors have the right to tell their own stories without the influence of Zionist organizations. This call for authentic representation in genocide curriculum led to WAESN being labeled antisemitic by state lawmakers. We never called for an end to genocide education, only fair representation for those developing it. Although we did not win that fight, the coalition’s organizing resulted in a first-of-its-kind $180,000 budget proviso to support the development of anti-Islamophobia curriculum written by Muslims in Washington State.

The fight to disrupt HB2037, however, was a detour from our ongoing advocacy for a K–12 Ethnic Studies certification process for educators. During the 2020–2021 school year, WAESN conducted a pilot certification process funded by the Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB). We shared the findings with Representative Sharon Tomiko Santos (D–D37), chair of the House Education Committee and the Educational Opportunity Gap Oversight and Accountability Committee (EOGOAC). She initially agreed that our research demonstrated a clear need and promised to work with us to pass supportive legislation. Shortly afterward, she stopped communicating with us.

Teachers in this study, who viewed themselves as antiracist Ethnic Studies educators, admitted they were poorly prepared to teach Ethnic Studies. The literature review laid bare the curriculum violence that occurs when teachers are ill-prepared to teach the concepts included in the TIAHUI framework. To create a successful and sustainable K–12 Ethnic Studies program, these realities must be taken into consideration by education leaders and policy makers. Studies have consistently shown that teachers enter the profession unprepared to engage in challenging discussions about their own identities, their students’ identities, the racialized experiences of both, and systemic racial oppression. Teachers are letting us know they need and want training on these topics. An assumption can no longer be made that traditionally certificated teachers, such as history and literacy teachers, are capable of teaching Ethnic Studies.

quoted from Implementing Ethnic Studies in Washington State K–12 Schools: Challenges, Training Gaps, and Pathways for Educator Preparation in the Ethnic Studies Pedagogies Journal

We later discovered that Rep. Santos pursued the initiative without input from WAESN or other stakeholders, except PESB, and instead of advocating for a full endorsement pathway, she proposed a budget proviso for an Ethnic Studies specialty endorsement. A specialty endorsement cannot be required to teach a course and offers little practical benefit to educators, rendering it functionally useless. We were told Rep. Santos refused to work with WAESN because of our “reputation” in Olympia as radical antisemites.

“…it is not enough to be a liberal, to have the right attitudes and even to give money to the right causes. You have to know more than that. You have to be prepared to risk more than that.” — James Baldwin

Don’t Call It a Comeback

In a climate where fascism continues to grow and censorship becomes codified into law, our strategy must evolve. Educators are increasingly constrained by district, state, and federal policies that make honest teaching risky. Youth are not.

One of WAESN’s final and most successful initiatives before our restructuring was the Youth Advocacy Summit in January 2025. It was designed and facilitated by youth-led organizations across the Seattle Metro region, including the NAACP Youth Council, WA BUS, the Seattle Student Union, the Legislative Youth Advocacy Council (LYAC), and WAESN’s own Youth Advisory Board (YAB). In the months leading up to the Summit, Oliver Miska collaborated with WAESN’s intern from the UW ECO program, Sophia Hernandez, to help students from various groups write op-eds in the Seattle Emerald on issues important to them, including Ethnic Studies. The Summit brought these student leaders together to launch a broader youth coalition and hold state lawmakers publicly accountable.

That’s why WAESN is shifting its primary focus from training educators to training youth: the next generation of advocates and organizers who are not yet bound by institutional censorship and still protected by free speech (for now).

Our youth leadership programs will provide:

• Civic and legal literacy to help youth understand how systems of power function and how to challenge them.
• Technology and media literacy to equip them to launch advocacy campaigns and protect themselves online.
• Leadership development to build a pipeline of organizers ready to take this fight directly to lawmakers.

WAESN’s Board of Directors and Youth Advisory Board are currently re-writing our Values, Mission, and Vision to center youth leadership development. We have not abandoned educator development; it remains available for those deeply committed to racial justice in schools. However, we know the future is youth-led, community-rooted, and unafraid to confront white supremacy wherever it hides, not in spite of the risks, the trolls, and the spineless politicians, but because of them.

So don’t call it a comeback. We’re still the same organization that was attacked and maligned, just a stronger one that has learned, adapted, and refused to be erased.

Before moving into expressions of gratitude and support, it’s important to acknowledge that our resurgence would not have been possible without our community partnerships and collective resilience.

Support for WAESN

We owe immense gratitude to the Inatai Foundation, which supported WAESN’s work even as we were being maligned, or perhaps because of it. Just when we thought we were down for the count, Inatai invited us to apply for their Systems Change grant. Earlier this fall, we learned we were awarded the grant.

We also thank WAESN’s Sustaining Members, many of whom began providing monthly donations back in 2020 when we were still just an idea and who stayed with us even when we thought we were finished. Their support helped us keep the lights (or website) on while we charted our next steps. Our community means everything to us, and WAESN is committed to living the values of Ethnic Studies for as long as we can.

With support from Inatai and our Sustaining Members, we reinstated our co-founder and Executive Director, Dr. Castro-Gill, and hired a Director of Development and Programs, Asuka Conyer. Staying true to our renewed commitment to youth leadership, we intentionally marketed this position to emerging youth leaders which led us to Asuka, a 24-year-old recent college graduate and racial justice powerhouse. Asuka now facilitates and is working to expand our YAB while managing a new program: the Youth Power Lab.

But this progress depends on ongoing support. Living the values of Ethnic Studies means fairly and sustainably paying people for their labor. As an anti-capitalist organization, WAESN remains committed to offering livable wages and no-cost medical coverage. We need your help to keep building.

Join us in sustaining this movement: become a Sustaining Member, donate, or share our story. Together we can fortify Ethnic Studies against a rising tide of fascism, nurture youth power, and ensure our communities continue to resist, organize, and lead toward liberation.

A poem shouted by Shraddha Shirude

---

It’s nearly spring, which means high-stakes standardized testing season in K–12 schools. Arguably, math is the most soul crushingly affected by these less than useless (racist and harmful) practices. For history, context, and outcomes, read any of Dr. Wayne Au’s scholarship on the subject.

Fortunately, students can be opted out of these tests with a simple email or phone call. Check out the resources WAESN has curated to support opting out, including opt out form letters translated to various languages commonly spoken in Seattle-area schools and WAESN’s Board Vice President and author of this month’s blog post, Shraddha Shirude, speaking on how standardized testing harms math education.

---

I just wanted to teach kids math

So they could see how cool math is

And appreciate it

But how could they when it’s all just digits (letters) that make numbers (words) that make equations (sentences) they’ve never heard, seen, or used and never will again

Meaningless. 

I just wanted to teach kids math 

So they could see how poems are math

And feel the math flow 

But how could they when it’s all disjointed rules with nothing to bring them together

Purposeless.

I just wanted to teach kids math

So they could spot a lie from a mile away

And never let anyone manipulate their minds

But how could they when all they’ve been taught is to manipulate their variables and lie about their understanding to pass a class

Deception.

I just wanted to teach kids math

So they could learn about their own minds

And be the reason for their success 

But how could they when their success was measured by a test and their minds limited by the highest score possible

Controlled.

Is this what math is? Meaningless, purposeless, deception, and control?

If I could just teach math

They would learn about their own minds

And be the reason for their success

I’d challenge them to walk me through their journey and ask them what’s next

Boundless 

If I could just teach math 

They would understand what makes a lie

And dismantle the systems that tried to manipulate them

I’d teach them proofs of the world that control the human mind and ask them what’s next

Criticality

If I could just teach math

We would play with rhythm and harmony 

And find the numbers within our hearts

I’d teach them of the histories of these numbers we play with and ask them what’s next

Creativity

If I could just teach math

I would help students to see why learning is the most joyous thing you can do 

And how thinking is the most human of endeavors there ever was

Our class would ebb & flow however we pleased, only our whims would guide us, only our own minds could assess us

Humanity

This is what math is, boundless, critical, creative, human.

In the meantime, I must go back to work, where I teach course code HMA2692/4.

Shraddha Shirude is the Board Vice President of Washington Ethnic Studies Now and a math educator and department head at Cleveland STEM High School in Seattle.

by Dr. Tracy Castro-Gill

So, I’m officially unemployed, which means I have more time to write, which I actually enjoy when I’m not compelled to do it, or when it’s not part of grantwriting. I’ve been kicking around the idea of writing a book for a long time, but none of the topics I’ve pondered ever appealed to me enough to do more than write a sample chapter. The chapter I wrote was on making sure we use the correct language when we talk about antiracist and Ethnic Studies education policy. I may include that in this series. It may even end up in this first installment. Who knows?

One topic, however, that keeps coming up in interesting and varied ways is that of classroom management and what it looks like in a student-centered classroom. If you know me or have completed any professional development with me, one of my most used refrains is, “You can’t lecture and quiz your way through Ethnic Studies.” I get so depressed when I peer into a classroom and see straight rows of desks in tidy lines. How sad it must be to be stuck in those classrooms for hours on end, days on end, with no chance to be human with the other humans in the room. I remember what that was like, and I HATED it, which is why the rooms I taught in never looked like that. My classrooms have always been student-centered, loud, and bustling places full of joy (most of the time). But I’m learning that when teachers hear, “student-centered,” some of them jump to student free-for-all, because they’ve been taught— often in teacher preparation programs and from their administrators—that classroom management means the teacher must have total control of all student behaviors at all times. This series aims to clarify a few things. 

TRUST

My fondest memories of school, and my teachers, involved classrooms that were alive, loud, and full of motion and commotion. The teacher that inspired me to teach was named Ms. Cassford. She was my 8th grade social studies teacher at Lakeside Junior High School in Norwalk, CA. Oh, I loved her. I loved her because she challenged and pushed me to be better and understand more. I credit her with instilling in me a love for learning. I always loved it, but Ms. Cassford brought it to a new level. Her secret? Trusting me and every other student she taught.

I don’t mean trust as in, she trusted us not to misbehave or not to steal things, etc. She trusted us to understand complex topics and take them seriously in our learning experiences. While Ms. Cassford inspired me to teach, one of her units inspired me to eventually become an Ethnic Studies educator: The Holocaust. I was 14 years old when we started that unit. I remember it like it was yesterday instead of 36 years ago. In 1989, I learnt about The Holocaust mostly through primary sources, including the Russian videos of liberating prisoners from Nazi death camps. The images were so gruesome and disturbing that Ms. Cassford had to have signed permission slips for us to engage in the lessons.

In a classroom that was usually raucous, and a lot of time full of silliness and laughter, my peers and I were transfixed. Part of it was the gravity of the learning material, but most of it was the way it was presented by Ms. Cassford. It wasn’t what I call “trauma porn,” because Ms. Cassford didn’t stop with the horrific images. She pushed us to understand the human conditions that led to these crimes against humanity, and she included stories and examples of Jewish resistance. 

This is the trust I’m talking about—she trusted a group of goofy and awkward 14-year-olds to hold this inhumane period of history in our hearts and minds and do something with it. She trusted that we could take what she presented and make meaning from it, not simply passively consume it and feel sorry for whomever lived and died during those years. And we did. 

One of the many things I took away from that learning experience was that the most essential component of classroom management is trust between a teacher and their students. We know from research that a positive relationship between teachers and students is one of the top factors in positive student outcomes, and what I’ve found missing from the research is a description of what that means. What is involved in positive teacher/student relationships that result in positive outcomes? My first answer in this series is trust.

So, let’s first define and understand trust in this context. I believe that words hold different meanings in different contexts. Contrary to popular belief, not everyone defines things the same way. Cultural and linguistic differences add nuance to words that dictionaries leave out. I do, however, always like to start with dictionary definitions so that we can trouble them and find the nuance in doing so. The following definitions were found in the online Oxford English dictionary for trust: 

1. noun: the firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something

2. verb: to believe in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of

It’s important, when criticizing these definitions, to point out that all of the indicators of trust are subjective: reliability, truth, ability, strength. For example, a teacher with a conventional understanding of ability may define this as a student’s ability to be still and quiet at all times, so that teacher’s definition of trusting their students isn’t the same as mine. If I were to take these definitions and rewrite them using Ms. Cassford’s example of trust specific to student-centered classroom management, they might look something like this: 

1. noun: the firm belief in the capacity of students, regardless of age, ability, or identity, to achieve expected outcomes

2. verb: to believe in the agency of students, both individually and as a group, regardless of age, ability, or identity

I do appreciate the emphasis on the words belief and believe. A well-respected education advocate in Seattle, SebRena Burr, uses the term, “belief gap,” in place of opportunity gap, indicating that gaps exist because adults in the education system lack this version of trust in their students. I’ve also replaced ability with capacity in the noun definition to provide a counternarrative to ableism in the Oxford dictionary’s definition. A disabled person may not be able to personally address their basic needs, but that doesn’t mean they lack the capacity to have them met. This is where assistive devices, medications, service animals, caretakers, prosthetics, etc come in. My youngest child has dyscalculia and dyslexia. They can’t keep numbers and letters in their head to save their life! But with a calculator, they can solve complex mathematical equations just as easily as their neurotypical peers, therefore having the same problem-solving capacity. A student who has been labeled unruly by their teachers has the same capacity as their peers to meet expected outcomes given a different environment, learning opportunities, adult interactions, etc. In order to trust our students and create student-centered classrooms, we have to dismantle the ableist idea of ability. 

Student-centered classrooms are not free-for-alls. They are classrooms where students have been entrusted to act on their agency of self and classroom management and their capacity to hold themselves and each other accountable to their learning and learning outcomes. Many Ethnic Studies scholars describe this as relational accountability. More on that in upcoming installments. The teachers who go straight to visions of students doing (or not doing) whatever they want in a student-centered classroom are responding to the fear of letting go of the control they’ve been taught to wield; their belief that, without being told what to do, children will run amuck. If left to their own devices without any guidance, this might be true, but remember: student-centered means the teacher is marginalized, not absent. The teacher becomes the coach or mentor. They are still needed to support the students in the process of managing their classroom, and students frequently need to be taught how to use their agency as it may be the first time an educator trusted them to do so.

I’m not sure what the next installment of this series will be, or if it will even be. At this point in time I’m thinking it might be on challenging token economies like positive behavioral intervention systems (PBIS), but I’d like to leave you with some reflection questions to chew on between now and then: 

1. If the idea of a student-centered classroom causes any type of anxiety response, where is that response coming from? 

2. If you are the type of teacher who feels like they need to be in control of all or most decision making in a classroom, how is that working? Are students compliant, or do you have a lot of issues with student engagement?

3. If you believe you are a student-centered teacher, but your classroom feels out of control, have you taken time to explicitly teach and coach your students through self-management, or did you just expect them to come to you equipped with those skills? 

As we step into 2025, Washington Ethnic Studies Now (WAESN) has a bittersweet announcement to share with you. Beginning February 1st, 2025, WAESN will transition to a volunteer-only model due to a lack of sustainable funding opportunities. This decision, while difficult, is necessary to ensure the continued existence of our organization and our unwavering commitment to Ethnic Studies and antiracism in Washington’s schools.

What This Transition Means

• WAESN will no longer have paid staff; however, WAESN is not closing or ceasing operations. Our mission remains as steadfast as ever. We are deeply appreciative of the efforts of all of our past and present staff and volunteers for helping us get this far. 
• We will continue to offer important resources, K–12 Ethnic Studies curriculum, and networking opportunities, including our quarterly Advocacy in Community gatherings and Dinners with President Bruce.
• Our political advocacy work will, unfortunately, be negatively impacted. Without dedicated paid staff, our capacity to engage in the critical fight for systems transformation will be reduced.
• The ability to offer professional development opportunities may also be negatively affected.

Dr. Castro-Gill, a cornerstone of WAESN’s leadership, will continue contributing on a part-time volunteer basis while pursuing a nationwide job search. If new funding becomes available and they have not yet found a new role, Dr. Castro-Gill will return as WAESN’s Executive Director. Should they secure a new position, they have committed to joining the WAESN board to ensure continuity of leadership and vision.

WAESN’s Director of Policy and Public Affairs, Oliver Miska, will continue to fight for racial justice and equitable funding for public education in our state. Oliver is currently working on fighting attacks on trans youth with the Lavender Rights Project and advocating for the People’s Big 5 funding legislation.

Both the Executive and Youth Advisory Boards will remain intact. Additionally, WAESN will complete our current partnerships with various university intern programs. Our committees, and the volunteers that run them, will also continue to operate.

Why This Is Happening

WAESN is a 501(c)(4) organization, a designation that allows us to engage in direct political lobbying while maintaining our nonprofit status. We chose this tax structure intentionally because we believe systems transformation cannot occur without political activism. Unfortunately, this decision has come with significant challenges:

• Our unapologetic advocacy for antiracism and refusal to soften our approach to accommodate white supremacy has led to us being perceived as “too political” or “aggressive.” This perception has hindered our ability to secure contracts with organizations entrenched in systemic inequities.
• Most philanthropic foundations are reluctant to support 501(c)(4) organizations, which limits our funding options.
• The underfunding of education in Washington has constrained schools and districts from contracting with WAESN.
• The growing attacks on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and Critical Race Theory (CRT) have made even willing partners hesitant to engage with an organization as firmly committed to antiracism as WAESN.

Despite these barriers, we remain profoundly grateful to the Inatai Foundation and College Spark Washington for their steadfast support and belief in our mission. Their partnership has been a beacon of hope in challenging times.

How You Can Help: A Call to Action

WAESN has always been a volunteer organization with a paid staff of one, and as we navigate this transition, we need your support now more than ever to sustain our critical work. In the wake of the current president’s tenure and rise of fascism we need to bring our community together to fight for our lives and the lives of our students. If you have volunteered in the past, we’d love to have you back. If you aren’t yet connected with WAESN, we invite you to consider these options:

1. Become or continue to be a sustaining member. 

Even as a volunteer-only organization, we still need funds to cover essential costs like technology and event programming.

2. Join one of our committees. 

With no paid staff, our success now depends on the dedication of volunteers. Your time and energy can help bridge the gap.

3. Spread the word. 

Help us secure contracts and funding by sharing WAESN’s mission and work with your networks.

A Heartfelt Thank You

To our supporters, members, and allies: thank you. Thank you for believing in our mission, standing by us, and fighting alongside us. Your unwavering support has made WAESN’s work possible, and it will continue to propel us forward.

While this transition marks a challenging chapter, it is not the end of WAESN. Together, we will persist in the fight for Ethnic Studies and antiracism in Washington’s schools, carrying our torch with determination and hope. We promise to continue this work until we are forced to stop—and we don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.

Together, we will continue to fight for America’s beautiful story. Thank you for being part of this journey.

Sincerely,

Washington State Civics: Take Collective Action – Save Denny Blaine

Developed by: Oliver Miska
Suggested Course/Grade Level: 9–12
Duration of Lesson: 1–75 Minute Block + 3 Block Mini-Unit

Lesson Overview

The free Ethnic Studies resource, titled “Take Collective Action – Save Denny Blaine,” is lesson 9 of the Washington State Civics unit and is designed to empower students in grades 9 through 12 to strategize and implement civic advocacy campaigns through historical analysis and critical reflection.

Learning Goals

• Students will develop strategies for civic advocacy campaigns informed by historical analysis and critical reflection.

Case Study: Denny Blaine Park Advocacy

A central component of this lesson is the examination of the Denny Blaine Park case study, which serves as a real-world example of civic engagement and collective action.

Background

In late 2023, Seattle Parks and Recreation proposed the addition of a children’s play area at Denny Blaine Park, a site historically recognized for its clothing-optional beach and significance to the LGBTQIA+ community. The proposal was initiated by an anonymous donor, later identified as Stuart Sloan, a local businessman and adjacent property owner. Sloan had expressed concerns about the park’s nude sunbathers and sought to repurpose the space to discourage such activities.

The proposal prompted significant opposition from the community, particularly from LGBTQIA+ individuals who valued the park’s historical and cultural importance. Activists mobilized to “Save Denny Blaine Park,” organizing petitions, public meetings, and advocacy campaigns to preserve the park’s traditional use. A notable public meeting on December 6, 2023, saw an overflow crowd voicing near-unanimous opposition to the proposed changes.

In response to the community’s collective action, Seattle Parks and Recreation announced on December 8, 2023, that the proposed play area project would not proceed. The department acknowledged the feedback highlighting the park’s significance to the LGBTQIA+ community and the potential unintended consequences of altering its use. Plans were made to explore alternative locations for a play area and to engage further with community leaders to understand the park’s importance.

Application in the Classroom

This case study provides students with a tangible example of how collective action and civic advocacy can influence public policy and preserve community spaces. By analyzing the Denny Blaine Park scenario, students can identify key strategies used in successful advocacy campaigns, understand the importance of community engagement, and reflect on the role of historical and cultural contexts in civic issues.

Lesson Sequence

The lesson begins with an introduction to the Denny Blaine Park case study. The teacher provides students with the background of the proposed changes to the park and the subsequent community response. Using the Unit Slideshow, students are visually guided through the key events, including the motivations of the anonymous donor and the outcry from the community, particularly the LGBTQIA+ members who valued the park’s historical and cultural significance. This introduction sets the stage for deeper exploration of collective action.

Next, the class engages in a group discourse session to discuss the broader concepts of individual versus collective action. This discussion is designed to activate students’ prior knowledge and perspectives. The teacher facilitates by posing open-ended questions, encouraging students to connect their personal experiences or observations to the case study, and guiding them to formulate follow-up questions that deepen their analysis.

After the full-group discussion, students work in small groups to analyze various materials related to the Denny Blaine Park case. These materials include news articles, public statements, and meeting transcripts. Each group examines a specific aspect of the advocacy campaign, such as the strategies used to mobilize the community, the communication methods employed, or the impact of the campaign’s outcomes. The groups then prepare to share their insights with the rest of the class.

To expand on this analysis, students participate in a video jigsaw activity. Each group is assigned a different video segment that provides additional context, such as interviews with stakeholders or news coverage of the park proposal. After watching their assigned videos, students summarize their findings and share them during a class discussion, enabling the whole class to piece together a more comprehensive understanding of the campaign and its resolution.

The lesson then transitions into a full-group review of civic advocacy campaign components. Using the Denny Blaine Park case study as a reference, the teacher introduces the key elements of successful advocacy efforts, including setting clear goals, identifying stakeholders, crafting effective messaging, and planning actionable steps. This collaborative discussion provides students with a practical framework for organizing their own advocacy initiatives.

Finally, the teacher introduces the 3-lesson mini-unit expansion, which allows students to explore additional historical campaigns and compare them to the Denny Blaine Park example. This extension provides an opportunity to reinforce key concepts by examining how advocacy efforts in the past have shaped policy and community dynamics, drawing clear parallels to the students’ current learning experience.

By engaging with the Denny Blaine Park case study, students gain practical insights into the dynamics of civic advocacy and the impact of collective action. This lesson not only enhances their understanding of Washington State civics but also empowers them to become active participants in their communities.

On January 4, 2025, Washington Ethnic Studies Now (WAESN) convened for our quarterly Advocacy in Community meeting, bringing together educators, advocates, and students to explore pressing issues in Ethnic Studies and youth advocacy. This transformative event, themed Youth Agency in a World on Fire, featured dynamic discussions, actionable takeaways, and a call to strengthen solidarity across communities.

Here’s how WAESN is paving the way for youth-led change and collective liberation, even amid challenges.

---

Navigating Identity and Building Solidarity

The heart of the meeting was a panel discussion tackling the complexities of Asian American identity and its intersections with anti-Blackness. Facilitated by WAESN Youth Advisory Board member and junior at Harvard College, Priyanka Mukhara, panelists Dr. Kyle Kinoshita, Shraddha Shirude, Kaley Duong, and James Young delved into the limitations of a collective Asian American identity, explaining how it can both highlight shared struggles and obscure the unique challenges faced by individual ethnic groups.

A key concept discussed was racial triangulation, a term describing how White Supremacy positions Asian Americans between Whiteness and Blackness, often fostering anti-Blackness within Asian communities. Panelists emphasized the need for ongoing education, self-reflection, and active accountability to address these divides and build bridges of solidarity with Black communities.

Youth advocacy emerged as a powerful thread throughout the discussion. Panelists underscored the role of young leaders in dismantling White Supremacy and fostering justice-driven change, calling for mentorship and resources to amplify their efforts.

---

Interactive Learning and Legislative Advocacy

WAESN’s commitment to advocacy was evident in our engaging approach to civic education. WAESN’s Director of Policy and Public Affairs, Oliver Miska, led attendees through a lively Kahoot game designed to teach the fundamentals of the Washington State Legislature. This interactive session demystified the legislative process, highlighting the critical role of organizing in shaping policy and the importance of grassroots advocacy.

The Kahoot game was followed by Sophia Hernandez, WAESN’s Youth Advocacy Team Manager and University of Washington senior in the Educations, Communities, and Organizations program, introducing the upcoming Youth Advocacy Summit. The summit, happening February 1st, is designed to equip young advocates with the skills to navigate legislative spaces and push for meaningful change.

---

Looking Ahead: Exciting Events in 2025

WAESN’s roadmap for the year is packed with initiatives designed to empower youth and strengthen community ties:

• Youth Advocacy Summit (February 1, 2025): A hands-on event for young leaders to learn legislative advocacy and engage with policymakers.
• March Meeting: A quarterly gathering focused on analyzing the outcomes of the current legislative session.
• June Celebration: A dual-purpose event showcasing student work and reconnecting with WAESN alumni.

Subscribe to our Events Calendar to never miss an opportunity to connect with WAESN.

In addition to these events, WAESN continues to encourage members to stay engaged by signing up for the newsletter and sharing legislative priorities.

---

How You Can Support WAESN’s Mission

WAESN’s work highlights the transformative power of youth advocacy and the importance of collective liberation. You can help sustain this vital organization by:

• Donating: Every contribution helps keep WAESN’s programs running.
• Becoming a Member: Join as a sustaining member to ensure long-term support.
• Spreading the Word: Share WAESN’s legislative priorities and resources within your network.

Together, we can create a future where solidarity and justice thrive.

Join the movement and make a difference. Stay connected with WAESN, participate in events, and champion the cause of Ethnic Studies in all K–12 classrooms of Washington State.

by Dr. Tracy Castro-Gill, WAESN Co-founder and Executive Director

The way history is taught has long centered the stories of White men, leaving the legacies of women and people of color in the shadows. The Heroes of Color lesson is here to flip that script, and WAESN is offering it as a free resource. This middle school lesson invites students to challenge the dominant narratives they’ve been taught and replace them with powerful counternarratives of resistance and liberation.

This isn’t just about history—it’s about justice. It’s about reclaiming the stories of those who’ve fought against systemic oppression, especially the youth and women of color who often go unrecognized.

---

Why We Need This Lesson

Part of the broader unit From Mesopotamia to Minneapolis: Examining the Rule of Law (in development), this lesson digs into the roots of systemic racial oppression and the counternarratives that disrupt it. Students are encouraged to think critically about whose stories get told and why. It’s an opportunity to connect the past to the present and imagine a future where these histories are foundational—not sidelined.

---

What Students Will Learn

At its core, this lesson is about liberation. It’s about amplifying the voices of those who’ve been silenced and helping students understand that history is not just something to be memorized—it’s something to be questioned.

Students will:

• Examine the roles of women and youth of color in resisting systemic oppression.
• Learn how dominant narratives erase critical histories and why counternarratives are essential.
• Engage in meaningful dialogue about race, power, and justice.

---

How the Lesson Works

Start With What They Know

The lesson kicks off with an activity that gets students thinking about whose names come to mind when they think of American heroes. They’ll likely list the usual suspects—White men like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Then, we look at why that’s the case.

Using real-world examples, like a Google search for “American heroes,” students will see the erasure in action. They’ll discuss how systemic oppression shapes even the stories we celebrate, setting the stage for learning about the heroes who’ve been left out.

Dive Into the Stories

Students will choose from texts about Asian American, Black, Latinx, and Native American heroes. These aren’t the sanitized, palatable versions of history—they’re stories of real people who stood up to injustice in a system designed to silence them.

Through annotation and a graphic organizer, students will prepare to share these stories with their classmates. This is about more than just learning facts; it’s about connecting with the courage and resistance of these heroes.

Bring the Block Party Vibes

The highlight of the lesson is the Heroes of Color Block Party. Think of it as a history lesson meets community gathering. With optional snacks, decorations, and music, students circulate the room, sharing what they’ve learned and learning from their peers. It’s a celebration of these heroes and a powerful reminder that history belongs to all of us.

Reflect and Reclaim

The lesson ends with a reflection where students piece together what they’ve learned and confront the bigger questions:

• Why are these stories missing from the history books?
• How can we make sure they’re never forgotten again?

This isn’t just an exit ticket—it’s a call to action.

---

Aligning With Justice

This lesson meets state and national social studies standards, but more importantly, it aligns with the fight for justice. It centers Ethnic Studies principles by teaching students to question the systems of power that decide whose stories matter.

---

Why This Matters

This lesson isn’t about adding a few names to a list of heroes—it’s about shifting the way students see the world. It’s about showing them that history is alive, that it’s political, and that it can be reclaimed.

The stories of heroes of color are stories of survival, resistance, and liberation. They are the stories students need to hear—not just because they’ve been erased, but because they offer a roadmap for how to fight injustice today.

---

Ready to Teach It?

If you’re ready to transform your classroom into a space where justice and truth are centered, start planning your Heroes of Color Block Party. Let’s rewrite history together.

By Dr. Tracy Castro-Gill and Oliver Miska

---

This post was originally published as part of a Back-to-School series in the South Seattle Emerald.

---

Students have been fighting for ethnic studies since the 1960s. Yet it’s still only “encouraged” in Washington State, despite study after study showing its benefit for all students.

Black student unions and the Third World Liberation Front forged an intersectional solidarity movement in the 1960s at university campuses nationwide. Their multiracial, grassroots movement was institutionalized (read: colonized) into the ivory towers of higher education ethnic studies departments, such as African American studies, Asian American studies, Chicano studies, etc., but the fight for ethnic studies in K–12 is relatively new and is still being fought state by state.

In 2019 and 2020, the first legislation “encouraging” ethnic studies brought another institutionalized version of it into our K–12 schools. These bills triggered the creation of the Ethnic Studies Advisory Committee (ESAC) within the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), which would be tasked with developing an ethnic studies framework. The framework was published by OSPI in the fall of 2021. The mishandling of ESAC, which exploited Femmes of Color who wrote the framework, also soured relationships between ethnic studies experts and the state. OSPI needs to engage in reconciliation with these community organizations and ethnic studies experts.

Fortunately, we have a chance to combat neocolonialism and performative unfunded mandates, and Washington Ethnic Studies Now (WAESN) is convening a statewide coalition of educators, parents, youth, and community members advocating for a liberated, pan-ethnic model of ethnic studies rooted in intersectional solidarity.

WAESN is cited as one of the contributors to the 34-page framework, and WAESN’s former board president, Amanda Hubbard, was an official member of the ESAC. Since then, however, no movement has been made at the state level to support the implementation of ethnic studies in our state. In fact, OSPI decided to remove a list of professional development (PD) providers from the framework in a move that appeared to be retaliatory against WAESN for our political advocacy.

This is part of a series in the South Seattle Emerald called Back to School²: An Educational Series on Education highlighting advocacy efforts in education policy from the local School Board to the State Legislature.

What’s at Stake

According to a study recently conducted by WAESN, curriculum violence is an unaddressed epidemic that marginalized students face across the U.S. Dr. Stephanie Jones of Grinnell College has been documenting evidence of curriculum violence for a decade on her X account, “Mapping Racial Trauma in Schools” (@TraumaMapping). Jones defines curriculum violence as any curriculum that harms students intellectually or psychologically.

One of us, Dr. Tracy Castro-Gill, expanded on Jones’ definition of curriculum violence to include “learning materials, activities, assessments, educator values, practices, school and district policies, and disciplinary measures that are explicitly or implicitly biased and result in identity trauma for students and their families,” with identity trauma meaning “the traumatic experiences of … marginalized identities, such as gender, sexuality, ability, and economic status.”

In spite of Washington’s reputation as a “liberal bubble,” our state has had ample instances of curriculum violence.

In 2023, the WAESN Youth Advisory Board created an essay contest, awarding scholarships to four winners from different age ranges. The prompt was: “Tell us about a time you broke the rules and why.” Two of the four contest winners addressed curriculum violence perpetrated by educators in the Seattle school district. Anya Souza-Ponce wrote about her experience with an educator at Ballard High School who refused to say the non-English names of individuals correctly, specifically Kamala Harris. Max Ratza wrote about their experiences with transphobia at McClure Middle School during a school-sponsored theater production. Additionally, students of Castro-Gill’s American ethnic studies course at the University of Washington have been sharing their experiences with curriculum violence on WAESN’s blog. The most recent example comes from Lauryn Daniels, a Black femme student who shared the traumatic pressure to conform to white standards of existence during her K–12 experience. Stories have also emerged from the east side of the state.

Earlier this year, a Spokane educator came under fire for racist and classist content titled “Slaves and Hobos” he taught in an elementary classroom. These examples of curriculum violence are just scratching the surface when it comes to the violence, alienation, and exclusion students feel in our schools.

Curriculum violence is the direct result of teacher preparation programs that poorly prepare prospective educators to teach about race, racism, and other systems of oppression. It’s also indicative of the lack of legislation to protect marginalized students from psychological trauma in the classroom.

Examples of curriculum violence create an unavoidable argument for urgent change at the state level.

Here’s What Implementation Looks Like

Sustainable implementation of any initiative must start with building workforce capacity among state education agencies, university teacher preparation programs, schools, districts, and educators.

State Education Agencies

Currently, the State’s lead education agency, OSPI, lacks staff with expertise in ethnic studies. To fill this gap, implementation at the State level must include community-based organizations (CBOs) and individuals who have been doing the work outside of the system. Creating a position in OSPI for an ethnic studies program director will support efforts to bring CBOs, schools, districts, and State agencies together. Additionally, since ethnic studies is an interdisciplinary field of study, this new role will help facilitate the inclusion of its values and practices into every subject area.

WAESN met with Superintendent Chris Reykdal in August, and he voiced both his understanding of the importance of ethnic studies and his support for working on it at OSPI, to act as a statewide support for growing local programs.

University Teacher Preparation Programs

WAESN completed a study reporting on workforce capacity and teacher preparation for K–12 ethnic studies.

We found that teachers are unprepared to teach ethnic studies after graduating from their teacher preparation programs and need ongoing support.

Teacher education programs alone can’t fully train teachers to be culturally responsive or sustaining because of the deep-rooted White supremacy in education. —Dr. Cherry McDaniel

After years of advocacy, WAESN is working with Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos (a Democrat who represents the 37th Legislative District) on action steps for this upcoming legislative session to invest in integrating ethnic studies for all teacher preparation programs and creating a certification process for teachers who want to teach ethnic studies courses. Improving teacher preparation is an important step in making systemic change to eliminate curriculum violence. 

We do not want to create more hurdles for educators, which is why we are demanding that Washington fund local districts to incentivize and invest in their educators’ professional development.

Schools and Districts

In addition to educator preparation and creating an ethnic studies program at OSPI, barriers need to be removed and protections need to be put in place.

Educators are currently afraid to teach about race and racism because of a political climate that villainizes critical race theory (CRT). Contrary to popular rhetoric claiming CRT is anti-white and divisive, CRT is a framework used to teach about systemic racial oppression that centers the agency of racially oppressed groups. We need to make policy changes that are proactive and not reactive to address this and protect educators from disciplinary actions for teaching about race and racism.

In Castro-Gill’s study on educators of color teaching ethnic studies, participants identified school administrators as their primary barrier to teaching the subject. They cited administrators’ emphasis on testing outcomes over student experiences as the main issue. This tendency among administrators derives from the fact that their job performance is measured, in part, by student test scores. WAESN proposes aligning administrator evaluations, instead, with the State Board of Education’s “Profile of a Graduate” and the Professional Educator Standards Board’s “Cultural Competence, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Standards.”

Lastly, we need to learn from the challenges and successes other states have faced.

California, for example, took the traditional ethnic studies approach and has faced backlash for “leaving out” various ethnic groups, most notably Jewish people, from the model curriculum. The California model also works as a standalone course, meaning it’s not integrated into existing coursework, like history, math, art, etc. This perpetuates a divide-and-conquer mentality instead of fostering open dialogue.

Oregon is using a model that integrates ethnic studies into social studies courses instead of a standalone model. It is transitioning from the institutionalized model to a more inclusive approach known as pan-ethnic studies. This model examines how systemic racism impacts all marginalized groups collectively, instead of focusing on the histories of individual groups separately, using an intersectional approach focused on the experiences of People of Color. WAESN has taken this approach and created ethnic studies curriculum frameworks for 14 different subjects.

We believe ethnic studies can and should be incorporated into every K–12 subject, and since 2020, we have been providing training to thousands of educators using this model.

How You Can Help

Ethnic studies legislation and policies have been facing ongoing attacks since they were introduced.

Special-interest groups, like Conservative Ladies of Washington, Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism (FAIR), and Stand With Us have notoriously sought to demonize and discredit WAESN’s work. Unfortunately, conservatives aren’t the only source of resistance. Sen. Lisa Wellman (a Democrat who represents the 41st District), who chairs the Senate Education Committee, has expressed resistance to ethnic studies, making uninformed statements about it not being inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community in the legislature’s Educational Opportunity Gaps Oversight and Accountability Committee (EOGOAC) meetings. We also expect pushback from some who will claim our legislative priorities place too much of a burden on educators. That’s why we are doubling down that any mandate must include clear funding and guidance for educators.

To demand systematic change, we are creating an intersectional coalition of community organizations, education leaders, and youth advocates statewide.

We don’t want a seat at the table. We want to create a new system designed by those who are currently left out.

Below are some ways you can help us win this fight.

• Send an email to your legislators telling them to support ethnic studies. It takes 30 seconds.
• Read over our legislative priorities and endorse our coalition. 
• Email us to learn how to endorse: LegislativeCommittee@WAEthnicStudies.com. 
• Donate to WAESN to support our advocacy (we don’t get paid for our advocacy work and rely solely on member donations).
• Keep an eye on WAESN’s Instagram account for important updates and action alerts, including upcoming webinars, workshops, and a WAESN lobby day in Olympia in February.

by Masha Campbell, AES 340 Student

American Ethnic Studies 340 has encouraged me to reflect on my experiences and positionality within the educational system. I identify as a white, queer, cisgender woman. In addition, my ethnic background consists of Russian-Karelian heritage. I am a second-generation immigrant. I am bilingual and multicultural. My identities have dictated my experiences throughout my life. However, I was not always aware of its impact.

I attended predominantly white schools in Northeast Seattle, a historically privileged district that was impacted by redlining. As a white person, I saw my racial identity consistently represented among my educators and school curricula. I never felt my race would be an obstacle to overcome. I also did not feel like certain academic or career goals would be unattainable due to a lack of racial representation in the world. However, when it came to my multilingualism, I did feel misrepresented.

As mentioned in my first reflection, my school was not culturally sustaining. None of my teachers were multilingual, and they expected me to conform to their monolinguistic practices. Even though I was fluent in English, I was enrolled in the English language learners program for six years. I began to internalize that my multilingualism hindered my intellectual development and academic performance.

Throughout my twelve years at Seattle Public Schools (SPS), I had less than five educators of color, none of whom were Black. Seattle Public Schools prides itself on, “centering diversity and social justice,” yet their demographics and curricula say otherwise. I recently learned through OSPI’s records that 89% of Roosevelt High School’s faculty and 63% of its student body identify as white. AES 340 brings context to these concerning statistics.

The UW Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project, explains the legacy of redlining within current SPS demographics. In 1924, the neighborhood surrounding my high school (Roosevelt) announced that any person of the non-white race cannot be assigned or sold property within the neighborhood. These restrictions impacted the district’s racial population and access to generational wealth via real estate.

In addition, the aftermath of the Brown v. Board of Education decision greatly impacted the racial demographic of teachers. An Education Week article states that while the court ruling did integrate students of color, it failed to do the same with teachers of color. This was especially shocking for me to learn. I assumed the reason behind my school’s predominantly white faculty was the district. I was naive and unaware that this issue is widespread regardless of district.

My schools attempted to hire young educators of color. They were well-loved by students and very impactful. However, when budget cuts came around (which was often), they were the first to be let go due to seniority measures. This was heartbreaking for many, especially students of color who relied on these educators for emotional support.

Roosevelt High School bragged about offering courses about marginalized communities, such as American Ethnic Studies, Asian American Lit, Latin American Lit, African American Lit, and Native American Lit. However, there were many issues within these courses. All courses were offered as semester-long electives and as singletons, making them widely inaccessible. Due to their elective status, students felt the courses were not necessary. They opted for other courses deemed more desirable by colleges. Many students (including myself) took AP US History instead. The American History course was centered around the White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant narrative and offered the possibility of earning college credit. These factors prevented white students from learning different racial and cultural perspectives.

In addition, students of color felt like their identities were pushed aside and were expected to be grateful for the little representation they were given. Ethnic Studies courses weren’t viewed as an integral part of our education. My peers who attended the AES courses thought the content was impactful. However, the courses were structured toward white students and were intended to “illuminate them” rather than centering the students of color. It was frustrating to watch SPS hide behind a progressive mask while failing to follow through with their promises.

Listening to my peers of color talk about their experiences with predominantly white educators made me further understand the importance of representation in schools. Educators offer so much more than classroom instruction. They offer support and life perspectives. All students are entitled to feel that their identities are embraced.

Thanks to AES 340, I learned a lot about racial inequalities among educators/students and intend to continue. I want to become a public school speech therapist. I must educate myself on how to support my students properly. I will incorporate Critical Race Theory into my practice, continue to listen to my students, and practice self-reflection. I will not view my students based solely on their academic performance. Instead, I will embrace all their linguistic, cultural, familial, racial, and social wealth. Finally, I vow to make learning an additive rather than a subtractive experience for all my students.