SWS - You are only invited if you’re Black

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The world is larger than just this city. Maybe talk to people about the histories behind how DC became Chocolate City -- an some of the very systimatic issues behind why it's now Latteland, or whatever. If themes like gentrification, congressional overreach, home rule, and lack of full political representation and power dont come up, keep reading and listening until they do.

True. DC's failing Black schools are a direct consequence of generations of crimes against Black communities. The governments and laws and others have failed these children. There are people in DC who understand this and are trying to right some wrongs. People who have just showed up probably think they put themselves in this position. Well, no!

It is more than just “Black” schools that are failing in DCPS. There is a wide diversity of children in DCPS - failure is colorblind in this regard. DC spends the most money per student and still - failure. A big part of the issue here is the failure of communities making education a priority for their children. Oh, and school is not a day care or social service or morality and ethics tutors. Instead of having yet another group that is segregated by race - maybe have a group that speaks to everyone and has a common goal that helps the school community?

"Colorblind"? Really? That's why so many people like Janney? And why Janney is absolutely exactly identical in resources to every other DCPS out there? Just checking.

I wonder how you know what priorities various "communities" are giving to education for their children? Since you clearly believe you know all of these communities well enough to make sweeping generalizations, perhaps you could share some tips that would allow the rest of us to get know them as intimately as you do -- so we can understand what school is -- and is not -- just like you claim to do!

I'm curious. Wouldn't this school -- like most schools -- already have a group that purports to speak to everyone, with a common goal that helps the school community? A PTO, or PTA, or a welcoming, inclusive group like that? If not, maybe ask why it doesn't. If it does, then maybe take a closer look at how it actually functions and who it actually really serves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please quibble away. The point is, unpacking is a helpful exercise and may be of particular interest for those who have Black people in their lives that they are especially close to to ensure that they aren’t unintentionally, unconsciously mistreating the group as a whole. If one wants to be an ally or even neutral, you have to invest in learning, so you can first just be safe to be around.

I'm not opposed to affinity groups, but I think everyone at the school should be encouraged to form them according to any of the ways they want to slice themselves. There are a lot of communities that need to be able to advocate for their interests in our schools. DC has been used to thinking only in terms of black/white, but as the city became a little more cosmopolitan in the last couple of decades, that's no longer the extent of who is here and who has concerns about, among other things, the tunnel vision fixation on black/white.

I am opposed to top-down re-education movements that proceed according to rigid ideologies intended to oversimplify and elide complicated issues to deliver the "correct" conclusion, however.

+1 billion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve seen a lot of anti Latino/immigrant discrimination and a ton of Asian hate. But that’s not addressed here. It’s a pandering move designed to distract from a school which used to be good.

DCPS is 22% Latino but SWS is only 3%. Perhaps they should explore why they are so unwelcoming to our Latino residents.

[Anonymous]

Why do people in DC act like they are in daily combat with the KKK? Everyone here is liberal. Everyone is tolerant. The schools don’t even need to teach this stuff because the parents are already doing it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please quibble away. The point is, unpacking is a helpful exercise and may be of particular interest for those who have Black people in their lives that they are especially close to to ensure that they aren’t unintentionally, unconsciously mistreating the group as a whole. If one wants to be an ally or even neutral, you have to invest in learning, so you can first just be safe to be around.

I'm not opposed to affinity groups, but I think everyone at the school should be encouraged to form them according to any of the ways they want to slice themselves. There are a lot of communities that need to be able to advocate for their interests in our schools. DC has been used to thinking only in terms of black/white, but as the city became a little more cosmopolitan in the last couple of decades, that's no longer the extent of who is here and who has concerns about, among other things, the tunnel vision fixation on black/white.

I am opposed to top-down re-education movements that proceed according to rigid ideologies intended to oversimplify and elide complicated issues to deliver the "correct" conclusion, however.

+1 billion.

So you’re fine with affinity groups, but not black ones? Because they are top down? Wha?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do people in DC act like they are in daily combat with the KKK? Everyone here is liberal. Everyone is tolerant. The schools don’t even need to teach this stuff because the parents are already doing it.

Liberal and tolerant doesnt necessarily mean a welcoming, inclusive environment exists. And even if the environment is inclusive and welcoming, it doesn’t mean your child doesn’t internalize differences that exist from being a minority in a classroom. Why is it ok for white people to focus on their child’s mental well-being but POC should just shut up and be happy there aren’t crosses burning on their front lawns?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve seen a lot of anti Latino/immigrant discrimination and a ton of Asian hate. But that’s not addressed here. It’s a pandering move designed to distract from a school which used to be good.

DCPS is 22% Latino but SWS is only 3%. Perhaps they should explore why they are so unwelcoming to our Latino residents.

SWS does not care at all about Latinos.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve seen a lot of anti Latino/immigrant discrimination and a ton of Asian hate. But that’s not addressed here. It’s a pandering move designed to distract from a school which used to be good.

DCPS is 22% Latino but SWS is only 3%. Perhaps they should explore why they are so unwelcoming to our Latino residents.

SWS does not care at all about Latinos.

DC in general has done a poor job of supporting Latinos and other non-Black minorities.

[Anonymous]

Poor job compared to what? We came to the U.S. as refugees. All we wanted was stability, nothing more. I’m eternally grateful we landed in safety. However we didn’t have to overcome over 400+ years of degradation, which probably led to strong coping and support networks within the Black community. Please let Black people have their groups and don’t make it about you feeling left out. Let these kids build a cohort so they can live their best student lives unbothered by the microaggressions they will unquestionably face.

[Anonymous]

Discrimination based on race is simply wrong no matter the good intentions. It should not make a difference if members of a particular racial group get to feel warm and fuzzy by excluding other races. I'm sure in the 50s and 60s the men-only and whites-only social clubs also made their members feel super special, but we have long since then recognized that excluding others based on race is inherently corrosive to our society.

[Anonymous]

There is technically an affinity group for everyone, white, black, poc, including native Americans, refugees, etc. to talk about their own issues. the messaging was always, ‘to begin with, we will offer these three groups’. There was messaging last year about room for others to be created. There are affinity groups everywhere, to make places more welcome, yoga studios, rock climbing gyms, and can be for any type of group, including for older people, overweight people, lgbtq+, wherever people need solidarity to enter a space currently or previously dominated by people unlike them. There is so much hoopla around this. When I see a comment comparing an affinity group for black kids to a whites only men’s club from the 50s, when I see folks guffaw at the notion of systemic racism, I understand better the root of y’all’s drama and outrage…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is technically an affinity group for everyone, white, black, poc, including native Americans, refugees, etc. to talk about their own issues. the messaging was always, ‘to begin with, we will offer these three groups’. There was messaging last year about room for others to be created. There are affinity groups everywhere, to make places more welcome, yoga studios, rock climbing gyms, and can be for any type of group, including for older people, overweight people, lgbtq+, wherever people need solidarity to enter a space currently or previously dominated by people unlike them. There is so much hoopla around this. When I see a comment comparing an affinity group for black kids to a whites only men’s club from the 50s, when I see folks guffaw at the notion of systemic racism, I understand better the root of y’all’s drama and outrage…

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is technically an affinity group for everyone, white, black, poc, including native Americans, refugees, etc. to talk about their own issues. the messaging was always, ‘to begin with, we will offer these three groups’. There was messaging last year about room for others to be created. There are affinity groups everywhere, to make places more welcome, yoga studios, rock climbing gyms, and can be for any type of group, including for older people, overweight people, lgbtq+, wherever people need solidarity to enter a space currently or previously dominated by people unlike them. There is so much hoopla around this. When I see a comment comparing an affinity mgroup for black kids to a whites only men’s club from the 50s, when I see folks guffaw at the notion of systemic racism, I understand better the root of y’all’s drama and outrage…

There is not “technically” an affinity group for everyone. There are three. There’s a Black affinity group, which as far as I know is the only race based group that is getting school sponsored playdates. The entire school just got a second email about the “Black Family Social.”

There is the white affinity group which was directed to sit around and examine white racism.

And there’s a weird middle group where SWS lumped together: native born, refugees, multiracial/mixed race, or of immigrant status.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is technically an affinity group for everyone, white, black, poc, including native Americans, refugees, etc. to talk about their own issues. the messaging was always, ‘to begin with, we will offer these three groups’. There was messaging last year about room for others to be created. There are affinity groups everywhere, to make places more welcome, yoga studios, rock climbing gyms, and can be for any type of group, including for older people, overweight people, lgbtq+, wherever people need solidarity to enter a space currently or previously dominated by people unlike them. There is so much hoopla around this. When I see a comment comparing an affinity mgroup for black kids to a whites only men’s club from the 50s, when I see folks guffaw at the notion of systemic racism, I understand better the root of y’all’s drama and outrage…

There is not “technically” an affinity group for everyone. There are three. There’s a Black affinity group, which as far as I know is the only race based group that is getting school sponsored playdates. The entire school just got a second email about the “Black Family Social.”

There is the white affinity group which was directed to sit around and examine white racism.

And there’s a weird middle group where SWS lumped together: native born, refugees, multiracial/mixed race, or of immigrant status.

Who is neither native born nor immigrant?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is technically an affinity group for everyone, white, black, poc, including native Americans, refugees, etc. to talk about their own issues. the messaging was always, ‘to begin with, we will offer these three groups’. There was messaging last year about room for others to be created. There are affinity groups everywhere, to make places more welcome, yoga studios, rock climbing gyms, and can be for any type of group, including for older people, overweight people, lgbtq+, wherever people need solidarity to enter a space currently or previously dominated by people unlike them. There is so much hoopla around this. When I see a comment comparing an affinity mgroup for black kids to a whites only men’s club from the 50s, when I see folks guffaw at the notion of systemic racism, I understand better the root of y’all’s drama and outrage…

There is not “technically” an affinity group for everyone. There are three. There’s a Black affinity group, which as far as I know is the only race based group that is getting school sponsored playdates. The entire school just got a second email about the “Black Family Social.”

There is the white affinity group which was directed to sit around and examine white racism.

And there’s a weird middle group where SWS lumped together: native born, refugees, multiracial/mixed race, or of immigrant status.

How is this not blatantly illegal?! A public taxpayer-funded school in 2023 should know better.