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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]^^ This is very different than wanting a white affinity group at a school that’s 2/3rds white.[/quote]

Why? You could argue it's even more important for SWS to create spaces for white parents to discuss race and address issues they are having, because they are the dominant race at SWS and the question of inclusivity has been raised repeatedly at the school. It's more delicate there, but the need for a venue in which white people actually talk about race with each other is still strong.

I mean I guess the fear here is that white affinity groups will naturally morph into some kind of exclusionary, racist organization. But why? I get that some people's knee jerk reaction is going to be "oh look, white people excluding everyone else." But if there's a need for a space for white parents to talk through these issues and maybe even share ideas, or even just to talk through discomfort they might be having with an eye towards dispelling it, why would that be bad?

Also, I would assume a white affinity group focused on race issues would sometimes invite POC to come share or provide feedback. So it wouldn't actually be a "whites only" space, but it's just a venue designated for talking about the problems white people face in creating inclusive, diverse communities, which are different than the issues POC face in those same communities.[/quote]

Because a public school has no business creating racially exclusionary groups. Parents can organize it on their own if they want to.

Also I feel like this kind of stuff just creates echo-chambers where white people assume that there is only one way to be black or some kind of uniform black agenda. And these groups tend also to create the idea that there are some perfect words or books we can give our kids so that they display the appropriate anti-racist attributes. The really hard conversations never happen.

But mainly I think “affinity groups” fail to actually connect to the issues directly related to the actual school. Like, do you need to direct more resources to acceleration? Should more homework be required? What should PTA money go for? For those conversations you need everyone in the room. [/quote]

1) Obviously an affinity group should not be deciding what PTA money goes to. That's what the PTA is for! In fact, everything you say should be discussed is stuff that the PTA or LPA groups already do. That's not what affinity groups do.

2) Black parents at the school explicitly asked for affinity groups so they could connect to other black parents and discuss issues that are specific to their experience. Do you also oppose that? I'm guessing the black affinity group is not advocating for a "uniform black agenda" nor do I think it is suggesting there is some perfect word or book that will fix their issues. Rather, I think these groups are formed on the premise that peopel need a place to talk things out and to provide that place. The goal is not solve racism, but to address racism by creating a venue to discuss it. The talking is the point, it's not a means to an end.
[b]
3) If a black or POC affinity group makes sense (and is being demanded by families) why wouldn't a white affinity group also be useful for the same reason. Again, there is no reason that such a group would need to advocate for a "uniform white agenda" or to identify the one book or word that would fix racism, [i]but to provide a venue for white parents to discuss challenges they are encountering, as questions and share experiences, etc. It's like a support group[/i].[/b][/quote]

Two responses to this:

(1) The school does not need to accept and take ownership of every parent suggestion. The response easily could have been “sounds like something that is best organized by the parents, not the school.”

(2) The “white affinity group” (cringe) was not organized to discuss challenges faced by white people or as a support group. It was explicitly organized to “unpack our perpetuation of whiteness and racism” and “practice humility.”

It is these kinds of well-intentioned but boneheaded and cringey programs that the CRT crazies seize on - and then you get people like Glenn Youngkin elected governor. [/quote]

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