Over the past week, we have witnessed the national outrage in response to the tragic death of George Floyd. Our country is in pain, and we join in the collective heartbreak over what happened to George Floyd and other incidents of racism and racial violence in our nation. We want every family in Terrell ISD to truly be safe, valued, and heard. We want every child and family in Terrell ISD to feel stability, compassion, trust, and hope. A student recently shared these powerful words: "Our nation has a long history of racism and injustice; however, our history is not our destiny."
As I think about the conversations I have had with my own children and how difficult those conversations have been, my heart hurts as I hear and imagine the burden of conversations that our African-American families are having with their children. As you may continue conversations in your home, we wanted to provide you with some resources:
- https://www.parents.com/parenting/better-parenting/advice/how-to-teach-your-kids-to-fight-hate-an-age-by-age-guide/
- https://healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/emotional-wellness/Building-Resilience/Pages/Talking-to-Children-about-Racism.aspx
- https://www.today.com/parents/how-talk-kids-about-racism-protests-injustice-t182929
- https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/family/story/parents-talk-kids-racism-george-floyd-protests-70992137
As school leaders, we have an obligation to be a part of this dialogue; we will be good listeners and continue our work to solutions to make our world a better place. In 2020-21, we want our community to have very high expectations for Terrell ISD. We want you to expect that we will open our doors to have courageous conversations and to listen to our community. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stated, "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." We look to a bright future in our community and in our school district--with the lessons we learn from each other, we will be better and stronger together.
Sincerely,
Dr. Georgeanne Warnock