Evanston community stands up to racism in statement
Evanston community stands up to racism in statement (Evanston, IL) – According to a release by community group Stronger Together Evanston, the Evanston community has taken a stand against racism. Evanston/Skokie School District 65, which serves students from kindergarten through 8th grade, has recently come under fire from the Southeastern Legal Foundation, who filed a lawsuit on behalf of District 65 teacher Stacy Deemar. Deemar, a drama teacher, is alleging racism through Critical Race Theory (CRT) teachings. The lawsuit, in part, argues that the CRT curriculum stands in violation of the U.S. Constitution and the federal civil rights laws of white school staff members and students.
The Stronger Together Evanston group has dedicated a website to denouncing Deemar’s lawsuit, stating in their online petition, “We, the undersigned District 65 parents, caregivers and community members, support D65’s anti-racism initiatives that seek to repair centuries of public school indoctrination into white supremacy ideology, a belief system that serves to justify and protect white political, economic, and cultural dominance. These initiatives are based on years of widely accepted research and aim to promote historical accuracy. They will make D65 a place where all students are fully valued and history is not distorted to position one racial group above all others.
“We are grateful that D65 is eliminating materials and practices that marginalize Black, Brown, and Indigenous students and create unfair advantages for white students.”
The group is holding a rally and press conference on Tuesday, July 20 in James Park at 11 am to speak on the issue. Several community leaders, dignitaries, and politicians are slated to speak, including:
- Rev. Dr. Michael Nabors, President NAACP Evanston Branch, Pastor at Second Baptist Church Evanston
- France Yoli Maya Yeh Joseph, president of Evanston/Skokie PTA Council
- Dr. Jacqueline Battalora, D65 parent, author of Birth of a White Nation
- Tracy Olasimbo, D65 parent, equity consultant, member of Next Steps Evanston
- Myrna García, D65 parent, professor of Latina and Latino Studies at Northwestern
- University, former elementary school teacher
- Sarah Bogan, Evanston Fight for Back Lives organizer
- Daniel Biss, Mayor of Evanston
- Sebastian Nalls, Evanston community activist
- Abdel Shakur, D65 parent, educator, co-founder of Parents for All People’s History
- Heather Sweeney, former D65 parent, co-founder of Evanston White Anti-Racism Group, co-founder of Next Steps Evanston
Mayor Bliss has stated to the press that, “Evanston is committed to the long fight for justice, including the dismantling of systems of oppression that have disproportionately impacted our Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities. Public schools are uniquely positioned to participate in this work by providing a full and accurate accounting of our history, even if — indeed especially if — this makes some people uncomfortable. As a community member and D65 parent, I stand in support of the District’s anti-racism efforts, and as mayor I stand in strong opposition to an out-of-state right-wing organization’s effort to use our children as pawns in their cynical political game.”
Evanston community stands up to racism in statement
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