Black Lives Matter: An Open Letter from LPS Alumni
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The LPS Open Letter group was started by an alliance of white and non-Black student council members and graduates of Longmeadow High School from the last 10 years. As adults looking back at their childhoods, they recognized how violent and white supremacist their time within the Longmeadow Public School system was, first to Black students and other students of color, but also to white students and alumni. They recognized how ill-prepared they were for a multicultural society, and understood their complicity in the anti-Black violence their Black classmates experienced and chose to do something about it. They created the facebook group with the intention of writing a letter to LPS leadership.
Realizing that they needed to defer to Black leadership, several Black alumni stepped into leadership positions with the support of the original white and non-Black leadership. Since then, we have been able to build a cross-generational coalition of students and alumni from at least class of 1979 to class of 2024, as well as collaborate with community stakeholders who recognize the importance of anti-racism action and repairing the harm that racism causes. As our group of students, alumni, parents, and community members grows, we have decided to create a central location for resources , information, and data collection to better understand the extent of the white supremacy and anti-Blackness problem within LPS.
So far, we have received numerous stories of a consistent commitment to white supremacy and anti-Blackness. Everything from Blackface, to child abuse and psychological terrorism, widespread use of slurs, and active civil rights violations. Our initial data shows a consistent effort to destabilize the educational attainment and opportunities of Black students exclusively along racial lines, regardless of actual intellect and ability. We are also seeing a commitment to white supremacist practices such as a lesson on Chattel Slavery that included a roleplaying practice where white teachers hit the walls and desks and lockers with belts as children crawled under tables, even as Black parents consistently spoke out against this practice for well over a decade.
These are just a few of the many, many reasons why the work we are doing with this open letter is so necessary. Our preliminary data from our survey responses is that this behavior was not only deeply traumatizing for Black students and parents, but that non-Black students suffered as well and were harmed by this academic environment. Our goal is to not only repair the harm this commitment to anti-Blackness and white supremacy has caused Black students, but to create an educational environment that is safe and affirming for all students, parents, and faculty.
For us to accomplish that goal, we need your help.
We are raising an initial round of funding to support Black Alumni Leadership as they labor in this process, and to provide stipends to Black Alumni, current students, parents, and educators who share their experiences of anti-Black racism. We are asking for individuals to donate $500, or to reach out to their networks to fundraise $500 each. This can look like donating $250 and getting a friend to match your donation, or donating $100 and getting 4 other people to match your donation. Not only do donations at this amount get us to our goal faster, but they also cost us less in fees. If 100 people are able to donate or fundraise at least $500 each we will meet our initial fundraising goal.
All funds raised through this GoFundMe will be held in a separate bank account to then be disbursed directly to Black Alumni Leadership and Black Alumni, current students, parents, and educators as directed by Black Alumni Leadership.
Once this is complete, we will be able to begin Phase 2 of this project. We will sort through our survey responses, draft a list of demands for the Longmeadow School System, and begin to craft a series of policy initiatives that, we believe, if applied with the full involvement of the school system, will ensure that the practice of centering white supremacy and anti-Blackness within our school system will end. As LPS Alumni, we are invested in transformative healing and intentional anti-racism work, and want to take advantage of this unprecedented moment to enact real change.
If you have any questions or would like to set up a larger donation, please email us at "[email redactado]" or reach out to Ryan OGrady through the GoFundMe portal.
Realizing that they needed to defer to Black leadership, several Black alumni stepped into leadership positions with the support of the original white and non-Black leadership. Since then, we have been able to build a cross-generational coalition of students and alumni from at least class of 1979 to class of 2024, as well as collaborate with community stakeholders who recognize the importance of anti-racism action and repairing the harm that racism causes. As our group of students, alumni, parents, and community members grows, we have decided to create a central location for resources , information, and data collection to better understand the extent of the white supremacy and anti-Blackness problem within LPS.
So far, we have received numerous stories of a consistent commitment to white supremacy and anti-Blackness. Everything from Blackface, to child abuse and psychological terrorism, widespread use of slurs, and active civil rights violations. Our initial data shows a consistent effort to destabilize the educational attainment and opportunities of Black students exclusively along racial lines, regardless of actual intellect and ability. We are also seeing a commitment to white supremacist practices such as a lesson on Chattel Slavery that included a roleplaying practice where white teachers hit the walls and desks and lockers with belts as children crawled under tables, even as Black parents consistently spoke out against this practice for well over a decade.
These are just a few of the many, many reasons why the work we are doing with this open letter is so necessary. Our preliminary data from our survey responses is that this behavior was not only deeply traumatizing for Black students and parents, but that non-Black students suffered as well and were harmed by this academic environment. Our goal is to not only repair the harm this commitment to anti-Blackness and white supremacy has caused Black students, but to create an educational environment that is safe and affirming for all students, parents, and faculty.
For us to accomplish that goal, we need your help.
We are raising an initial round of funding to support Black Alumni Leadership as they labor in this process, and to provide stipends to Black Alumni, current students, parents, and educators who share their experiences of anti-Black racism. We are asking for individuals to donate $500, or to reach out to their networks to fundraise $500 each. This can look like donating $250 and getting a friend to match your donation, or donating $100 and getting 4 other people to match your donation. Not only do donations at this amount get us to our goal faster, but they also cost us less in fees. If 100 people are able to donate or fundraise at least $500 each we will meet our initial fundraising goal.
All funds raised through this GoFundMe will be held in a separate bank account to then be disbursed directly to Black Alumni Leadership and Black Alumni, current students, parents, and educators as directed by Black Alumni Leadership.
Once this is complete, we will be able to begin Phase 2 of this project. We will sort through our survey responses, draft a list of demands for the Longmeadow School System, and begin to craft a series of policy initiatives that, we believe, if applied with the full involvement of the school system, will ensure that the practice of centering white supremacy and anti-Blackness within our school system will end. As LPS Alumni, we are invested in transformative healing and intentional anti-racism work, and want to take advantage of this unprecedented moment to enact real change.
If you have any questions or would like to set up a larger donation, please email us at "[email redactado]" or reach out to Ryan OGrady through the GoFundMe portal.
Organizador
Ryan OGrady
Organizador
Longmeadow, MA