Police brutality is at one end of the school-to-prison pipeline. Schools are at the beginning of it. If we are serious about doubling down against institutional racism, we need to look at all the ways our educational institutions are built upon colonization and white supremacy.
This goes deeper than checking in on how everyone is feeling. We as a district have established that racial disparity exists in our public school system by examining data: graduation rates, rates of participation in advanced classes, rates of suspension and other disciplinary acts, and grading. We have displayed this data to our staff alongside basic professional development around implicit bias. We have also worked harder to hire more teachers and staff of color. All of this is good and important work, but these are examples of ways to address the effects of institutional racism. They do nothing to change the institution.
One tangible way that I feel Eugene School District 4J has recently doubled down on the side of oppression is by heightening a militaristic and centralized system of surveillance and enforcement. Security cameras with the ability to trace a person’s movements throughout the school and that are monitored in a central district office do not make students who are at risk safer. We know that, without making a personal connection, without getting to know people and learn their story, when we are just anonymous faces, implicit bias will favor whiteness. Security cameras and centralized police forces are designed to favor whiteness, to protect whiteness and to make white people feel safe. Institutionally, this is a change we can make as a district to decolonize our schools today.
Marty Wilder
Eugene
A Note From the Publisher
Dear Readers,
The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.
That’s because of you!
Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.
Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.
We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.
And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.
None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.
As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.
Thank you for standing with us!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519
Comments are closed.