Dear White People

Throughout the school year, our 5th graders have been working in their Social Studies and English Language Arts classes to process the pervasive, systemic racism in our society and use their voices to put pressure on community leaders to act. In the following optional assignment, students were given the space to share and voice their feelings about the flagrant injustices and racial violence over the past few weeks. Their responses are specifically targeted to share with white people.

We hope that the words from our future leaders inspire you to act today and every day going forward. We cannot rest until we achieve racial equity in our society.

Dear White People,
Do something!

Who do I call for help when the ones that are supposed to serve and protect, shoot me because I pull out my phone, or choke me to death with his knee pressed against my neck!

I’m not resisting my hands are up, I’m not resisting my hands are cuffed, Dear white people? Do something!

It’s not safe to jog because I may be looked at as if I’m about to rob, commit a crime of some sort, then shots are fired and my life was just cut short.

By the hands of the man with a badge, or an ex-cop who thought it would be a good laugh. I am the voice of so many lives that were taken because of the injustice around the world.

Dear white people I am not the kid you are judging me to be, I am so much more than what your evil eyes see. Please do something!
-Triston

Dear white people,
I am glad that all kinds of races have come together, and joined hands. I am appreciative of those who have changed this world, and made it a loving, and caring world. I am also indebted to those today who are building ties with those around them.
-Shymireia

Dear white people,
It is sad that Blacks are being killed for no reason, it is sad that Blacks could never speak up for their rights, it is sad that Blacks didn’t have rights just like whites did. I believe that everyone should have rights and everyone should have peace. I believe it can change. We can put a stop to this disaster and come together. So please stop killing, just bring peace.
-Kennedy

Dear white people,
DO SOMETHING about yourselves. You are taking your anger and blaming it on us and I am fed up with IT. You need to stop what you are doing and fix it because people are dying because of this. We ended this thing a long time ago, young people especially young powerful BLACK men are having to die for no good reason. COPS think they are big and bad but you are all just cowards because you are scared to think that we are stealing all your thunder but all we are doing is the right thing. CITIZENS of the United States of America, you are doing the wrong thing. Your job is to protect and to serve but you’re not doing your job right. You’re not protecting anyone; you are just hurting people.

Change your ways to make this world a better place. FIX IT!
-Victoria

We are tired of being tired…. I’d rather die on my feet, then to be made to live on my knees!
-Elijah