Literacy KC joins the people of Kansas City who are heartbroken by the unjust killing of George Floyd, and the gross violation of the civil rights of so many who came before him. We support this fight for justice and have been listening and reflecting on how to be better allies.
We see the pain of racial injustice in our community every single day. We hear stories from students who have been unfairly ticketed and fined. One of our own team members has lost family to police brutality.
We are committed to engaging in meaningful action to educate ourselves about systemic racism and injustice, and to actively practice allyship with our students and the Black community. Our commitments include expanding the following efforts:
- Conversations with our team about how we can continue to create inclusive, diverse spaces, free from all forms of racism (overt and implicit) for all who enter our office and sites.
- Continued professional development of our team to educate and engage around topics of systemic racism and implicit bias.
- Leveraging our platforms to amplify the voices of our diverse students and their experiences.
- Purchasing books about systemic racism from independent Black-owned bookstores for use by our staff, volunteers, and students.
- Continuing to purchase culturally diverse and representative children’s, teen, and adult books by Black and diverse authors to be kept in our office and used in our programs.
As a critical part of the educational landscape of our city, Literacy KC is dedicated to dismantling the history of institutional racism upon which the nation’s school systems have largely been built. Institutions of learning have inhabited a unique place within our history, for classrooms should be a place of discovery, of curiosity, of growth. But more importantly, our classrooms should be places for challenging conversations, civil yet confrontational discourse, and safe self-reflection that begets true empathy. At their best, they are places that introduce us to new ideas, to literature that provokes questions, and to resources that can help answer them.
Literacy KC also recognizes that we exist in part because of the institutional racism upon which the nation’s school systems have been built. Sixty-five years after Brown v. Board of Education, public schools remain largely separate and unequal. This long history has intensified educational disparities, and education nonprofits like Literacy KC aim to bridge the gap. Our students are confronted daily with institutions that have failed them. It is our responsibility to be better.
To that end, Literacy KC is sharing some of our favorite resources on racism, equity, allyship, and justice. We hope you find something that causes you to question, that offers you a course of action, or that helps to guide a conversation with your children, family, and friends.
We are dedicated to being a positive force for empathy and change as we work alongside our Black, Indigenous, and People Of Color friends and neighbors to address root causes of systemic inequality. We see you. We hear your voices. Black Lives Matter.
With you,
Gillian Helm and the Literacy KC Team
Click here for a list of resources.
Click here for a list of Black-owned bookstores.