News & Commentary

OpEd published in The Baltimore Sun on September 27, 2021.

"Blueprint" Board Must Have Race Equity Expertise

Our children deserve to dream big, but they need resources to back them up.

The holiday season is in full swing! But as you know, advocating for civil rights is a year-long job. Not only do we want to celebrate the many cultural and religious holidays that occur worldwide during these winter months, but we also want to celebrate some civil liberties moments that occurred during past holiday seasons. We like to think of these civil liberties victories as gifts and these civil rights fights as moments in time that inspire celebration and reflection.

One month ago, a photo of two children doing their homework outside of a Taco Bell, just to get access to the internet, made rounds across social media. The photo and other reports about the lack of internet access have shed light on a glaring inequity in our country. As we move forward in the digital age, WiFi and technology are not luxuries anymore. These necessary tools must be included when we discuss education funding.

This Year Hasn't Been a Complete Disaster.

During these unprecedented times, we have endured a quarantine and reshaped how our jobs and school systems operate. You might be wondering how this is all affecting your child, especially their education. While many parents and guardians have had to transform into teachers during this quarantine, Kyla-Marie James, an 11th grader at Mergenthaler Vocational Technical School, describes the new responsibilities that students have had to take on and the struggles she sees other children facing as schools closed out the year remotely because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over a hundred people from across the state attended this year’s Lobby Day and demanded action from their state legislators. From Western Maryland to the Eastern Shore, our members demonstrated that one way to make an impact in your community — and our state capital — is through advocating in person by meeting with your elected officials. 

Black and Brown students in Baltimore City deserve to reach their dreams without bearing the burden of inequitable education funding. Many of these students already are burdened by a long history of systemic racism, housing segregation, and economic discrimination that have fostered high rates of poverty, violence, and associated trauma in their communities. The State of Maryland must be held accountable for its failure to provide the necessary funding to deliver a quality education to all students.