We Stand in Solidarity
#BlackLivesMatter
Dear friends,
The spring of 2020 has been unbearably difficult for so many in the Student Leadership Network family. The COVID-19 crisis has disproportionately impacted communities of color, shedding light on the many inequities that exist in our country. For too long, people of color have had to endure added hardships and burdens simply because of the color of their skin. The recent murders of David McAtee, Tony McDade, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery are the latest in a too-long list of lives lost as a result of bigotry. As events continue to unfold across our nation and the world, we feel deeply the pain, frustration and anger of this current moment in our shared history. In this time of raw emotion and heartache, our students continue to inspire us. At SL Network, we witnessed the enormous challenges imposed on our 16,000 students and their families when NYC public school buildings closed. The pandemic exacerbated already difficult circumstances for so many of our young people. We are immensely proud of how hard our students have worked to stay focused on their education, in the face of so much inequitable and unnecessary disruption, uncertainty, and fear. These are the leaders of today and tomorrow who can shape a nation that does better. As an organization, our focus is on ensuring that students — especially the most marginalized — have access to the educational opportunities they deserve. It is up to all of us, regardless of race, to do our part to bring about change and dismantle the generations of racism so deeply ingrained in the fabric of this country. Doing so will help give our students the chance to rewrite the narrative that continues to plague us. We will be sharing engagement and education resources on our Stories. I invite you to engage deeply in these resources, stand up for #BlackLivesMatter and be an active ally in this fight. Please join us in our work against systemic racism through sustained action and support.
Always my best,
Yolonda B. Marshall, Chief Executive Officer