Bellevue High School offers to pay to send staffers “identifying as white” to antiracist leadership development course

A whistleblower shared an email sent to Bellevue High School staff, announcing that school leadership has agreed to spend “building PD funds” to send staff to this workshop. (“PD” stands for professional development.)

Below is the exact text of the email. Email addresses have been removed.

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From: Jess, Terry L

Sent: Tuesday, April 20, 2021 8:46 AM

To: -Staff51

Subject: Antiracist Leadership Development with Tracy Myers (Respond by tomorrow)

Hey everyone!One of BSD’s amazing former equity specialists, Tracy Myers, has started her own consulting and training firm. She is offering a class called Humble & Brave for aspiring white antiracist leaders. A full course description is below. It is a 3-part, 6 hour course on Fri, May 21 at 10am; Sat, May 22 at 10 am; and Fri, May 28 at 10 am. Vic is making some of the building PD funds available to send some of our folks to the course (virtual). If you are interested, please let me know ASAP (by tomorrow) so we can get the paperwork filed.

She also offers courses for leaders of color, so stay tuned for the next offering of this course for BIPOC leaders: https://www.middle-waters.com/serv…/rooted-in-self-love… Full course description https://www.middle-waters.com/service-page/humble-brave…

Be humble. Be brave. These are characteristics that go against the white norm of individualism, power and authority. If you want to be an anti-racist leader, embracing these characteristics in your leadership will prevent you from falling into the trap of white saviorism. Communities of color do NOT need white saviors. They do NOT need you to lead them. They do NOT need you to speak for them. What is needed: -You joining in the breaking down of structural racism -You speaking with other white people to raise racial consciousness and demand change -You reflecting and acknowledging your racist thinking, believing, and acting -You being willing to let go of pride, power, and privilege. Let’s acknowledge, you have taken action towards being an anti-racist leader, and yet there are some actions or lack of actions that have caused you to question if you’re doing all that you can. You don’t know what you don’t know and have some blind spots that are holding you back in being transformative in your anti-racist leadership. Maybe once again you witnessed your colleagues of color leave your organization. What could you have done to contribute to the organization being a place that appreciated, valued, and accepted them authentically? Have you taken the time to identify what you’re afraid of? Do you have trusting and mutual relationships with people who identify as Black, Indigenous, persons of color (BIPOC)? Or are these relationships only in the workplace or transactional? These are questions we will be answering in this workshop.

This workshop will be a deep dive into self, reflecting on how you are showing up as an anti-racist leader. We will: -Identify blind spots that are holding you back from being brave -Recognize how your actions or lack thereof are speaking about your anti-racist leadership -Practice questioning your intentions to discern between your collusion with whiteness or anti-racist leadership -Learn to use your power, position, and privilege daily to raise racial equity. This workshop is for: -Persons identifying as White; this can include being white cultured (in other words, BIPOC who struggle to operate outside of whiteness). -People who acknowledge white supremacy exists and have an understanding of whiteness -People already committed to being an anti-racist. This workshop is not for: -People actively against racial equity. If persons actively disrupt this workshop and behave in harmful ways – they will be removed.

Terry L. Jess (he/him/his pronoun preference)

Bellevue High School

NBCT Social Studies & AVID Teacher

Bending the Arc Advisor

BHS Equity Team/BSD BEAT Team