Denver Public Schools sent “Black Excellence” pledge to staff promoting Black Lives Matter movement; claims that “whiteness” brings “deep harm” to students

On January 11, 2024, the organization End Wokeness reported on X that there was an internal memo shared to staff at Denver Public Schools called the “DPS Belief in and Commitment to Black Excellence.” This pledge claims that “institutional racism exists in Denver Public Schools, and at all levels.” Because of this, the pledge states:

All educators need to deeply understand white supremacy, white privilege, and deep harm “whiteness” brings to students and team members.

As a result, the district will “require conversations about racism and white supremacy culture and train school leaders and ILTs to lead these conversations.” The pledge also shows support for the “Black Lives Matter” movement. The pledge explains that the district will change the curricula taught to students to implement this ideology: “Continue to engage in equity based revisions to our core curricula.” The pledge then states:

For all lives to matter, we must commit to Black Lives Matter, because in our educational system we have consistently left our Black Students and Black Team Members behind. Our actions and the impact of our actions have not been explicit in including Black Lives in All lives.

The pledge continues: “We challenge each of us to intentionally work to dismantle the current system which allows certain students to excel and others to perish.“

The pledge also appears to tell staff they should feel discomfort:

We ask you to explore and interrogate your expectations of safety when difficult or challenging conversations arise, and encourage you to be sure you are desiring not just comfort.

The pledge then quotes known political activist Robin DiAngelo: “It is not if you are racist, but how you are racist.” The pledge adds: “We all perpetuate racist ideologies, policies and practices in some way and must work tirelessly in our efforts to be anti-racist.”

On October 9, 2023, the grassroots arm of Black Lives Matter shared a statement on X accusing Israel of “apartheid.” The organization then stated that it “stands in solidarity with our Palestinian family who are currently resisting 57 years of settler colonialism and apartheid.”

The BLM chapter of Chicago also posted an image on X of a Hamas terrorist paraglider with the phrase “I stand with Palestine.”