In wake of massacre in Israel, Essex Westford School District board chair defends keeping Black Lives Matter flags on school campuses; says flying the flag is “not an endorsement” of the organization

Concerned community members reached out to Parents Defending Education regarding a response they received from an Essex Westford School District board member who defended the Black Lives Matter flags on the district’s campuses. On October 20, 2023, concerned community members sent a letter in an email to the district school board demanding that the BLM flags be removed from the district’s schools due to the movement’s antisemitic and anti-Israel activism.

On October 23, 2023, school board member and chair Robert Carpenter responded and defended BLM flags in the district:

I do want to offer some clarity on something that has been stated in past meetings. The flags are not an endorsement of the BLM organization. Following our policy, students brought forward a request to fly a flag with the statement “Black Lives Matter” in order to show support for BIPOC students in our district and community. I understand your concern noted in your email and hopefully, this should alleviate that concern over the association with the BLM Organization.

On October 17th, 2023 the “Black Lives Matter at School” organization issued a statement that did not condemn Hamas and instead blamed “Israeli settler colonialism, occupation, blockade, apartheid, and attempted genocide of millions of Palestinians” for the unfolding loss of life.

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.”