West Bloomfield School District endorses Black Lives Matter movement; provides anti-racist resources authored by political activists

The West Bloomfield School District has a page online promoting “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.” This page includes an “equity statement” explaining that the district will create “equitable environments for all students that ensure access and opportunities to culturally responsive and anti-racist curriculum.” The page also links to an “Anti-Racism Resolution” that the Board of Education passed on June 22, 2020. The Board of Education explicitly supported the Black Lives Matter movement in the resolution by stating “we wish to end injustices, inequity and violence and we unequivocally declare that Black lives matter and that an injustice to one is an injustice to all.”

The resolution mandates that the superintendent and “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee” work to “identify policy updates and/or recommend additional policies to end inequity and injustices within our school district.” The resolution also mandates that the superintendent and other district officials change the curriculum taught to students by “integrating additional content and resources that are racially and culturally relevant, into curriculum, classrooms and within all school buildings.” The resolution further “charges the Superintendent to implement bias awareness and antiracist training districtwide and create learning spaces that encourage open discussions around race and racism.”

The district’s DEI page provides additional links to resources titled “The Case for Reparations,” “The Subtle Linguistics of Polite White Supremacy,” “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack,” and “How white women use strategic tears to silence women of colour.” Numerous books authored by notable left-wing political activists are also listed as resources. These books include White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo, Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi, A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn, and How to be an Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi.

The school district’s website also has another page titled “Antiracism in West Bloomfield.” The district explains on this page: “Like many of you, we’ve been paying close attention to the protests and demonstrations against the systemic and institutional racism in this country.” The district then states that “even though we may be apart, we stand together against the injustices, police brutality and racism facing the black community in this country.” The district further states: “Black Lives Matter and we stand with you during these difficult times.”