NYC Kids PAC and Class Size Matters stand in solidarity with protesters in New York City and around the country to demand justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Sean Reed, Tony McDade, Eric Garner and all other Black victims who have tragically died at the hands of the police.

We know the role our public schools play in the oppression of Black and brown students. It is well-established that Black and brown students in NYC public schools and the state as a whole are subjected to disparate conditions. Black and brown students receive disproportionate numbers of suspensions and are disproportionately placed in special education programs without justification. Many are assigned to classes with too many students in overcrowded school buildings in poor condition. Many attend schools with fewer resources. Their education is compromised by curricula that do not center their histories and stories. In this racist school system, our Black and brown students must fight for their rights every day from the first day they step inside a classroom.

These protests are in response to a long history of policies and practices that have marginalized Black Americans. The public school system is a significant piece of a larger system – including housing, criminal (in)justice, food, and health care – that continues to oppress Black, Indigenous and People of Color. We are working to ensure that policy makers understand and are willing to change this unjust and inequitable system at all levels of government, and that we dis-invest in policing and re-invest in our schools. We are open to your suggestions for improvement.

NYC Kids PAC and Class Size Matters commit to continuing the fight for a more just and equitable public school system.