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June 12, 2020
Dear TSA Community,
The Sharon Academy has always been committed to providing a nurturing environment in which students and adults are supported to achieve their immense potential and the difference they can make in the world. It is our mission. The fundamental ingredients for achieving our mission are trust, respect, and safety. A terrifying string of recent events has brought into sharp focus the fact that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) continue to be unsafe in our country.
Our faculty, staff, and board agree that it is essential to make a public statement against economic, education, health, and justice systems anchored in systemic racism. As we teach our students in conversations about how to stop bullying, choosing to remain silent supports an existing, inequitable power differential. Previously we have focused our conversations within our school community. As the impact of these racist systems becomes more visible to all of us, we realize that our conversations must find a wider audience.
We are raising our collective voice to be one of many advocating for active work against white supremacy in all aspects of our society. We believe strongly that we need to join in solidarity within our community, our state, and our nation. We are choosing to raise a Black Lives Matter flag at both campuses as one way to publicly communicate that support. We agree with their stated “commitment to struggling together and to imagining and creating a world free of anti-Blackness, where every Black person has the social, economic, and political power to thrive” and be safe.
Working against racism and oppression in all its forms requires our individual and collective energy and courage. There is much to be done. We are committed to this ongoing work. We hope that this letter will begin a constructive dialogue. We invite you to engage with us.
With profound respect,
The Sharon Academy Faculty, Staff, and Board of Trustees
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