Education Reform Now (ERN) National President Shavar Jeffries released the following statement in response to the events in Charlottesville, and the national debate on race and equality currently taking place in our country:
“The tragic and deadly events in Charlottesville remind us that we continue as a nation to struggle with our nation’s original sin of racism and bigotry. In times like these we typically look to our leaders to bring us together. Unfortunately, our current President has demonstrated that he is no such leader. Mr. Trump instead has made false equivalencies between those speaking out against hate, and those preaching it. His reprehensible “many sides” argument has emboldened hate groups like the KKK, Neo-Nazis, and white supremacists to promote their toxic ideology. Calling out these groups for the racist and anti-American ideology they preach is not a Democratic or Republican issue – it is a moral issue and thus an imperative for all people of good will.
“Our children deserve to grow up in a better country than the one we live in now. We have seen in the past how a toxic culture of racism affects our young people — as we learned from segregation decades ago – and how bigotry can permeate classrooms and undermine our children’s futures. That is why it is on each and every one of us to show future generations that being an American means celebrating our differences and embracing equality. Our children depend on us to help them learn and grow and to do this, we must lead by example. We must continue to march, to protest and to speak out against racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and all other forms of hate.”
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Contact: Ashley Johnson — ashleyj@dfer.org, 908-209-8992