We can make real, lasting change!

Hello, again! I spent President’s Day with many of you at African American Legislative Day! I have only attended one other such event, and this was long before I worked in Olympia and knew any of the “players,” so-to-speak. I am just realizing now that I met Rosalund Jenkins almost 3 years ago at that event, just before making the decision with my husband to move to Spokane, far removed from anything political. Such memories…

The last time I attended the event, all of the festivities took place in the Rotunda. There were hundreds of students and parents and community members. Every African American person involved in any branch of the government had some opportunity to speak or to be seen. I was impressed, actually, by the numbers of brown people who worked for our state government, especially in a predominantly Caucasian state. I was impressed by the sheer numbers of people who showed up for the event.

Living and working in this area gives me a very different perspective on “all things governmental.” As a staff person for the African American Achievement Gap Study, I have developed new relationships with African American people up and down the west side of the state, as well as African Americans from Spokane. However, the more powerful aspect of the day was the number of non-African Americans who chose to take time out of their busy schedules on a national holiday to participate in the events. I believe this expression of compassion for others is what our state will require to eliminate the achievement gap for all students. Although I am African American and have a particular passion for my children and those who look like me, my greatest passion as a teacher and a Washingtonian is to see ALL of our students find success in life, not only as students but as they enter adulthood and pursue careers and family life.

Going into the day, I was very aware that the Center for the Improvement of Student Learning was on the chopping block in at least one bill. I wanted to be sure the African American community was aware of what we had to offer, so as individuals went to visit their legislators, they could speak favorably on our behalf. I was in my office at 8:30 or so grabbing flyers and extra business cards. I was hoping to touch base with Superintendent Dorn to double-check our meeting times for the afternoon (I had been asked to introduce him in two different meetings). By 9:30 I was at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts where the majority of the day’s events would take place. I wasn’t sure how many people I would see. Roz had mentioned that this year the focus would be different – not celebration but education on how to engage in political process.

I had the opportunity behind stage to meet community members from Vancouver all the way to north of Seattle. I made a five minute presentation on the final report for the African American Achievement Gap Study and left people with a challenge to take ultimate responsibility for our children and not to leave the responsibility to the Legislature or to OSPI. It was encouraging to see so many people in the audience that I had worked with in the past from Tacoma Public Schools and Spokane Public Schools and, more recently, from Puyallup and Seattle Public Schools. It was exciting to see students and teachers, fathers and mothers, grandparents and interested community members – all present to engage in making a positive impact on our state.

As is the case for my life, I had to run from that presentation to my car to the Hill where I would meet Superintendent Dorn to bring him to the Washington Christian Leaders Coalition meeting. My intentions were to introduce the superintendent, although I had received a text message from a pastor friend of mine, Pastor Carl Livingston from Seattle, who had arranged to put the needs of the CISL office on their agenda. In the event that I would have the opportunity, I had made 40 flyers, picked up 30 information cards and 30 business cards to pass out to those who were interested in participating in the work of CISL in the future.

Pastor Livingston ended up being the facilitator of the meeting when we arrived and gave both Superintendent Dorn and I a wonderful introduction before giving him the floor for his 20 minute arranged speech. My job was to make sure he got out of the building in 20 minutes so he would not be late to his next meeting. When the time came, the group did not want to let him go. It seemed that everyone still had questions. Mr. Dorn was still a stranger to them. They wanted to know who he was, to understand how he was going to represent the needs of African American children. Finally, I had to insist that he leave the room, and the new moderator asked if I would be available to remain to respond to questions and then take some time to share about CISL.

I had come with flyers and hand-outs and business cards, but I had not expected to be given the floor for more than 45 minutes. What an honor! I had expected to merely share for a couple of minutes, but this group of pastors gave me the opportunity to share in detail about the services CISL could provide, to make connections with those who were already doing amazing work in the African American community and to celebrate that work as a group. Some people were skeptical that CISL or anyone could really make a difference. Some believed that the teachers and administrators and systems that truly needed change would be unwilling to receive any help. Many others were just excited that there existed an agency within OSPI that could provide free training for parents and for educators. Others were suddenly full of ideas about how CISL could help facilitate conversations in church meetings and amongst community organizations to improve the educational experiences of the African American students in Washington State.

What a wonderful, unexpected opportunity! Although I will be sending a personal thank you letter to the Washington Christian Leaders Coalition for the chance to address this group of local leaders, I want to publicly thank Pastor Livingston and the rest of the leadership team of WCLC for this opportunity. We received word today that as of the most recent decisions, CISL will remain in operation. We have to work together as a community. The African American Legislative Day was a great example of community. We cannot expect others to help us before we help ourselves.

Thank you to everyone who attended this event! Thank you to the Commission on African American Affairs for organizing the special events. Thank you to WCLC. Thank you to Tabor 100. Thank you to anyone who may not have attended any of the special events but who met with legislators. Whether you are White or Black, Latino or Native American, Asian or Pacific Islander, the greatest lesson to be learned by this experience is that when we come together as communities, whether ethnic communities or neighborhoods, we can make real, lasting change. The other lesson is that we all must engage in the political process and take special interest in the issues that impact us and those about whom we care.