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Embracing Our Differences and Standing Up to Hate
March 24, 2021
Dear WCCUSD Community,
In the past week alone, three separate reported acts of violence were committed against the Asian American community here in the Bay Area, including the latest attack on Sunday in San Francisco. It follows last week’s tragic and horrific shootings in Atlanta that claimed eight lives, including six Asian-American women.
Then, Monday, there was a mass shooting in Colorado that took the lives of 10 individuals. It was heartbreaking news to start the week and yet another event that forces us to talk to our children about these senseless acts of violence. Anytime I hear about a fatal shooting, I am heartbroken and feel for the families affected. It makes it even more disheartening and tragic when race, religion, gender orientation, or any other personal attribution are the motive for the attack. Hate and violence have no place in our District, communities, and nation.
It is on us to stand in solidarity with WCCUSD’s historically underserved and marginalized communities and to use our voice and means to speak up and address injustices. I am proud to serve in a District where diversity is a strength. Our ethnicities are as widespread as our district boundaries and should be a great sense of pride. The Asian-American community is a significant and important part of the West Contra Costa Unified School District.
It has been a privilege to serve during a time where we adopted and passed the Safe Haven Resolution No. 54-1617 in Support of Students who are Undocumented, Muslim, Persons of Color and their Families, Protocols for Immigration and Customs Enforcement Access to Schools. I am equally proud that we passed Resolution No. 104-1920 Condemning Police Violence and Brutality Against People of Color.
And today, the Board is set to adopt Resolution Resolution No. 63-2021: Condemning Anti-Asian Hate and Violence.
The leaders of this District also make it a proud place to call home. Here are a few samples of the statements WCCUSD’s school leaders, students, and staff have made in support of the Asian Pacific Islander community to denounce the anti-Asian sentiments that have surged during the pandemic. Pieces like Pinole Valley High School Teacher Michele Lamons-Raiford’s contribution in the Educator Room titled “Stop Asian Hate Now: Using the Injustice Against Asian-Americans as a Teaching Movement” or Harding Elementary School’s statement.
Let’s do our part to end the hate and violence that is becoming more prevalent in our society. We are here to help and serve. Please continue to be kind to one another, speak up, and act against injustice.
If you need assistance or help with talking about these events or situations with your child, please let us know. We have counselors, psychologists, and other resources available to you and your students.
In community,
Matthew Duffy
Superintendent