Education
Parent encourages Onalaska’s school district to fight racism
A member of the group Showing up for Racial Justice spoke to Onalaska’s school board this week about being “color-brave.”
Lori Lunney said the district should take steps in fighting racism, including a look at its curriculum.
Lunney says education has usually been taught through a white lense.
“The majority of us didn’t learn about Native American boarding schools,” she told the board. “We didn’t learn about the systems and laws that kept black and brown GIs from obtaining home mortgage loans.”
Lunney also encouraged the district to reach out to black leaders in the community for suggestions and to ensure that athletic programs weren’t engaging in racist behavior.
“Onalaska doesn’t adequately respond to racist incidents,” she said. “This is a recurring theme according to some black leaders and athletes in nearby school districts.”
Lunney commended the district for some steps toward the color-brave initiative, including having an equity committee.
Joe S.
November 14, 2018 at 3:05 pm
I wonder…. have we, has anyone, ever looked to see, by creating all of this “awareness” does it make racism worse in some areas. History should be taught, but it should be taught as history, not as a way to accomplish an agenda as so many things are presented or taught now.
Ron Malzer
November 17, 2018 at 3:49 am
Thank you, Lori, for this and all the other racial justice work you do.