An Open Letter to the Hopkins School District

Dear Hopkins School District,

In many ways, my education through Hopkins prepared me and my peers for our futures and I am grateful for that privilege. However, we did not receive an acceptable education on black history and the contemporary black experience in America. In light of the recent murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, David McAtee (as well as understanding that their murders were by no means isolated incidents) and the subsequent protests and demonstrations across the country, I/we have been reflecting a great deal on my role and my communities' roles in the education of our next generation. 
As an alumni, I consider Hopkins to be one of my communities and therefore urge the district to commit to implementing sufficient texts about racial injustice into its schools. The Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards in Social Studies includes an in-comprehensive overview of slavery, the Civil War, Reconstruction, the Jim Crow Era, Civil Rights Legislation, and famous Civil Rights Activists. It excludes the extent of racial injustice and violence in the United States, fails to include the recent movements such as Black Lives Matter, and dangerously implies to students that the problem of racial injustice has been resolved when it has clearly not been.

Here are a few examples of texts about historical and modern racial injustice, and resources outlining the importance of talking about racial disparates with children, that Hopkins students and/or teachers would immensely benefit from.
1. The new Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, written by Michelle Alexander
2. Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, written by Bryan Stevenson2. 13th, Directed by Ava DuVernay (available on Netflix)
3. Tolerance.org: It's Never Too Early to Talk About Race, https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/its-never-too-early-to-talk-about-race by Sarah Butler
4. ADL: Children's Book List - https://www.adl.org/education-and-resources/resources-for-educators-parents-families/childrens-literature