To the editor:
When I read the description of the parent series hosted by NYS titled, “I’m a Good Person! Isn’t That Enough,” I was confused by a workshop “designed to support white people in making the paradigm shift from ‘fixing’ and ‘helping’ to focusing on internalized white superiority and its role in perpetuating racism at the individual, interpersonal, institutional, and cultural levels.”
Having grown up in a multi-racial community, I never felt that I had “internalized white superiority,” yet here was an educator who was going to teach this idea to parents in our town and in turn our children. This workshop feels to many parents/residents in the community as though it’s focusing on the color of people’s skin, not their character, as to what differentiates them from each other. There may be a difference of opinion on that, and that’s OK. That is the very freedom that makes us all blessed to live in this country.
This is a shift from what NYS has historically been great at — providing camps, after-school hang outs, Elf program, etc. — that many of us have supported over the years.
NYS is not a private organization but a city department funded with our tax dollars, and an organization that works closely with our children; therefore, the public/taxpayers have a right to their perspective on the programs being offered. There were two attempts made, by a growing number of concerned residents, to City Council to have their voices heard. The letters were read at two City Council meetings, but the majority voted to “receive and file” the letters versus referring them to a committee. The process of receiving letters from the community, and referring them to a committee for further discussion, allows the council to uncover a lot of good information about what’s going on in the community. Most letters from the community are in fact referred to a committee for further discussion, yet these letters had two failed attempts. Not all council members voted to “receive and file,” but the majority did.
It is important to allow everyone to be heard respectfully, regardless of differences of opinions. When residents/taxpayers put their time and energy into writing letters to express their concerns to their city officials and attend City Council meetings, only to have those letters motioned to be “received and filed” away because some don’t feel the topic is worthy of discussion, it feels…well…very un-American.
KERRI GLYNN
Newburyport
