MNEA Board of Directors' Response to the Violent Attack on Our Democracy

 

MNEA condemns the January 6th attack on our democracy and our people, including the loss of life that resulted from the violence. Many elected leaders have failed to address the violence and fascist rhetoric that has defined this attempted coup; this has exposed our students and communities to further trauma. This compounds the trauma they have already experienced because of the failed response to the global pandemic. While some leaders are flouting democracy and are emboldening this violence, we must continue to model for our students a sense of justice. Furthermore, MNEA condemns the use of hate symbols prominent throughout these demonstrations, as well as the stark differences in treatment of the coup participants compared to police violence in the face of civil disobedience in support of Black lives. 

We know that a better world is made possible by dismantling fascism and white supremacy, and we want our classrooms to help build a more equitable society. We believe in truth. Our goal as educators is to foster community members, leaders, and activists who organize and fight for a better world for their neighbors. We teach our students about democracy and fairness. The result of the presidential election has been upheld by that exact sense of democracy. We believe in voting without fear. We care about our students and families who are scared right now, and we need to model for our students how we work to dismantle fascism and white supremacy. Our students are living through an unimaginably difficult year, and we need to remember to give them care and support even if we can’t see them face-to-face. We urge educators and families to: 

  • Re-commit to affirming our students’ identities and communities and constantly working toward anti-racist pedagogy that builds up our students as civic participants and leaders. 

  • Openly challenge racist demagoguery and rhetoric that targets our students and families in our classrooms and communities.

  • Commit to honestly teaching the history of our country and our democracy - how it has been challenged and how it has grown. 


#SafeSchoolsForAll #WeIsGreaterThanMe #NashvilleTeachers #MNEA #NashvilleRed4Ed #UnionStrong #UnionProud #StaySafe #StayStrong

 
 

 

 

 
Metropolitan Nashville Education Association