Ending Systemic Racism. We will do more... | engage2learn

Shannon K. Buerk, CEO
engage2learn

Like so many others, I have been both stunned and stirred up by the senseless killing of George Floyd, the latest in a long history of egregious acts of racial injustice. I have never spoken up on this topic before because, as a white woman, I didn’t think I had a right to talk about it. However, in recent weeks I have been convicted that everyone who hates racism needs to speak up. To remain silent can be protecting the status quo or be interpreted as indifference, and I am not indifferent. So, I humbly add my voice to so many others who are committed to real change. 

I speak for my entire organization, engage2learn, that we stand in solidarity with others against racism. We have long held a belief about equity and have focused on our mission about neighborhood, public schools, and the importance of neighborhood schools, but we now see we need to do more. We will do more, and we will be more intentional.

We are fortunate to have so many diverse team members in our e2L fam, and we have been listening to them and learning from them and have taken some immediate actions. We will continue to listen to and learn from them and collaborate to build a long-term plan of strategic and sustained actions. 

We ask our district partners to help us in this process by sharing what we can do to help you do more. We will do more, we will be more intentional, and we would love your input in that process. 

We know that education can be a key to ending systemic racism, and we promise to do our part.