Statement in Support of Our Asian American and Pacific Islander Community Members

Posted March 18, 2021

The McKinley-Thatcher community of staff, families, and partners is committed to anti-racist education and support for all of our students and families. We know that hate crimes against Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities have risen dramatically in the last year, and the events that occurred in Atlanta this week were horrific.  We stand in solidarity with the Asian community, and with our AAPI students, families, and teammates. We must stand up for what is right and just because our children learn the most from watching what we do. 

In our school values, we use kid-friendly language to teach our students to be kind and considerate, including a clear statement that “EVERYONE matters, and we include everyone.” Please use this language as a starting point for talking with your children about the events happening in our community and across the country.  We believe that our diversity strengthens our community, and makes us better people.   

Additional resources to support talking with your children about race and anti-racism are listed below. We still have much work to do in creating more inclusive environments – for our students, our community, and our nation. We will work hard to ensure our school is a place where our children all experience and learn acceptance and belonging.

To all of our Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander students, families, and staff members:  You matter so much to us. Your life matters. We support you and we are here for you.

Resources for Families

• A pediatrician’s view on talking to children about race with an age-by-age guide to conversations.
• A short CBS news segment on raising anti-racist kids.
• A USA Today article on talking to children about racial violence.
• A Children’s Book List, by Age from the New York Times.
• A list of 20 Children’s books to support conversations about anti-racism and resistance from EmbraceRace.org.
• An NPR Podcast on how to talk to your children about race, racism, and inclusion.
• Video panel discussion on Talking to Kids About Racism led by Dr. Kira Banks from RaisingEquity.org.
• Dr. Traci Baxley TED Talk on Social Justice parenting, curiosity for learning, and turning fear into motivation for positive change.