Donation of crayons, books signals new era for school district
By Mike Ramczyk
Correspondent
Darnisha Garbade could have very easily taken her ball and gone home.
After the Burlington Area School District partnered with the National Equity Project last month to combat racism in the district, Garbade, who heads the Burlington Coalition of Dismantling Racism, could’ve taken that as a snub.
After all, Garbade’s emotional speech titled “I Can’t Breathe” back on June 2 at Wehmhoff Square in downtown Burlington was revolutionary in that it inspired a local groundswell for the rights of minorities. It also made her a local leader on the issue.
Furthermore, Garbade’s claims of racism against her daughter in area schools, along with claims from other parents of black children, have been heard loud and clear in the media and in the community.
So when the BASD didn’t “officially” partner with Garbade and BCDR to be the leading group on fighting systemic racial inequality in schools, one could see how Garbade could be upset.
But Garbade said she won’t stop working to end racism in schools.
Monday night was a milestone in the fight for the greater good, she said, praising the work the district has done in recent weeks to address issues of race and equality.
Crayons, books promote racial equity
Garbade and Melissa Statz, a 2008 Burlington High School graduate, along with a few other BCDR members, presented a donation of color-sensitive crayons and age-appropriate African-American books at the Burlington Area School District School Board meeting.
The crayons, which more accurately depict pigments of skin, and the books, which will be given to students in grades 4K-6, were gifts in the fight to end racism.
The BCDR raised $2,000 through a grassroots fundraiser to make the purchase, which marks the first major push toward the inclusion of African-American literature in BASD, something that will give children the option to read about the history of people of color – not the version many of us grew up learning.
“They wanted to donate two sets of crayons, crayons of the world, so they have natural skin tones,” Superintendent Stephen Plank said. “It’s pretty cool. They’re donating them to every grade level at the elementary schools. The books are speaking from a person of color’s perspective, to give more choices for kids, so everything they read isn’t written by a white guy.”
“It was really nice they came to present it. The board always approves and accepts all donations.”
And don’t think for one second racial equality is on the backburner, since returning the school safely is the main focus right now.
Actually, Plank met with the BCDR and the NEP Monday to get to work.
“I think this is on the front-burner,” Plank said. “We’re not even a month in with NEP, but we’ve had a few conversations with them. We’ve started to identify what administrators need to be involved with that. We had people from the district and the two groups together.”
“It makes sense because NEP does a very systemic approach to understand what steps need to be taken, and it gives kids an agency to have that conversation. There are courses like that now, at BHS, like African Studies, but I think the coalition is wondering how do we tell a different version of history? The coalition said kids need a safe place to identify with, and don’t feel like they have that right now. We’ve talked about clubs, and that can happen during the school day. It’s embedded in everything, and it’s a mindset.”
Garbade lauds hard work, care from BASD
Garbade, who hasn’t always felt BASD cared about these initiatives, had a breakthrough with Monday’s collaborative meeting.
Garbade said Statz and Tammie Ketelsen are Coalition members who’ve been working on this initiative.
“I also discussed how well the meeting went earlier today (Monday) with myself, BCDR’s Vice President Darrell Lofton, Black math teacher at BHS, Carolyn Simpson, Superintendent Plank, Assistant Superintendent Connie Zinnen and two representatives from NEP,” Garbade said after Monday’s School Board meeting. “Initially, I didn’t know what to expect from the NEP and was hoping the district wasn’t just using them to check off another box. After speaking with them, I’m feeling more optimistic about the potential for real change.
“Superintendent Plank also commented on how well the meeting went earlier today, and I was glad to see him affirm what I’d said. I reminded the board that BCDR doesn’t exist to simply make noise. We’re here in the Burlington community to create some nonviolent tension, have some open, honest and uncomfortable conversations about race/racism and to pursue equity. I added that we’re not after BASD and are instead looking to partner on pursuing equity.”
Garbade, whose George Floyd speech had a park full of more than 100 people tearing up, said the speech was a turning point in the community’s fight for racial justice, but so was Monday’s meeting between the three groups.
“We’re still not where we need to be, but we’re definitely not where we were,” she said.
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