Reflections on The Post-George Floyd Landscape

A year has passed since the nation witnessed the brutal murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minnesota police officers, forcing the world to face the undeniable truth that racism and discrimination against black people remains prevalent in society, and signifying there is still much work to be accomplished to achieve equity for our race. Floyd’s death, and other similar tragedies, triggered a global outpouring of anguish, lamenting, disbelief, protests, and riots; and 60 years after the Civil Rights era, this nation continues to grapple with systemic racism that is woven into and operating in every industry in America. Racism is a pandemic.

For far too long, in Kansas City, its surrounding areas, and nationally, discrimination and oppression experienced by Black people and other marginalized and historically underrepresented populations, have been perpetuated, undermined, and disregarded. We must acknowledge and accept responsibility for the damage resulting from racism and enact corrective measures. Dismantling normalized inequities and systemic racism is an ongoing fight that requires collaborative effort, long-term commitment, and action, and is a fight in which we must engage.

The shared pain of this past year served as a call to action for the SchoolSmartKC team, prompting us to ask, “what else can we do to demonstrate our commitment to racial equity, diversity and inclusion?” Since then, we re-examined our internal systems and processes, engaged in difficult conversations, identified opportunities for individual and organizational growth, as well as sought ways to engage our stakeholders to continue to address racial inequity. Our work has included: 

Assisted schools in Kansas City Public School System with identifying Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training programs, solicited funding for, and provided grants to schools to enable participation in DEI training.
Outreach to surrounding local schools and school districts to inform them of DEI training offered free of charge.
Members of SchoolSmartKC’s Team, along with other local organizations, are participating in a year-long Racial, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Community of Practice.
SchoolSmartKC’s Team is working collaboratively with DEI consultants and other experts in the field to expand our DEI practices and continue in conversations to develop strategies for dismantling racism and prejudice, and to promote antiracism.

We stand with the Black and other marginalized communities in the fight to remove barriers and provide equitable opportunities for disenfranchised populations. And we support our schools and community allies in their work – which mirrors our own work – to destroy systemic racism and ensure that the behaviors we have witnessed for hundreds of years are no longer tolerated in our society. We do not have all the answers for how to resolve the issue of racism, but we remain committed to working in collaboration with likeminded individuals and organizations to disrupt and dismantle the disease of racism.