Justice shall have it's day Walk 4 Equity

Abraham Lincoln "“The path was worn and slippery. My foot slipped from under me, knocking the other out of the way, but I recovered and said to myself, "It's a slip and not a fall.” 

Today I was reminded by Ms. Rose Reyes (Willimantic teacher, mom, town council Women) that today April 3, 2020, was to have been our “Radical Educator Day of Action 4 Equity”. This initial date was not the date we chose randomly. It has purpose and significance. It was selected on February 15, 2020, by a group of radical educators and parents in New Haven at the People Get Ready Book store. Tomorrow April 4, is the 57th anniversary of his assignation of Dr. Martin Luther King. Moral Monday Connecticut always acts on this solemn anniversary. Today our plans had included a protest march to The State Capital to deliver a message to our state legislature. Our intentions were to hold a Good Shepard Public Education Report Card press conference, followed by Radical Educator Salon for Equity.

And just like everything else that the world had planned for today… we, too, had to postpone the “date” until further notice.

The assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King took place at 6:01 p.m. on Thursday, April 4,1968 ~ in the middle of his life of action. Standing on a balcony outside his second-floor room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, he died a Radical King. His sacrifice demands of us a rejection of silence and apathy. His legacy demands we pick up his mantle of peaceful radical activism. We are motivated by the wisdom of Dr. Martin Luther King. We are vividly conscious of his legacy of Radical Actions for Justice.

Sadly we Connecticut Radical Educators, have had to postpone our launch date for equity in our public schools. We have not given up. Dr. King himself postponed a march for voting rights once in Selma, AL. The postponement does not equal non-action; it merely means Justice WILL have it's day.

Meanwhile, “the gap” in public schools is showing itself to be a bigger problem than we thought. We have learned the most significant obstacle when closing our schools in poor communities is figuring out how to feed our children.

We have work to do, and that day will come. Right now, though, it is time to stay safe, stay healthy, and stay home. In the meantime, teachers, students, and parents are doing their best to keep learning happening during this our new normal. It is far from perfect, it is leaving many of our children behind, teachers are stressed trying to deliver lessons with some hint of humanity.
This is not over,
This will pass, and
We shall rise.

If acting to demand legislative action (in CT, the wealthiest state) to provide all children an equitable and quality education makes us radical educators ~ then so be it. We will wear that title well. Trust me, we shall Walk 4 Equity soon.

Spread the word, we shall rise,
Dr. Jesse. P. Turner
Moral Monday Connecticut Ambassador
CCSU AAUP Chapter Secretary
CSU-AAUP Due Justice Liaison
Proud Connecticut Badass Teacher and Radical Educator
Uniting to Save Our School Connecticut Chapter Administrator

If you want to listen to the song that inspires me this living in a pandemic day...its Bill Withers "Lean On Me" He passed away today, and his music is playing all day in my home. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTVEIOOBD6Q