Friends -

I’m writing today to acknowledge the pain and suffering that communities of color – and especially black people – continue to endure in Milwaukee and across the United States. I’m writing today to condemn the continued racism, violence, injustice, and inequities which cause that pain and suffering.

The horrific killing of George Floyd was only the most recent example to break into our national consciousness. There are, of course, a great many more. As a white woman, I can hardly imagine what my friends, colleagues, and neighbors of color are experiencing right now. What I can do is use the power of my voice and privilege to call attention, to express empathy, and to pledge action.

Our city and our country are bleeding from wounds first inflicted long ago. These wounds are reopened daily. Like any wound, these will never heal until the damage stops and meaningful steps are taken toward repair.

That’s why I’m also writing today to express my commitment, and the commitment of City Forward Collective, to engage in anti-racism – both inside and outside of our organization. I am only one person, and we are only one organization. Nevertheless, I believe it is imperative for each and every one of us to leverage whatever social capital we have to actively and assertively work to dismantle the social, cultural, and institutional structures that permit and perpetuate racial violence and inequity.

Our mission at City Forward Collective is focused on two things: Ending educational inequities, and increasing access to high-quality schools for all Milwaukee children. We will never achieve that mission without knowing and acknowledging that the problems we fight every day are caused by centuries of compounded and ongoing racism and injustice. Moreover, the impact of our work will be irrelevant unless we also act to end the continued injustices that black and brown people face long after they leave the K-12 education system.

We do this work because we believe every child – no matter where they live, what they look like, or what identities they hold – deserves access to a high-quality school that provides them what they need for a life of vitality and agency. But our fight for universal, high-quality education can never be truly won – nor its benefits enjoyed – as long as racial injustice and violence continues holding down our city’s people.

I am here, and City Forward Collective is here, to stand with our city’s communities of color, to say that we see and decry the continued injustices you face, and to commit to far more effectively using our power to lead and act and fight on your behalf.

Sincerely,

Patricia J. Hoben, Ph.D