One of the greatest joys for a teacher is when students encounter the magic of the tangent: the moment when an event, a question, or an opinion takes a carefully planned lesson down an unexpected path that is more significant than the original lesson ever promised to be. When such moments appear, the best thing one can do is embrace them.
In the last two weeks the Nauset school system has given us two such tangents. The first was provided by the Independent’s Feb. 9 article “Nauset Officials Covered Up Bullying Incidents,” which focused on a series of events that transpired a few years ago, before the arrival of the current superintendent, Brooke Clenchy.
Clenchy did the right thing in her response, restating the school district’s commitment to create a community where all are accepted and valued. Her statement reads, in part, “Nauset believes that every child matters. We say that, we believe it, and we diligently work to ensure that this is more than a daily mantra. … It is this very diversity that creates a tapestry of richness in understanding and compassion within our staff and students.”
Well done.
In the Feb. 16 issue of the Independent, however, a second article appeared: “ ‘All Lives Matter’ Sign Raises Questions at Nauset High.” In sharp contrast to the first incident, the school district’s response to this situation came across as defensive and tone-deaf.
A banner celebrating Black History Month included the phrase “All Lives Matter.” The sign was put up by the Black Student Union, advised by Maura Kerse-McMillin. According to the article, two Black students complained about it to Principal Patrick Clark, to no avail. Clark said he was unaware why the phrase might be offensive. Kerse-McMillin also defended the message.
The slogan “Black Lives Matter” — and the movement behind it — was a response to the 2012 killing of Trayvon Martin and the acquittal of his killer, George Zimmerman. The mission of the BLM movement is “to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes.” BLM does not argue that only Black lives matter.
“All Lives Matter” is a counter-slogan embraced by those frightened by the idea that people of color are equal to whites. It implicitly says there is no need to focus on the fact that Black lives also matter. Thus, it amounts to a denial that Black lives matter.
Of course all lives matter. But that truth is more often observed in the breach. Our country’s history clearly demonstrates that for over 500 years, since Columbus first encountered indigenous people, some people have been treated as “more equal” than others. That this unequal treatment continues today can easily be seen in any quick search of data on the criminal justice system, school suspensions, economic opportunity, health care, and housing.
In the words of Unitarian Universalist minister Dan Schatz, “To say that Black lives matter is not to say that other lives do not; indeed it is quite the reverse — it is to recognize that all lives do matter, and to acknowledge that African Americans are often targeted unfairly.”
To replace “Black Lives Matter” with “All Lives Matter” dismisses the painful history and reality of Black Americans and shuts down the possibility of genuine discourse about racism.
The Black History Month banner at Nauset High School is hurtful and dismissive whether it was made with deliberate bad intent or simply a lack of understanding. If the students and their teacher meant to celebrate that everyone is of equal worth, could they not have said that without borrowing a phrase used by those who deny racial equality?
I was taught as a child that if I hurt someone, even unintentionally, I should acknowledge fault and apologize. That is how we learn. I am disappointed that instead of a retraction or an apology, the administration of Nauset High School continues to dismiss the experience of Black Americans.
The school district has missed a valuable teachable moment. There is still time, however, to change the outcome.
Edgar Miranda is chair of the Eastham Democratic Town Committee and a member of the Eastham School Committee.
