Black & Brown Youth Demand Racial Justice in School Safety Commission Report

Betsy DeVos & the School Safety Commission

We are Black and Brown youth with a message for Betsy DeVos and the School Safety Commission.

After the tragic Parkland school shooting that occurred in February 2018, Donald Trump established a Federal Commission to study school safety and make policy recommendations on how to prevent violence in schools. Trump appointed Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services.  

Trump and members of the commission have already indicated they support hardening schools with more guns, cops, and metal detectors. We know these policies will make our schools even more like prisons than they already are. The commission has also largely left students out of the conversation, especially Black and Brown youth.

We are Black and Brown youth from across the United States of America. School safety is about our lives and about our daily experiences. We have a clear vision for our schools and we demand that our voices are heard.

#YouthDemand:

  • Divestment from school policing

  • Continuation of the Civil Rights guidance on school discipline

  • Comprehensive mental and emotional health services

  • More guidance counselors and social workers

  • Expansion of restorative justice practices

  • Culturally responsive education programs

  • Investments in schools and teachers

  • Protection for students and families against ICE arrests

  • A concrete plan to end gun and state violence

Black and Brown youth from across the country have made our demands clear. Will you join us in demanding that the commission follow the vision of young people of color. Will you join us now?

Join Us Now! Sign The Petition

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CPD Action

To: Betsy DeVos & the School Safety Commission
From: [Your Name]

Dear Federal School Safety Commission,

I ask that you listen to young people from all across the country and adopt their recommendations for how to create safe, supportive, and inclusive schools. I support the young people all across the country who are demanding:

- Divestment from School Policing
- Continuation of the Civil Rights guidance on school discipline
- Comprehensive mental and emotional health services
- More guidance counselors and social workers
- Expansion of restorative justice practices
- Culturally responsive education
- Investments in schools and teachers
- Protection for students and families against ICE arrests
- A concrete plan to end gun and state violence

I’m calling on you to listen to young people of color. We stand in solidarity with youth who are calling for school safety that doesn’t further criminalize Black and Brown communities and allows students an opportunity to learn and the freedom to thrive.

Sincerely,

[Signatory]