We, the student body, parents, staff, and allies of Newberg High School and Newberg Public Schools and its students, parents, staff, and allies from previous years wish to express to the Newberg School Board that we know and want you to understand that love is a universal language. We choose to display our love through action, gestures and words and to visually represent it with symbols, signs and flags. We are guaranteed the right to speak openly and to display our thoughts in this way by the Constitution of the United States of America which protects our right to free speech.

Representation matters as do these symbols of familiarity and support. Equity flags and others that include cultural representation reflect our origins, identities, communities and cultures. We are more than citizens of Newberg, we are Oregonians, we are Americans and we are diverse; we are all identifications and all expressions of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, sex, color, sexual orientation and ability.

The signs, symbols and flags you are proposing to remove represent our cultures and they specifically would inhibit our first Amendment Right to free speech.

We are Hispanic and Latin(a/o)/Latinx students, staff and neighbors and we deserve representation and inclusion.

We are Black and African American students, staff, and neighbors and we deserve representation and inclusion.

We are Asian and Asian American students, staff, and neighbors and we deserve representation and inclusion.

We are Pacific Islander students, staff, and neighbors and we deserve representation and inclusion.

We are Indigenous students, staff, and neighbors and we deserve representation and inclusion.

We are Bi-racial students, staff, and neighbors and we deserve representation and inclusion.

We are Queer and Trans students, staff, and neighbors and we deserve representation and inclusion.

We are Two-Spirt and LGBTQIA+ students, staff and neighbors and we deserve representation and inclusion.

We are differently abled and disabled students, staff and neighbors and we deserve representation and inclusion.

Every student of Newberg High School deserves a safe space to study and learn and an inclusive space free from fear of extraordinary harassment and bullying, especially from the Newberg School Board.

Consider the unintended result of a vote to remove these symbols:

Every foreign language teacher forced to remove all of the flags from their classrooms.

Social clubs like the GSA, MEChA, International Club, Interact, Key Club, Black Student Union, Model UN and foreign language classes, social studies and history classes forced to remove flags. All of the clubs mentioned have cultural representation flags displayed at their meetings.

Your job today is to represent the students and families FIRST in your district. Then the staff, then the community of Newberg and the school district as a whole.  Open up your hearts and your minds, please. And then, lead with love and not with hate and hold yourselves responsible to the Constitution of the United States of America, to which you swore an oath.

We sign this today as members of disadvantaged minority communities and allies from the dominant majority community as well. We are diverse and we, all of us, we deserve equality.

We rely on the Newberg School District to take action that promotes equity and inclusion and to dismiss the racist and homophobic proposals before the School Board.

Please see this letter for more action items, talking point, and resources.

Kristen Stoller, Remy Drabkin and Friends