We stand together against racial injustice

Holden High School is deeply grieved and outraged by the murder of Black people and the continued persistence of systemic racism in our country. We stand with the victims of murder, police brutality, marginalization, and repression, and with those who seek justice through protests across the United States.\

We acknowledge that we are an organization that has benefited from white privilege and systems of white supremacy. We will use the privilege of our organization not just to be allies to historically oppressed communities, but also to dismantle the hierarchical structures of oppression. The impact of living with racism as a part of one’s daily life and the daily news is greater for Black people and POC who don’t have the privilege of “opting in.”

We see our students, staff, and families of color and want to provide them a place of support. We are committed to continuing our work in teaching young people to love, to respect others, to be kind and compassionate, and to build inclusive communities embracing these values. We are committed to bringing about positive change in our communities through the ongoing work of understanding and acknowledging privilege, addressing implicit bias, and embracing diversity.

There is so much work to do.

We believe that the power structure in the United States needs to change from the top down. Vote for representatives that reflect values of collaboration, civil discourse, and peace. The change starts with each one of us participating in whatever ways we can.

We ask that each person reading this takes action to help end systemic racism. We ask that anyone with ideas of how we can help or support the effort in other ways to please reach out to us. Below are a few educational resources and some of the many organizations to contact for guidance.

In solidarity and with a commitment to action,

Kate, Abby, Kristin, Jenn, Ally, Ann, Chelsie, Georgie, Jack, Jeannette, Jenny, Katie, Kiersten, Libby, Liz, Mawiyah, Michael, Muhammad, Nicole, Nora, Rikki, Ryan, Shawn

Teachers and staff put together this partial list of resources.