Dozens of local districts are engaging in the conversation of racial equity and justice with their families and students while Cedarburg School District has remained silent.

We, the bipartisan parents, teachers, students, and friends of Cedarburg School District, implore you, the school administration and school board, to engage. We expect the district to take a stand to empower our students to become more educated and compassionate citizens regarding racial inequities, unconscious bias, and normally untold aspects of American history.

The district prides itself in what it does well, but organizations who strive to be forward thinking and innovative also must consider their areas for growth potential. We believe institutions are either actively fighting individual and systemic racism, or they are complicit in it. We believe that not addressing racial issues, even though it is challenging, will position our students to fall behind those doing the work.

Consider Amy Cooper, the woman in Central Park who hysterically called 911 on a black man after he asked her to leash her dog. She acted out of ignorance and subsequently lost her job after the incident was filmed and went viral. Or how about the student who recently lost her Marquette scholarship after a racially charged Snapchat post? It's not enough to turn out academically prepared students. They must be ready to thoughtfully dialogue and act in an increasingly diverse world.

• Stop censoring books, conversations, and projects having to do with race, segregation, and related issues.
• Consider hiring a diversity consultant to give feedback about gaps between best practice and the district's current reality.
• Become a voice of leadership in our area regarding conversations around racial identity, empathy, and awareness.
• Listen to the voices of teachers, parents, students, and individuals who are speaking out. This IS an issue for our town to address and the time is now.