To Longwood Central School District:

35 Yaphank Middle Island Road Middle Island NY 11953

 

       This petition was created to address the Longwood Central School District as a whole. I am writing on behalf of myself and other alumni of Longwood Senior High School. As you already know, while our country began to experience the pandemic of COVID-19, the pandemic of racism began to rear its ugly head. With the standard of policing being critiqued for its lack of cultural awareness, it was only right that we, the graduates of Longwood High School bring our education into the conversation. Upon graduating, to attend other schools, colleges, and universities, it was evident that we, the Black students, were done a disservice by at the very least, not having African American History in the curriculum. The Longwood Central School Districts’ mission is “to provide our citizenry with a quality educational program that includes opportunities for educational growth, self-awareness and the skills necessary to pursue a meaningful and rewarding future.” We are asking that moving forward, you fulfill this mission, so that EVERY STUDENT can say that you have given them tools to grow, become more self-aware, all while receiving the skills for a meaningful and rewarding future.

Despite the demographic makeup of the school, it is beyond important to include the history of a people who have helped to build what we call these United States of America. The history we received included, United States History & Government, Global History and Geography, Modern World/European History, and Economics, but never an African American History. We never learned that the African continent alone has provided the natural resources (gold, oil etc.) and wealth that is used in the United States. We never learned that enslaved Africans, people with a culture, were forcefully brought to the US to build this country. An unfortunate and incomplete history has been presented at Longwood to some students. For example, while I did not see the movie “Roots” in my Honors History class, it was brought to my attention that it was shown to classes. The response to this movie was that some students laughed, some Black students were put on the spot to speak for such atrocities, and educators never addressed the issue of enslavement (slavery) and why it was problematic. This lack of awareness and cultural incompetence is what we believe led to the incident with a teacher not understanding the racist history behind comparing a black student to a monkey. I am not here to call said teacher a racist, but had Longwood had an African American History class that discussed stereotypes, and had shown the movie “Ethnic Notions,” this incident would not have occurred or it would have been addressed properly. Simply put, more needs to be done.

 In addition to curriculum, teachers need to be trained to be culturally competent in that, they need to understand the child entirely. Being a student is about more than showing up to class on time, homework done, and prepared with a pencil. It is showing up, fed, considered, and engaged in content that is empowering and relevant. We as graduates are here to shine a light on a blind spot in a place where we have called home and community. We want this to change now because it is time, but also to prevent Longwood from making national news again, especially with all that is already going on in 2020. Please choose the right side of history to be on and help us help you to fulfill the mission of the Longwood Central School District.

Below you will find a list of our demands. These are by no means all the demands that we could create, but we understand that change must begin somewhere. These demands are specifically high school focused but having them K-12 is the district goal. We know that the Longwood Central School District has potential to grow and become a greater school district than it has ever been!

OUR DEMANDS ARE AS FOLLOWS (alternatives to temporarily pacify us will not be accepted):

1)      WE ARE DEMANDING a Task Force of 5 African American Longwood Alumni/Graduate Educators, one being Octavia Clarkson- drafter of this petition, be created to guide the Longwood School District in how to carry out these demands, and to discuss ways to be more culturally relevant.

2)      WE ARE DEMANDING an African American History course be instituted into the curriculum. (For example, Philadelphia teaches this as a 9th grade course. Yet, it would be ideal for this history to be incorporated K-12 when/where history is first being introduced to students, since studies show that students begin noticing different races as early as 3-5yrs old.) As a pre-requisite, this course should be taught by an African-descended/Black person who has taught African American history before, at the high school or university level. This course should also be taught in a way that centers African culture, thought, and perspective.

3)      WE ARE DEMANDING more Black and Brown culturally competent faculty/staff/teachers be hired at Longwood K-12 to address the fact that many of us had our first teacher of color in college. (The end goal should be to have at least half, not including Physical Education teachers or Sport Coaches)

4)      WE ARE DEMANDING Culturally Competent Professional Development Workshops occur 3 times a month, taught by a Black person, every year to ensure that educators are not continuing to carry out unknown biases, and racist practices.

5)      WE ARE DEMANDING the Longwood’s Option 1 & Option 2 program, and “culture of punishment” be re-evaluated in a way that does not demonstrate a bias toward majority black and brown students in a majority white school.

6)      WE ARE DEMANDING at least 3 Black Social Workers and 3 Black College/Guidance Counselors at Longwood High School, assist students with everyday struggles, mental illness, and pathways to postsecondary opportunities.

7)      WE ARE DEMANDING a student-led Food Pantry Club be created, to combat food insecurity that may be going unaddressed. It can also have toiletry items such as feminine napkins, soaps, shampoos etc. that are donated throughout the year for students in need.  Additionally, we request a Student Laundromat be added to accommodate students in need. (This may also be made into an elective course or combined with Family & Consumer Science)

8)      WE ARE DEMANDING a written apology from the Longwood Central School District, addressed to alumni for their inability to address “the elephant in the room of racism,” after years of it being brought before them. We also want the letter to include ways that the school district plans to address these demands.

Thank you,

 

Octavia Clarkson, Class of 2006

Africology & African American Studies, Doctoral Student

Political Science & African American Studies, MA