Be at the Center of it All: these are the words that rest beneath the name of our town, Robbinsville Township, in its logo, proudly displayed on signage across town and online. It’s a tagline that seems to describe Robbinsville as a meeting place, an intersection of sorts for both diverse ideas and individuals. However, according to Census Reporter data as recent as 2019, of Robbinsville’s 14,245 residents, 71% were white. Only 4% of residents were Black. These demographics lend themselves to the creation of the “bubble” so often referenced by those of us who grew up here. We grow up insulated, to a degree, from the outside world rather than being at the center of anything. We become used to seeing and listening to people who, for the most part, look and sound the same, possessing lived experiences that don’t differ too far from our own. This limits our perspective, and ultimately does RHS students a disservice when it comes to challenging our own internalized bias later on in life. As changing the demographics of our town or student body is not within anyone’s power to do, we must find other ways to perforate the bubble. We wish to challenge the RHS administration to help its students and faculty become more educated on antiracism and how to be actively antiracist in their daily lives. We’ve created a list of actionable items (listed below) to hold the RHS administration accountable for implementing these changes.

1. Bring mandatory antiracism training to all Robbinsville faculty and guidance counselors. Guidance counselors should be specifically trained to handle the emotional distress caused by racism and prejudice, as well as to de-escalate students or staff who engage in racist behaviors.
2. Immediately decolonize and diversify its curriculum, from K-12 by:
   a. Regularly incorporating antiracist pedagogy into lessons and discussions at all grade levels.
   
   b. Assessing the historical accuracy of how Christopher Columbus, slavery, Native American mistreatment, segregation, Jim Crowe, Internment, the Civil Rights Movement, xenophobia, and U.S. History as a whole is taught to students, from Kindergarten onwards. Students should be able to critically assess and engage with American History, and how it directly relates to the present.
   
   c. Re-allocating the current History Curriculum, such that equal time is spent between U.S. History and World History. Additionally, ensure that the World History curriculum broadens beyond the Euro-Centric/Ancient Civilization approach, which is currently followed. Specific attention should be given to understanding Non-Western Countries without an Imperialist lens. Again, students should be able to critically assess and engage with World History, and how it directly relates to the present.
   
   d. Incorporating a more diverse array of authors and topics into the English curriculum, Drama departments, and Music and Art programs from Kindergarten onwards. The Eurocentric, White experience must be decentered, across these departments. This will ensure that our students are exposed to and able to appreciate creations from various walks of life / lenses.
3. Host regularly scheduled (bi-annually, at minimum) assemblies with guest speakers to address issues of racism, privilege and systemic injustices. 
4. Bring mandatory, annual antiracism training to all SROs (minimum 20 hours), effective immediately. Periodic checks should also be added, and be mandatorily administered if complaints of racial profiling are raised. The Student Handbook should also incorporate a section regarding students’ rights and privileges, especially when in regards to Law Enforcement. Additionally, this information should be communicated directly to the students at the beginning of each academic year.
5. Audit the current composition of Robbinsville administration, teachers, and faculty. Following this audit: release actionable steps for how we will make our schools more inclusive, from the top down. As a district, we must renew our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion as a whole by hiring more non-White, especially Black faculty, to all Robbinsville levels of leadership and education. Special care must be taken, district wide, to diversify who holds leadership positions, especially in administration and the Board of Education.
6. Create a special task force, which would solely focus on promoting antiracism within each school, and holding our District accountable for its actions. The task force should comprise students and faculty, and should be headed by an independent agent, with prior experience in diversity, equity and inclusion. As this task force functions to constantly examine and challenge the District to grow, further conversations and actionable items (i.e. punitive measures, student voter registration) will, inevitably, emerge, and should be dealt with in a timely and appropriate manner. 

We’re asking you to sign and share this petition in order to put pressure on RHS administration to prioritize these action items and show widespread support of these changes. 

While talks about race can be challenging, silence is even more dangerous. Ignoring the injustices of widespread normalized racism and intolerance of others, or simply making statements is no longer an option. As our school system currently functions, students are not taught about systemic racism, the full extent of systemic violence and how it manifests in America, and within our community, to this day. From here on forth, we must have dialogue about the nature of racism in America, both in the past, and now, as it manifests in all communities (including Robbinsville). This is not a one time endeavor. To be actively antiracist is a lifelong process, and Robbinsville (like the rest of us) will have to constantly update itself to ensure that it is honoring diversity and promoting inclusivity. As educators, you have an unparalleled ability to help all of our students build their capacity to understand and confront racism, actively do the work to be antiracist, and, ultimately, contribute to a conducive and equitable society where peace and justice prevail. Doing this work is what it truly means to Be at the Center of it All, and we challenge our town and school board to live up to this promise.

Remember, it is a privilege to learn about racism, rather than to experience it. Let's help create a community where all of our students are entitled to such a privilege. Above all else, we’d like to say that Black Lives Matter. We thank you so much for your support.