A SPECIAL NOTE FROM SONJA AND TRICIA

Dear educators,

When we — Sonja and Tricia — founded the Institute for Racial Equity in Literacy in 2019, we were responding to a need we heard from many educators across the country for a professional space that examined the intersections of literacy and social and racial justice. Traditional literacy conferences were often not antiracist (and continue to be), while professional development experiences focused on social justice did not speak to the specific needs of classroom educators. Since then, IREL has brought together more than 800 educators, worldwide, in-person and online, committed to our shared and fervent belief that schools can be a place where freedom and liberation is possible.

Six years later, the landscape of both public and private schooling continues to be threatened, currently emboldened by policies and practices seeking to dismantle even the most modest advances in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in recent years. We are, in this moment, reminded of what Dr. Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz said in 2022 at IREL, “racist systems will always seek to correct themselves.” We reject the ways in which schools, school leaders, and too many educational organizations have explicitly and implicitly acquiesced to these threats to justice. It is up to each of us to decide where we will stand in the face of growing backlash and opposition to a just and inclusive education for all. 

Thus, reflecting on our time working in community with thousands of educators and where we are now as a nation, we recognize that this year’s IREL must be different. 

We must address what Dr. King spoke about in 1963: the fierce urgency of now. Complacency and disengagement are dangerous responses to the current political landscape. Now more than ever, we need clarity—and commitment. We need a space to determine the actions we can and will take to protect vulnerable members of our schools and communities, and to stand in solidarity against oppressive forces who have little regard for the children and families harmed now and in the future.

Back by popular demand, we’re offering a one-day online teach-in this Fall to address practical strategies that address the ways we can meet this moment, what history tells us about how to resist, and how to build the toolkits for humanity we need to create for ourselves as we continue to work toward liberation. We hope this online experience will make it possible for more educators to be part of our community – new and returning. To speak to our most urgent challenges, we have special guest presenters and sessions that will cover topics focused on issues we know many educators are facing right now:

How are students’, teachers’, and families’ rights being threatened? What can we do about these threats? How do we understand current laws and policies while also avoiding the noise of distraction? How can we remain resilient and steadfast in our commitment to making sure all children receive a truthful and just education? What can I do in my classroom alongside students to ensure their voices and experiences are not erased?

We invite you to join the online Institute for Racial Equity in Literacy… and LIFE on Saturday, September 27 where we work in community to learn about these pressing concerns and more. Join us for this one-day event as we move forward, together.

Sonja and Tricia

saturday, september 27 (ONLINE)

---