We collectively bear witness to the breath stolen from George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, Nina Pop, Monika Diamond, and countless others whose Black Lives Matter among a list that is too long and incomplete. Black Americans stand in the eye of law enforcement, public health, distance learning, and the economic storm of an oppressive system.

At the CDE Foundation, equity is a practice – not just a word. It is a lens through which we see the world and the way in which we operate. For us, it is also personal, powerful and a process of undoing by learning, listening loudly and taking action. For as long as we have been educating students in the U.S., we have spent an even longer amount of time denying specific populations their right to a quality education. We have a duty to push harder on a fundamentally racist system that is complicit in perpetuating injustice. Current and future generations of learners and leaders rightfully demand more of us. Enough is enough.

The CDE Foundation pledges to do its part in dismantling persistent systems of oppression in our education system. There is no educational justice without racial justice. In the coming weeks, we will share more about how we are taking steps to address institutional barriers and structural racism. Our ongoing partnership with the California Department of Education is just one example of how we will work to grow and accelerate our efforts to prioritize racial equity. We will be frank, introspective, and specific as we seek to understand how we can better contribute to meaningful change. Join us.

“It is time now to turn with all the purpose at our command to the major unfinished business of this nation.”

In solidarity,

CDE Foundation Team