There has been an alarming increase of violence toward Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Xenophobic and racist incidents targeting members of the AAPI community have continued across the U.S. This violent behavior has put families, communities and businesses at risk, and it must stop. It’s been deeply upsetting to see news headlines of xenophobic behavior, name-calling, assaults, and too many other senseless and egregious hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI). Because this is too important to go without saying, Skokie School District 73.5 vehemently condemns any and all racially motivated and xenophobic acts of harassment and violence. We will not tolerate racism or bigotry in any form.
The AAPI community in SD 73.5 is an integral part of what makes our community a place we all want to raise our families, learn, work, and play. We are devastated by the fear and pain being experienced by our own staff, students, families, and community members.
The Skokie School District 73.5 condemns all forms of violence, bias and racism against fellow AAPI community members. To our neighbors, our friends, colleagues and especially our students and their families: We hear you, we see you and we stand with you.
As we resolved in our “July 2021 Resolution on Systemic Racism and Racial Equity,” we are committed to combating racism in all forms. We are committed to advancing and enacting equitable policies, practices and programming in our schools, and throughout our community. There is more work to be done to ensure our schools and neighborhoods are inclusive and respectful of all individuals. We are committed to this work and will continue to reach out to our various communities to engage in the conversations needed to keep our staff, students and families of all ethnicities and backgrounds safe.
We will continue to stand united against fear, hatred, and violence, and we remain committed to doing everything in our power to keep our schools as safe spaces for all our students, staff, and families.
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