Educators For Students Show Up And Ask For Equality and Equity

Robert Culp, member of Educators for Students, opened his speech in front of Washington Junior High & Academy July 18 noting the land on which he stood.

“As we come here today, we do need to take a moment to recognize and acknowledge the Potawatomi and other Indigenous Nations whose territory we are gathering on,” he said.

Educators for Students gathered on an incredibly hot day. It planned a march that began at Keith Elementary and ended at Joliet Central High School. However, the weather meant that the march turned into a rally. Three people spoke that afternoon, Robert Culp, Steve Seper and Erin Baynard. Culp explained the purpose of Educators for Students.

“We are made up of two parts, one that is focused on working with our community and one that is focused on working with our educators, but we are working hand in hand in communicating with each other to serve our mission, which is to serve as antiracist change agents with black people, indigenous people, people of color, students, families and communities and all agents within the schools,” he said.

Seper echoed the sentiments.

“I’m here today because uncomfortable conversations are long overdue and people of color have to stop bearing the burden of being the owners of a problem that they didn’t create,” he said.

At the end of his speech, he said he was at the rally to use his teacher voice.

“To pledge my commitment to my students of color and let them know without question, your lives matter,” he said.

Erin Baynard also spoke at the July 18 event.

"Let me tell you why I am here today: as a black student in the local school district, I am an alumni of Valley View School District, I witnessed some of the inconsistency and injustices that students like me had to endure," she said.

She wrapped up her speech to encourage teachers, families and community members to do better by not standing for the inconsistencies and injustices.

"We demand for our educators to do better, we demand for our superintendents to do better, we demand for our community leaders to do better," Baynard said. "And so that is why were are here today."

Educators for Students was founded by Laura Jackson and Patty Arias in an effort to be visible agents for change for BIPOC students. The organization continues to grow and will be focusing its efforts on educating the community, parent and fellow teachers on how to be anti-racist.

The organization has a second march planned for 1 p.m., August 1. The rally will go from Hufford Junior High School to Joliet West High School and back again. The event will feature speakers similar to the event on July 18. Liz Darlin, Yenny Munoz-Swaninger and Sofia Thomas will speak.