Leaders need to support health of all students
Members of the greater Pittsburgh community were recently forced to confront the reality of systemic racism within their schools. As pediatricians representing a chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), we find any practice that perpetuates harmful, racist ideas — particularly to our commonwealth’s children — to be antithetical to the mission of the AAP and the views of its members.
The issue in question is that of a South Fayette high school where a teacher instructed students to answer the proposed question: “Is slavery profitable?” Students were directed to imagine themselves as traders grappling with whether to pack a ship “tightly” or “loosely” with slaves as a means of increasing profit.
Just a few short months ago, we mourned and marched for the lives of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and so many others. To now see anyone — much less an educator — taking such a large step backwards is disheartening. Whatever ethical dilemma that the instructor aimed to communicate through this assignment was lost in the blatant disregard for the trauma that this would inflict upon students.
As pediatricians, we understand the extent to which these types of assignments and the attitudes they represent have negative effects on all children by perpetuating stereotypes and representing America’s racist history as normal and morally neutral.
Teachers, like pediatricians, should beat the fore front of advocating for anti-racist policies. As such, we, the Pennsylvania Chapter of the AmericanAcademy of Pediatrics, ask districts around the state to take a moment to reflect; does your school’s infrastructure have adequate support for children of color and provide proactive resources to educate white students, staff, and parents on equity and inc lu si vi ty? Reactive protections on their own are insufficient to address this issue. Only by taking active measures to eliminate racism in our schools can we begin tore media te the stain that runs so deeply in the fabric of our country.
We expect that leaders in South Fayette and across the state are taking the necessary steps to support the mental and physical health of their students of color. Our future generations depend on it.