Schools and communities across the United States marked the 19th anniversary of the shooting at Columbine High School with walkouts, days of service and other actions and tributes. We commemorated this day by honoring the victims who died on April 20, 1999, and in the numerous school shootings that have occurred in the intervening years. We stand with all students and educators, and encourage school communities to continue having difficult conversations about gun violence, mental health and student trauma.
School hardening policies—such as the presence of police and security, metal detectors, and harsh discipline codes—contribute to a criminalization culture in schools and students being pushed out of classrooms and into the school-to-prison pipeline. For Black girls, this criminalization culture causes serious additional harms.
This edition of The Moment shares resources to help you support your students after a school shooting. We stand with the community of Santa Fe, Texas, in their grief. And we stand with you and your students in your heartbreak, your fear and your anger.
When it comes to investing in racial justice in education, we believe that the South is the best place to start. If you’re an educator, parent or caregiver, or community member living and working in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana or Mississippi, we’ll mail you a free introductory package of our resources when you join our community and subscribe to our magazine.