CHAMPAIGN — The superintendents of the Champaign and Urbana school districts issued a joint statement Thursday voicing their “solidarity with our Black community,” one day after the Black Teachers Alliance criticized them for being silent amid massive nationwide protests.

“As leaders in this community who are responsible for educating the bright, up-and-coming leaders of Champaign-Urbana, we want to openly stand in solidarity with our Black community in the midst of the current national, social and political unrest,” read the message from Champaign’s Susan Zola and Urbana’s Jennifer Ivory-Tatum.

“We understand that the facts surrounding the senseless deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, Breonna Taylor, and killings of many other unarmed Black people over time have triggered grief, anger, shock, frustration, and pain across our community,” they continued. “We want our Black students, teachers, staff members, and families to know that we stand with you during this difficult time.

“We recognize that systemic racism does not end when you walk into a school, and despite hard work and good intentions, our school community often falls short for our Black students. We stand against racism, white supremacy, and anti-Blackness in our community and the world at large.”

The statement also discussed support for peaceful protests and continuing discussions on policy changes.

In its statement Wednesday, the Black Teachers Alliance said “it is disheartening, disrespectful and disturbing that our school districts have not released public statements in solidarity with our fight for justice and equality. It is an affront to social-justice initiatives everywhere, but especially here at home.

“Your silence is not only an insult to us, it’s an assault against us. Silence is violence.”

Read the full statements from all involved below:

Full Statement from Urbana Superintendent Jennifer Ivory-Tatum and Champaign Superintendent Susan Zola

As leaders in this community who are responsible for educating the bright, up-and-coming leaders of Champaign-Urbana, we want to openly stand in solidarity with our Black community in the midst of the current national, social, and political unrest. We understand that the facts surrounding the senseless deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, Breonna Taylor, and killings of many other unarmed Black people over time have triggered grief, anger, shock, frustration, and pain across our community. We want our Black students, teachers, staff members, and families to know that we stand with you during this difficult time. We recognize that systemic racism does not end when you walk into a school, and despite hard work and good intentions, our school community often falls short for our Black students. We stand against racism, white supremacy, and anti-Blackness in our community and the world at large.

To our non-Black students, families, teachers, and staff members, we ask that you join together as a community in true allyship by first listening to the cries of your fellow Black community members with an open heart. Use your voice to speak with a common purpose in the fight against racial injustice, as silence is not an option. Moving forward as a collective will allow our community members, especially our Black students, to feel safe and find success. We invite you to reflect on ways that you too can support our Black students throughout our districts and the broader community.

We see people of all ages, races, and socioeconomic statuses taking action through the recent peaceful protests, standing together with our Black community. Speaking with a common purpose, hearing all voices, and ensuring we openly discuss issues of race will be critical in the months ahead.

Both Champaign Unit 4 Schools and Urbana School District #116 encourage you to think about how you can stand up for change and help in healing our community. As we move forward, our districts will continue to unite against racial injustices through involvement in community discussions and policy changes. However, we, as an entire community, must do everything we can in this moment to ensure that our Black students, families, teachers, and staff members feel safe, and we must start by being kind, accepting, understanding, and empathetic.

We remain hopeful that our collective strengths will allow all of our students to find success in our schools, our community, and in their own personal lives.

With thoughts of peace, warmth, and strength,

Dr. Jennifer Ivory-Tatum, Urbana School District #116 Superintendent

Dr. Susan Zola, Champaign Unit 4 Schools Superintendent

Full Statement from Black Teachers Alliance

In recent week, the assaults bystanders white supremacy on Black America have been nonstop. Covid-19, the lack of access during distance learning, and the murders of black bodies by white supremacists and police officers have been bombarding the headlines of all, the hearts many and the homes of black people everywhere. The burden that black educators carry is far greater than many will ever understand. That burden becomes almost too heavy when we have to carry it alone.

As black educators, many of us are on the frontlines of the “so called equity” initiatives pushed down by district leadership year after year. We share our experiences and our pain in hopes that change will come. Change has not come.

It is disheartening, disrespectful and disturbing that our school districts have not released public statements in solidarity with our fight for justice and equality. It is an affront to social justice initiatives everywhere, but especially here at home. Your silence is not only an insult to us, it’s an assault against us. Silence is violence.

Black Teachers Alliance of Champaign-Urbana

Full Statement from Champaign school board member Elizabeth Sotiropoulos

To the Black Teachers Alliance and to every black student of Unit 4:

It is the responsibility of every school board member to demand a safe, welcoming, accessible, and equitable atmosphere where teachers can teach and students can learn. It is our responsibility to ensure you are treated with dignity and fairness so that you can teach, learn and excel to your fullest potential.

Unfortunately, our district has never delivered on this promise to all of our black teachers and black students. It has harmed and underserved our black teachers and students through its racist policies, practices, and culture.

Black teachers, we have failed you by not giving you the equitable opportunities, support, and resources that you’ve asked for. We continue to fail you every day we are silent in the face of injustice and with every half-hearted attempt at equity.

Black students, we have failed you and your families. We have denied you opportunities offered to your white peers. With few exceptions, we have held you to lower academic standards and to higher behavioral standards compared to your white peers. Through no fault of your own, you have been harmed by systemic racism and by a culture that celebrates white supremacy. We have denied you countless opportunities to demonstrate your abilities and potential.

I will advocate for a teaching and learning space where black teachers have the freedom and support to deliver a complete education to our students. Through every vote, I will demand that our schools be held accountable for centering the needs of our black students; they must be supported as children worthy of a joyful learning experience, where they are seen as whole people who have hopes, dreams, fears, and potential for greatness. I will ask how every district action centers the voices of our black students and families so that we build an inclusive community that finally delivers on the promise of a free, high-quality education for every student who walks through our doors.

I promise to hold our district’s administration accountable for the academic and disciplinary outcomes of our black students and teachers. I promise to support black administrators who are doing the hard work of building equitable teaching and learning systems, but whose efforts may be undermined by white supremacy.

My voice is one of seven, but I promise to use it to hold our administration and staff accountable for dismantling the system that has failed our black teachers and students. I promise to challenge my white school board colleagues to recognize their privilege and to fight racism in every decision we make. I promise to support our educators who will build a new system that fairly provides opportunities to every student in Unit 4.

In solidarity,

Elizabeth Sotiropoulos

Member, CUSD4 Board of Education