Educators in Brooklyn March in Solidarity with Asian Americans

Members of "Educators for Justice" planned a march from the Brooklyn campus of Long Island University to the Department of Education building Tuesday at 5 p.m. to stand in solidarity with the Asian American Pacific Islander community.

More than 1,200 miles away in a courtroom in Minneapolis, 12 members of a jury found former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of murdering George Floyd, whose death last summer sparked an international justice movement and gave rise to the group that organized Tuesday’s march.

The timing was coincidental, if not auspicious and it wasn't lost on those in attendance.

"At this moment in our history, those in positions of leadership and influence must use their platforms and voices to reject and call out the injustices plaguing our communities of color,” said Tyrek Laing, the founder of Educators for Justice.

Joining other educators “to refute the hate crimes and acts of police brutality in communities of color was an honor. And I know that it is just one step closer to healing the wounds within our community."

In the wake of Floyd's murder last year, Uncommon Schools gave its teachers and staff a day off to process their anger and grief. Laing, an 8th grade team leader and English teacher at Excellence Boys Middle Academy — one of 24 schools in Brooklyn run by the high-performing charter school network — used his day off to launch Educators for Justice.

The group organized a protest march through Brooklyn last June that ultimately attracted 5,000 marchers — most of them teachers and staff from a variety of schools in New York City.

“We are showing our children what matters,” said Quinterrence Bell, the principal of Excellence Boys Elementary Academy at the march on the steps of Brooklyn Borough Hall, where the group paused for a vigil. Moved by what he saw happening against Asians and Asian Americans, he became a catalyst for the march. “Let’s not stop this here. Let’s continue this work.”

Hate crimes against Asians have been on the rise in the last year since the coronavirus pandemic, increasing to 28 from just three the previous year, according to the New York Police Department. However, activists and police officials have said many crimes went unreported or were not classified.

“We are here today because the world we want to live in is a world where we see and love each other for who we are, not for how we appear,” said Laura Lee McGovern, chief of staff at Uncommon Schools and a daughter of Chinese immigrants. “Every attack on a person of color for simply living is an affront to humanity. For all the educators here today – thank you. You teach our children love and understanding. You see and support them. You educate them about our history and you empower them to help lead the way to a better world.”

Michelle Hope, a vice president of marketing for the social network Communityx, told the crowd that she appreciated the show of solidarity.

"We must work to change the narrative and we cannot do that if we are divided," Hope said. "Tell your young people to learn in the classroom about what you participated in today. Take your pictures with signs and remind them that one day, it might be their time to stand up and speak."

Natasha Cherry-Perez is the senior associate director of Community Engagement for Uncommon Schools.