At the National Education Association's recently concluded annual meeting-a gathering where the country's largest labor union sets its policy priorities for the coming year-delegates passed several historic measures that committed the union to fighting institutional racism.
Perhaps the most notable measure was New Business Item B, which passed unanimously. It opened with language stating that the NEA "acknowledge[s] the existence in our country of institutional racism-the societal patterns and practices that have the net effect of imposing oppressive conditions and denying rights, opportunity and equality based on race." Allocating $277,000 to the effort, the union pledged to, among other things, focus on providing support for programs that can "end the school to prison pipeline" and expand professional development opportunities that emphasize "cultural competence, diversity, and social justice." While this funding will last for one year, the measure includes a clause that says some money should go toward "researching implications for NEA's Strategic Plan and Budget for 2016-2018," which suggests that the union would consider devoting more resources to anti-racist efforts in the future.
EduColor-a relatively new movement to elevate public school advocates of color on issues of equity and justice-released a statement following the NEA's conference. While EduColor's members applauded the steps taken by the union to confront institutional racism, they pointed out that "it should humble all of us to some degree that it took such a long time to do what seemed so obvious to NEA members of color." With school segregation, inequitable school funding, and shortages of black and brown teachers, EduColor said, "Now, we must go beyond statements and into the substance of our actions." Making anti-racist work compulsory for their union, they argue, must "sit side-by-side with collective bargaining rights."
Jose Vilson, the founder of EduColor, writing on his blog, said he hopes the NEA is committed to fighting racism because its members truly believe in social justice, and not because its members are afraid of being labeled as racists if they don't. Vilson noted that the NEA introduced and passed bills that he "wouldn't have thought possible even a few months ago"-a testament to the hard and difficult conversations taking place in their union and across the country-but that still, "we have to recognize that many of our colleagues aren't ready to hear that they may be part of the problem, too."
The questions that have come to the forefront of education policy debates over the past year are not about to disappear, or be resolved, anytime soon. The NEA joins the American Federation of Teachers, a union with a much longer history of tackling racial justice issues, in reckoning with how to fight politically for greater equity and opportunity both within and outside of the school building. While the two unions seem to recognize that education is greatly impacted by economic inequality, incarceration, and racism, it will no doubt take activist educators to keep their organizations' priorities focused on results.
