Message from Mirko Chardin: June 1, 2020

Message from Mirko Chardin: June 1, 2020
Posted on 06/01/2020
June 1, 2020

Hello Putnam Ave. Family,

I pray that you and all of your loved ones are safe and doing well. We are currently in the midst of an extremely turbulent time. In many ways the threads that have held the fabric of our society together are either being torn apart or are being exposed as not being what we believed they were. The murder of innocent people of color and the resulting unrest during such a time of fragility due to COVID-19 have magnifed awareness of the inequity, lack of justice, and lack of safety that so many of us and our kiddos wrestle with daily. I am also personally struggling with how to make sense of how things have escalated so quickly, so I don't have any magical words of wisdom to offer. That said, as an institution that from its inception has been committed to social justice, I implore you, to take some time, as I will, to reflect on how you will show up for our kids, community, and colleagues. This is not a time to simply say what you believe in. Just saying that you believe in equity and/or social justice is not enough. You need to figure out what makes the most sense for you and your family, but now is the time for action. If you truly believe in what we have professed for years as stated in our Putnam Ave. definition of the core value of Passion-- "the pursuit of social justice through recognizing the different experiences that come with race, class, gender, sexual identity, ability, and religion. We believe it is our responsibility to use our knowledge to better the world we live in"--then now is the time to live it and show it through action, whatever that action may be regardless of whether or not those actions are large or small. 

Here are just a few articles and resources for your reference as racial and civil unrest unfolds across our country and the world. Read more >>

 

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