These men
Decided to ban
Classroom discussion
On divisive topics.
When professors work
To build community
Here's what they ask
Their amazing students:
Where are you from?
What do you believe?
What are your hopes?
What are your fears?
What are your fears?
I want to shake my fist
And rage and scream
When I see these men celebrating
Banning diversity
Banning equity
Banning inclusion.
But my better self prevails,
Strengthened by my own experiences,
Those rooms of care and community
Where someone asked me
Where are you from? What do you believe?
What are your hopes? What are your fears?
Governor DeWine, Senator Cirino.
These men are the ones who will lose.
They did not listen when hundreds,
No, when thousands of Ohio students
Shared where they are from and what they believe.
These men did not listen
When thousands of students
Shared their hopes and fears.
And these men:
Governor DeWine.
Senator Cirino.
They will lose*
As these students leave Ohio
Taking their stories
Their hopes
Their futures.
=====
I am trying to write about positive things in the world for my Slices, but on March 28, Governor DeWine signed Senate Bill 1, a sweeping overreach of power that hurts all public community colleges and universities. A bill that 1500 students, professors and community members wrote opposition testimony against. A bill that brought thousands of college students (and professors, and community members) into the streets to march on their campuses, asking the legislature and governor to listen to them. SB 1 will
heavily restrict the teaching of “controversial” subjects such as climate change and current events
ban most diversity policies and programs
place departments, majors, and courses at risk
gut workers’ rights
ban meaningful tenure
ban academic partnerships with China
and much more
I've been working against SB 1 as the cofounder of Honesty for Ohio Education, a coalition of over 70 organizations focused on strong public schools for Ohio. In our messaging training, we talk about naming the villain, so this Slice is my poetic attempt to name those legislators leading the harm in Ohio.
* I truly believe: we all will be losing as these students (and professors) leave Ohio, but I wanted to stay focused on the villains.
There are so many villains to name these days. Despite a daily dumpster fire of evidence, it's still hard to believe we are now living in this dystopian reality.
ReplyDeleteI feel that, too, Elisabeth - so many villains, and how to maintain hope?
DeleteThank you for writing this. We need to keep asking the important questions and listening to how people answer them. This idea of restricting speech in schools is so cynical and destructive and hurtful. I agree that they will lose in the end. I have hope that spring will bring out the energy and opposition with new vigor. Thanks for putting this into beautiful words, and thanks for the work you're doing. ~Peter (aka humbleswede)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Peter - I agree with all those words (cynical, destructive, hurtful), and how we all LOSE. I really DO want to shake my fist and curse more than write a poem, but it does help to write.
DeleteGood for you, Lisa. Keep speaking up! They want to ban diversity, equity, and inclusion. So they are choosing homogeneity, injustice, and exclusion. I can't help but think enough of us are going to keep fighting and that BS is going to lose.
ReplyDeleteYES to this energy, Denise - we are going to keep fighting and they are going to lose!
DeleteLisa, I agree these men will regret their decisions. I also belong to a Public Strong educational group. We must fight against these bastards who think equity and inclusion is some sort of disease rather than a celebration and unity of humanity. Keep fighting!
ReplyDeleteYou keep fighting, too, Barbara - community is our super power, and I agree - the unity of humanity is worth fighting for!
DeleteThis is so unbelievable and so upsetting. I just can't fathom how this can happen. I feel like so many have lost their way, lost their minds. This is so the opposite of what education is supposed to be - thinking about controversial issues, figuring things out, all the things you write about in order to create a thinking, open community... Thank you so much for the work you are doing, Lisa. We must continue to voice our opposition.
ReplyDeleteYES, Heidi - this is the OPPOSITE of what education is supposed to be. Goodness, the world feels upside-down right now. I'm grateful for this writing community, and for educators, as we lift our voices and work for all kids, all stories.
DeleteI am a voracious reader of current events but did not read about this very upsetting and unreal perspective on learning. THANK YOU for what you are doing to help keep people aware and to assure this generation of learners will be able to understand and respect the power of diverse viewpoints.
ReplyDeleteWhat's happening in Ohio is definitely heartbreaking, and we absolutely hope other folks hear about it (as distressing as it is), and that folks who are maybe "neutral" (or not yet taking action) might be lovingly pushed to raise their voices. Kids are counting on us!
DeleteI hadn't heard about this bill. It's terrible! Thank you for speaking up about it. These are scary times.
ReplyDeleteI know, Natasha, right? I'm scared, too. But I don't want to be paralyzed, so I'm grateful to be a part of a big community working to fight back.
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