Message from the Superintendent: Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action

February 10th, 2023

The following message was issued by HCPSS Superintendent Dr. Michael Martirano on Feb. 10, 2023:

It is our goal that every student in the Howard County Public School System feels acknowledged and recognized in our schools and classrooms. This past week gave us an opportunity to highlight, uplift and affirm the rich history and contributions of the Black community through the Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action, approved here in Howard County through a Resolution by our Board of Education.

I know many teachers took time this week to facilitate learning and dialog in order to create understanding of both the challenges that the Black community faces and the many contributions of Black people to our society overall.

During this week, teachers had the opportunity to select from several lessons that were vetted and approved by HCPSS curricular staff and the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The following types of activities and lessons occurred in HCPSS classrooms this past week:

• Conversations around empathy, loving engagement and restorative justice related to the Black Lives Matter movement.
• Students evaluated the way Black people and families are represented by the media and the impact on the Black community.
• Students learned about leaders in the Black community who are also part of the LGBTQ community.
• The impact of mass incarceration on Black families was explored and better understood.
• Classes read books that pertained to perseverance, activism, equity and civil rights and engaged in discussions about those books.

Howard County has such a rich, cultural collection of neighbors, so our schools are a wonderful place to enhance the important takeaways embedded in our lessons. The Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action has provided us with dedicated time to uplift the endeavors of the Black Lives Matter movement and the many people in our community it is intended to support. I also appreciate the many parents and community members who participated in opportunities to read to our children.

Our Strategic Call to Action aspires for every student to achieve as we learn and lead with equity. Every day, we strive to fulfill our mission to close opportunity gaps for all students through inclusive and nurturing environments that are cultivated in our schools and communities. While the Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action lasts just one week, our efforts to ensure every student, staff and community member has a voice and is valued continues throughout the school year.