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$'{igh
SchoofEducator-KarenSalazar-
for TeachingTrutl'canrdCniEica[
Thinkingto Black& E-atinoYoutht
From: BtackfdewYorkensfor Edr.lcational
ENce[[ec-tce
{BhtYEE}
June19,2008

Ms.KarenSatazar
AndStudentsof JordanHishSchoot
2265E.103rd5t.
LosAngeles,Catifornia
90002

DearMs.Salazar:

Ourorganization,
BtackNewYorkersfor Educational
Excellence
(BNYEE), you
sends andyourstudents oursupportandadmiration.

Youare EVERY TEACHER whosegoalis to liberateandfree the mindsof

students.Andyourchargesare EVERY STUDENT who is hungryfor a
retevantcurricutumwhichis truthfuIaboutthe originsof humanity and
whichcelebrates the peopleandcuttureswhoseachievements have
madecivitizationoossible.

Youare everyteacherwho is at riskfor teachingthe truth about

African,HispanicandAsianpeopteswhosweatbtoodin the buitdingof
the UnitedStates,but whosestorieshavebeentotd untruthfutly,
marginalizedor omittedentirety.

Theverygroundthat JordanHighSchootstands on wasoncepartof

Mexicobut wasannexedittegatty.Atas,itlegalannexation
coutd
describe
the "settting"of thisentirecontinent.Justaskthosevery
veryfew survivingdescendents of the nativepeoptes.Or askthe
peoples
indigenous of AlaskaandHawaii,for that matter.

It is ironicandcynica[that youhavebeenreprimanded for teaching

froman excerptof the life of Matcolm X, whenthe biography from
whichthe excerptwastakenis approvedby the LosAngetes Unified
SchoolDistrict.ls it atsosubversive that the Dictureof Matcotm X
appears on US postage stamps?At the timeof BrotherMatcotm's
assassination, hewascrystattizing for usthe importance that beyond
"civil rights",we havemorefundamental "humanrights,,.BNYEE
recognizes that attof ourchitdrenhavethe humanrightto truthful,
liberatory education.

Yourstudents areheroicatly
defiantin demanding that yourcontract
be renewedsothat you maycontinueto helpthemdiscoverthe iruth
abouttheir heritageandaboutthe UnitedStatesof America.

BNYEE hopesthat the exampleof yourcourage andthat of your

students at JordanHighSchoot wi[[ ignitea nationalmovement for a
truthfut,antiracist.curriculum
in the.schools of the UnitedStates.
Knowthat we arewith you.Wearestrivingto ignitea simitar
curricutarrevolution
in NewYorkCitv.

In Sotidarity,
EA{yEgCaar dinatinq {osnrgsiiEee

CC:MonicaGarcia,President,
the LAUSDBoardof Education
RoyRomer,Superintendent
of Schoots
Stephen
Strachan,
Principat,
JordanHighSchoot