 |
When I was a young girl, growing up right here in Southeastern PA, I was able to get my hands on Toni Morrison’s devastatingly profound work, The Bluest Eye. The novel dissects the intersection of race, gender, power, and society. It reflects on how discriminatory institutions can crush the humanity out of certain groups of people. And school boards across the country — including Central Bucks School District — are trying to ban Ms. Morrison’s book. This was personal for me. That’s why I attended a CBSD school board meeting this week to speak out and share my connection to this important work (you can watch my remarks here).
When I served in combat, I didn’t fight just for cisgender and straight folks. I fought for all Americans. I find it incredibly disturbing that school boards have become hellbent on enacting policies that erase the history and lived experiences of people of color and LGBTQ people rather than making their classrooms a safe and welcoming environment for ALL students. As a result, they are making the lives of LGBTQ kids, children of color, and anyone who does not fit into their self-righteous and hateful definition of ‘normal’, a living hell. The courage and authenticity with which Ms. Morrison wrote is something from which we all should learn. Everyone should be able to speak their truth, and kids deserve to have their truth reflected on the bookshelves in their school’s libraries. So, in case I wasn’t clear before, I’ll say it now: You don’t ban Toni Morrison. You listen to Toni Morrison. You can draw a direct line between policies like these and the widespread bullying and abuse LGBTQ youth face on a daily basis. We have the power to create a world in which ALL seeds are nurtured. If elected, I will fight for our shared values of equality, diversity, and inclusivity in Congress. Thanks for hearing me out. Ashley (P.S. Running this race has always been about fighting for what’s right — right for southeast Pennsylvanians and for all Americans. If you’re with me, I hope you’ll consider making a contribution to our campaign.)
|
