Hi John,

As we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we are reflecting on Dr. King’s relentless pursuit for racial and economic justice. Dr. King fought to end extreme segregation in the South. We have made progress, but there is still so much more work to be done. Today, New York's communities and schools are some of the most racially segregated in the nation. And economic inequity is more rampant now than ever before.

Since the founding of our nation, racism has shaped our social institutions: education, housing, finance and the courts. Today, we see New York's recent bail reforms, designed to end the criminalization of the poor, come under attack. We see students in Rochester, NY, devastated by mid-year cuts to educators in their schools due to a lack of state funding. We see the number of homeless New Yorkers and homeless children skyrocket over the past year. It is clear there is more work to do to create a more just and equitable New York.

In the words of Dr. King: “On some positions cowardice asks the question, is it safe? Expediency asks the question, is it politic? Vanity asks the question, is it popular? But conscience asks the question, is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.” Click to watch Dr. King's full speech.

Watch Dr. King's The Three Evils of Society speech, 1967

Education has always been a key battleground in the fight for justice, with students and parents on the front lines. Black families and communities have fought long and hard for educational justice in this country — from Brown v. Board of Education to The Campaign for Fiscal Equity v. New York State. The courts have acknowledged time and again the lack of equity and educational opportunity for Black children. Parents have won the legal and moral argument. Yet, these victories rarely move beyond the courtrooms. When the time comes for action, old habits die hard, and states like New York fail to enact real change. In New York, Governor Cuomo refuses to fund the State’s Foundation Aid formula. New York State currently owes our public schools $3.8 billion in state aid, a majority of which is owed to Black, Brown and low-income students.

This is a racial justice issue, and we will continue to fight to end the systemic racism in education funding. We will continue to fight to end the school to prison pipeline. We will continue to fight to ensure that Black children, Brown children, immigrant children and poor children have access to high quality public schools in their neighborhoods. We are inspired by the lifetime work of Dr. King, and we learn from his work and continue his struggle for justice.

In solidarity,

Jasmine Gripper
Executive Director
Alliance for Quality Education

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