The murder of George Floyd by, at the time of the murder, Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin and three other Minneapolis police officers, who enabled former officer Chauvin, is shocking and devastating. The video of the murder, which was filmed by concerned citizens, went vent viral and spread across the world.

However, even before this tragic injustice, the shooting deaths of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade and a seemingly innumerable list of other African Americans killed both at the hands of police and fellow American citizens, was overwhelming and damning. George Floyd's murder exacerbated these already festering wounds and added to the deep and generational trauma felt most immediately by Black Americans, but trauma is also felt by many other disenfranchised and marginalized groups.

As individuals and as a larger collective, we the teachers, administrators and employees of Beaumont say enough is enough. We recognize our responsibility to respond to the situation and help our students to both understand the issues at play and to create an equitable educational experience for all our students.