MINNESOTA, WELCOME BACK. THERE IS AN
IMPORTANT DISCUSSION HAPPENING
IN THE CITY OF LAKEVILLE
RIGHT NOW WITH STARTED AFTER
TEACHERS AND STAFF IN THE
LAKEFIELD SCHOOL DISTRICT
RECEIVED A MEMO SAYING BLACK
LIVES MATTER POSTERS ARE NOT
ALLOWED IN THEIR CLASSROOMS.
SHARON IS GOING TO GET INTO
THE REASONS WHY AND SHE'S GOING
TO TALK ABOUT WHO IS FIGHTING
THAT DECISION DURING A SOCIALLY
DISTANCED LAKEFIELD AREA SCHOOLS
BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING LAST
TUESDAY. I WORRY ABOUT THEM .
CONCERNED PARENTS SHOWED UP TO
SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS. THIS IS
THE FIRST TIME I'VE EVER BEEN
TO A BOARD MEETING. KIKI JAMES
GILMAN WAS THERE AS A PARENT
OF TWO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL KIDS
IN THE LAKEVILLE SCHOOL
DISTRICT. SHE HAD HEARD OF A
MEMO THAT HAD GONE AROUND NOT
ALLOWING TEACHERS TO DISPLAY
BLACK LIVES MATTER POSTERS.
THE DISTRICT SENDING OUT AN
E-MAIL CENSORING AND STIFLING
MUCH NEEDED CONVERSATION AT THIS
TIME IS ABSOLUTELY
REPREHENSIBLE. ANOTHER PARENT
SENT
SENT
SENT >>
SENT >> ME A MESSAGE SAYING THAT SHE
HAD RECEIVED KIND OF SENAKI
OF EMAILS FROM TEACHERS WHO HAD
BEEN WHO HAD ALSO RECEIVED
A LETTER FROM THE DISTRICT,
I GUESS ADVISING THEM AND
PROHIBITING THEM FROM PUTTING
UP ANY SIGNS THAT SAID
>> BLACK LIVES MATTER IN THE
CLASSROOM
CLASSROOM
CLASSROOM >>. THE MEMO PROVIDED BY
THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HIGHLIGHTS
POLICY FIVE THREE FIVE THAT THE
GOAL IS FOR THE DISTRICT
TO QUOTE MAINTAIN NEUTRALITY AS
TO ALL POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS
AND ISSUES MORE SPECIFICALLY
EMPLOYEEES WHILE ACTING IN THE
CAPACITY OF A SCHOOL DISTRICT
EMPLOYEE SHALL REFRAIN FROM ANY
CONDUCT THAT IS INTENDED TO BE
OR THAT REASONABLY COULD BE
PERCEIVED AS ENDORSING OR
OPPOSING SPECIFIC POLITICAL
ISSUES OR POLITICAL CANDIDATES.
THESE
THESE
THESE >>
THESE >> CONVERSATIONS HAPPEN LIKE
LIVES MATTER. IT'S POLITICAL.
IT'S NOT A POLITICAL STATEMENT.
YOU CAN ARGUE IT IS A POLITICAL
GROUP THAT'S FINE, BUT THOSE
THREE WORDS ON THEIR OWN
ARE LEGITIMATE AND NEED TO BE
VALIDATED AT THIS TIME AND FOR
FOREVER BECAUSE FOR A LONG TIME
IT'S NOT BEEN THE CASE AND BLACK
>> LIVES IN AMERICA HAVE NOT
HAVE NOT MATTERED. THEY NEVER
REALLY HAVE. AND SO IT'S TIME
TO SPEAK UP AND HAVE ALLIES.
THE MEMO ALSO READ THAT THE
DISTRICT BANS OTHER SLOGANS LIKE
ALL LIVES MATTER, BLUE LIVES
MATTER OR KEEP AMERICA GREAT.
IN THE SAME TUESDAY MEETING,
LAKEFIELD SCHOOL DISTRICT
SUPERINTENDENT MIKE BELLMAN SAID
HE'S NOT TRYING TO END ANY
CONVERSATION. THERE'S NO INTENT
TO SHUT IT OUT OR STOP
THE CONVERSATION. BUT THERE IS
AN INTENT TO ADDRESS A A REQUEST
BY TEACHERS AND THERE IS THERE
IS A POLITICAL COMPONENT TO THIS
THAT STOPS PEOPLE FROM LISTENING
>>. AND I DON'T WANT TO STOP
PEOPLE FROM LISTENING. SO I WANT
TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT THAT .
>> IN A FOLLOW UP STATEMENT,
BAUMAN SAID, QUOTE, THERE IS
ALSO MUCH WORK TO BE DONE
TO CLEARLY DEMONSTRATE
AND AFFIRM ANTI-RACISM IN THIS
DISTRICT AS THE SUPERINTENDENT,
I LEAD THIS EFFORT. BLACK LIVES
DO MATTER. AS A LAKEFIELD
RESIDENT, DO YOU THINK WHATEVER
HAPPENED WITHIN THE SCHOOL
DISTRICT IS REPRESENTATIVE
OF THE CITY? FROM YOUR
EXPERIENCE, I DO CERTAINLY.
WE'VE BEEN HERE FOR THREE YEARS
AND I THINK WHAT'S HAPPENING IS
FOR A LONG TIME. ISSUES OF RACE
HAVE NEVER BEEN DISCUSSED.
IT'S CAUSING PEOPLE TO BE A BIT
UNCOMFORTABLE. THE NEEDLE NEEDS
MOVEMENT NEEDS TO SHIFT. YOU
DON'T GET CHANGE ON RESTAURANT
COMFORTABLE.
COMFORTABLE. >> HAVE REACHED OUT AGAIN TODAY
TO THE SUPERINTENDENTS OFFICE,
BUT THEY JUST SENT US THE SAME
FOLLOW UP STATEMENT. BUT AT
THE BOTTOM OF THAT STATEMENT
THEY SAID THAT THEY ARE OPENING
UP LISTENING SESSIONS AND THAT
THEY WOULD BE WELCOME FEEDBACK
FROM THE COMMUNITY AND TO KEEP
AN
AN
AN >>
AN >> EYE
AN >> EYE OUT FOR WHEN THAT'S GOING
TO HAPPEN NEXT. SURE. AND THAT
ORIGINAL MEMO, IT SAYS
THAT BLACK LIVES MATTER CAN BE
PERCEIVED AS ENDORSING SPECIFIC
POLITICAL BELIEFS. WHAT DID KIKI
HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT ? BECAUSE
SHE WAS EMPHATIC ABOUT JUST
SAYING BLACK LIVES MATTER
AFFIRMING TO THE BLACK AND BROWN
KIDS IN THE SCHOOL THAT YOUR
LIFE MATTERS.
LIFE MATTERS. >> YEAH. AT LEAST SO
THAT ORIGINAL MEMO THAT WENT OUT
TO THE TEACHERS, IT SAID
THAT THE SCHOOL CLAIMS THAT THE
SCHOOL DISTRICT CLAIMS THAT THE
BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT IS
POLITICAL BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE
THAT THE MOVEMENT REALLY OFTEN
GOES ON THE SIDE OF WANTING
TO DEEVON THE POLICE. AND YOU
KNOW, WHEN I ASK
>> ABSOLUTELY