Dear Editor,
It’s been seven months since the wrestling racial incident. Tim Cuneo has left the superintendent position of SMMUSD and Dr. Pedroza has long since left the Santa Monica High School campus. What they left behind are students, administrators and faculty observing that no proactive stance has been taken to turn a horrific racial incident into a powerful learning tool.
The Santa Monica Malibu School District Board of Directors, the new Superintendent and the new High School Principal are moving forward, but it is December and there are still people at the school who don’t believe anything happened. There are still teachers on the campus who silence any student who brings up racism. There are still people on campus who are trying to ride it out like I have learned has happened with every other racial incident that has taken place at the school. Well, speaking as the mother; it’s time to just say no more!
The Coalition on Racism (based here in Santa Monica) has met with each Board of Education member, the Superintendent, and the Santa Monica High School principal. Concerns were given, suggestions have been made, and research has been done on proven racial empathy programs to be implemented at the school. I appreciate the movement that has already taken place, but when students on campus are still being treated as unworthy and teachers on campus are still denying the existence of racism, it’s time for much more action! Programs need to be implemented now!
What is insanity???? No more!!
Victoria Gray
Santa Monica
