WEBVTT - White Supremacy in the Classroom

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<v Speaker 1>Good morning, Peepsen, and welcome to f Daily with Meet

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<v Speaker 1>your Girl Danielle Moody. Pre recording from the home Bunker. Folks,

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<v Speaker 1>it is our holiday rest week here on wok F

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<v Speaker 1>and as we wind down the last seven years, I'm

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<v Speaker 1>revisiting some of the episodes that I think still bear

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<v Speaker 1>true today as we are just weeks away from Donald

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<v Speaker 1>Trump taking his second oath to uphold the Constitution, which

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<v Speaker 1>we know that he is not going to. On top

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<v Speaker 1>of Donald Trump's list, however, has been to defund the

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<v Speaker 1>Department of Education, the Department of Education that brings curriculum

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<v Speaker 1>to millions of children across this country. And so it

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<v Speaker 1>was fitting that one of the last conversations that we

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<v Speaker 1>revisit is that of the hateful indoctrination of White children

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<v Speaker 1>with Randy Weingarten, who is the president of the American

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<v Speaker 1>Federation of Teachers, who has visited wokay at a number

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<v Speaker 1>of times over the years to give us a window

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<v Speaker 1>into what is happening in America's public education system and

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<v Speaker 1>what we need to pay attention to. And at a

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<v Speaker 1>time when books are being banned and curriculums are being banned,

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<v Speaker 1>and teachers are being fired, and libraries are being ransacked.

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<v Speaker 1>Randy Weingarten talks about how we continue to perpetuate hateful

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<v Speaker 1>stereotypes and white supremacy inside of our classrooms. Take a listen, folks.

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<v Speaker 1>I am very happy to welcome back to wok Afi

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<v Speaker 1>Daily the President of the American Federation of Teachers, Randy Weingarten,

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<v Speaker 1>as we began another school year here in America. Randy,

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<v Speaker 1>it was just the sixtieth anniversary of the March on Washington,

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<v Speaker 1>and you wrote a piece reflecting on your speech and

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<v Speaker 1>your time in Washington, d C. Honoring this really important

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<v Speaker 1>march and day in our nation's history. Just give us

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<v Speaker 1>an idea of your mood and your feelings while you

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<v Speaker 1>were there. At the backdrop of it, you know, there

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<v Speaker 1>was a shooting that took place in Jacksonville, Florida, at

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<v Speaker 1>the hands of a white supremacist that took the lives

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<v Speaker 1>of three black patrons and workers at a general store.

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<v Speaker 2>It was so Look. First off, Daniel, I'm glad to

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<v Speaker 2>be with you, and I'm glad that you do this podcast,

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<v Speaker 2>and I'm glad that you call it what you call

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<v Speaker 2>it in terms of taking back the word woke.

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<v Speaker 1>Thank you.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm a history teacher. I'm also you know, a union president.

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<v Speaker 2>You think back to what happened in sixty three in

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<v Speaker 2>the march and then the backlash after the march, and

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<v Speaker 2>think about what happened after the Obama presidency and the

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<v Speaker 2>backlash after that. Think about what happened after Brown versus

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<v Speaker 2>Board and the backlash after that. I think that what

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<v Speaker 2>we're seeing is that the enabling, the normalizing, and the

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<v Speaker 2>enabling of hate, combined with ready access to guns, particularly

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<v Speaker 2>to weapons of war, create a really dangerous situation, and

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<v Speaker 2>calling it out is really important. Understanding what's going on

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<v Speaker 2>is really important. But the but just like those kids

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<v Speaker 2>in Jacksonville, how many years ago, after that Saturday of

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<v Speaker 2>Fear that was created, you know, after they tried to

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<v Speaker 2>integrate lunch counters and the KKK created that Saturday of

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<v Speaker 2>Fear of the uh Anville fear or March or whatever

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<v Speaker 2>it was called of the KKK uh and they still

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<v Speaker 2>won the kids one they integrated lunch counters. This was

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<v Speaker 2>a commemoration. This was a continuation, not a commemoration, because

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<v Speaker 2>there's so much at stake right now and people are

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<v Speaker 2>awakening to what is at stake. What happened in Jacksonville

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<v Speaker 2>is a heenous crime of a white supremacist murderer, just

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<v Speaker 2>like what happened in Buffalo was a heenous crime of

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<v Speaker 2>a white supremacist murderer. What those supremacists want, what people

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<v Speaker 2>who enable them want, is to bully and silence the

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<v Speaker 2>rest of us who are fighting for freedom and dignity

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<v Speaker 2>and basic humanity for all, particularly those who have been

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<v Speaker 2>discribed against quality and freedom. So I would say that

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<v Speaker 2>we have to hold the families as tight as we

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<v Speaker 2>can in the morning of the deaths of those innocent

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<v Speaker 2>souls and fight on and fight on and fight on

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<v Speaker 2>all at the same time. And yes, that fight includes

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<v Speaker 2>the fight for gun safety and getting assault weapons off

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<v Speaker 2>the streets, which America has done before and can do

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<v Speaker 2>again with courage. But that fight is also the fight

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<v Speaker 2>for freedom and the fight against fear, the fight for

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<v Speaker 2>aspiration and the fight against despair, the fight for solutions

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<v Speaker 2>and the fight against smears, And we have to do

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<v Speaker 2>both at the same time. And so I'm not I

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<v Speaker 2>was devastating and horrible to hear what happened in Jacksonville

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<v Speaker 2>as you're leaving the march, but it has to spur

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<v Speaker 2>us on to more action and to not be silent.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, I want to ask you, both as the

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<v Speaker 1>president and AFT, but also as a former educator yourself,

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<v Speaker 1>what does it mean right now to you and to

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<v Speaker 1>teachers of history that telling the truth is a crime.

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<v Speaker 1>What does it mean to librarians that they're having to

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<v Speaker 1>remove books from shelves that teach children about empathy and

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<v Speaker 1>truth and compassion. Can you explain because for those people

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<v Speaker 1>who don't have kids in the school system, who are

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<v Speaker 1>not as connected, but understand that public education connects us all,

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<v Speaker 1>whether or not we have kids that are in the

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<v Speaker 1>system in this moment or not, what it means to

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<v Speaker 1>live in this place of oppression, silencing, and fear as

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<v Speaker 1>a teacher, a librarian, an administrator in these states.

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<v Speaker 2>So I think what I think you know the answer

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<v Speaker 2>by the way in which you frame the question, which

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<v Speaker 2>is that you know it's terrible, and people are and

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<v Speaker 2>people take great umbrage at it, and it has had

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<v Speaker 2>to a certain effect, the chilling effect that people like

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<v Speaker 2>DeSantis and Abbot want. We see that in polling. But

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<v Speaker 2>what it's not doing is it's not crushing the spirit

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<v Speaker 2>of teachers and librarians. What it's starting to do is

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<v Speaker 2>And this is spoiler alert because I feel pretty optimistic

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<v Speaker 2>that we are going to win. What it's starting to

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<v Speaker 2>do is it's creating activism in a way that we

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<v Speaker 2>didn't have for a while, just like the red for

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<v Speaker 2>ed movement around wages a few years ago and conditions.

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<v Speaker 2>Teachers want what kids need and they know that this

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<v Speaker 2>is impairing kids' education and hurting kids for the long run,

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<v Speaker 2>and they take and they are really pissed about it.

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<v Speaker 2>And the people who and and and it doesn't it

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<v Speaker 2>crosses ideological grounds or or ideal or or ideological lines,

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<v Speaker 2>I guess I should say so. In the Panhandle, for example,

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<v Speaker 2>in Florida, the teachers that had to put tarps across

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<v Speaker 2>the libraries, YEP. A lot of the teachers who teach

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<v Speaker 2>in the Panhandle are Republicans, a lot of them probably

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<v Speaker 2>voters for DeSantis. And they were like, what are you doing.

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<v Speaker 2>This is my library in my classroom that I was

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<v Speaker 2>using these books. I may have usedaw these books for

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<v Speaker 2>five or ten years. All of a suddenly you're banning them.

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<v Speaker 2>Why So, what we're seeing in terms of teachers and

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<v Speaker 2>I think you're seeing this in terms of the mainstream

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<v Speaker 2>as well is that more and more. It is a

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<v Speaker 2>smaller and smaller but very well coordinated and we're very

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<v Speaker 2>well funded group of people who are trying to ban

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<v Speaker 2>books and erase history. And look, I'm not saying that

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<v Speaker 2>they're not powerful. DeSantis is powerful, Abbit is powerful, Huckabee

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<v Speaker 2>is powerful. They also have these, you know, legislators that

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<v Speaker 2>they have now taken control of because of jeremandry. But

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<v Speaker 2>if you look at at polling and you look at

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<v Speaker 2>the reaction, most parents and most teachers hate this, and

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<v Speaker 2>so it's actually activated a generation of people to fight it.

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<v Speaker 2>And so that's why for us, we have handed out

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<v Speaker 2>nine million books in the last few years. By July

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<v Speaker 2>of twenty twenty four, it will be ten million. We're

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<v Speaker 2>working with first book, we're working with others. So think

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<v Speaker 2>about the power of a teacher's union working with its members,

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<v Speaker 2>having these family events all throughout America trying to ban books.

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<v Speaker 2>We are distributing books that have diverse titles that kids

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<v Speaker 2>see themselves in and the other thing. And I'm sure

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<v Speaker 2>that this has gotten me in the crosshairs of the

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<v Speaker 2>right wing. I think this is what triggered them. Two

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<v Speaker 2>years ago, we said to our members, if you teach

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<v Speaker 2>honest history. If you teach history in an authentic way,

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<v Speaker 2>with authentic sources, we're going to expand our our legal

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<v Speaker 2>defense fund, and we're going to represent you, and we're

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<v Speaker 2>going to make sure you are not alone. So you

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<v Speaker 2>have a bunch of things that are now being used

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<v Speaker 2>in terms of activating. You have unions creating community against

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<v Speaker 2>banning books and against the erasure of children. You have

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<v Speaker 2>now people like Moms Rising and Red Wine and Blue

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<v Speaker 2>and lots of other new groups that have been created

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<v Speaker 2>that have said enough, and you're starting to see this

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<v Speaker 2>kind of activism together. The one thing I would say

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<v Speaker 2>to teachers or to librarians who are alone is don't

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<v Speaker 2>act alone. Let's create a community around you. Because the

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<v Speaker 2>world is too divisive and it's too you know, and

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<v Speaker 2>and there's a lot of haters. So let's create that

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<v Speaker 2>community and the connectiveness around you, and let's fight this together.

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<v Speaker 1>I want to switch gears for a moment to talk

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<v Speaker 1>about the rise of COVID that we are seeing right.

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<v Speaker 1>We're seeing lots of headlines about you know, COVID making resurgence,

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<v Speaker 1>not to the extent that it did in prior years,

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<v Speaker 1>but that it's still present. And I saw an article

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<v Speaker 1>about a school that part of their I guess protocol

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<v Speaker 1>now is to keep windows closed because of potential school shootings.

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<v Speaker 2>Right, Okay, it's crazy right to.

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<v Speaker 1>Keep windows closed. Kids don't get fresh air all day

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<v Speaker 1>because we'd rather treat schools like prisons than deal with guns.

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<v Speaker 1>And I wanted to get your thoughts on a how

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<v Speaker 1>you think that schools will deal with you know, the

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<v Speaker 1>the rise in COVID, given the I mean extraordinary backlash

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<v Speaker 1>that we saw, I mean teachers being punched and school

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<v Speaker 1>board meetings going absolutely insane. And this is you know,

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<v Speaker 1>hearkening back to twenty twenty one, but this idea that

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<v Speaker 1>part of protocol in safety is shutting windows in places

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<v Speaker 1>that already lack quality ventilation. So I just wanted to

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<v Speaker 1>get your thoughts on both of those pieces.

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<v Speaker 2>Look, it's completely surreal because what's happening is instead of

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<v Speaker 2>this is what its iss. Kids are not a priority.

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<v Speaker 2>Guns are the priority. Kids are not a priority. So

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<v Speaker 2>if it means that to maintain weapons of war culture

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<v Speaker 2>and not take on that issue, that you're going to

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<v Speaker 2>actually do the exact wrong thing. That helps not only

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<v Speaker 2>kids learn, but what we've learned is that ventilation is

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<v Speaker 2>probably the number one change you can make. Good ventilation

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<v Speaker 2>for any kind of respiratory illness, for any of the

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<v Speaker 2>climate issues that we've seen this summer, when schools are

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<v Speaker 2>one hundred and five, workplaces one hundred and ten, all

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<v Speaker 2>this you need air conditioning. So good ventilation really good

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<v Speaker 2>in terms of respiratory illness, or really good in terms

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<v Speaker 2>of climate issues and weather issues. And frankly for those

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<v Speaker 2>of us who are asmatic or really good in terms

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<v Speaker 2>of those kind of issues too. And a disparate proportion

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<v Speaker 2>of our black and brown kids are asthmadic. So and

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<v Speaker 2>I say that as an asthmatic, So you know, so

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<v Speaker 2>the ventilation that starts with proper air circulation, and if

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<v Speaker 2>you don't have good AC, you know, HVAC systems in

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<v Speaker 2>the school, you've got to open windows and you to

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<v Speaker 2>have a good fan. And so it just says that

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<v Speaker 2>kids are not a priority these and then they turned

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<v Speaker 2>kids and teachers into a pretzel to try to figure

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<v Speaker 2>out how to deal with all of this. But that

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<v Speaker 2>is the irony of that guns are more important, just

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<v Speaker 2>like during COVID, bars and restaurants were more important than

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<v Speaker 2>opening schools. I love when the extremists start telling me

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<v Speaker 2>all about you know what happened in Europe. I mean

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<v Speaker 2>we and I'm really glad Mehdi Hassan just did this.

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<v Speaker 2>He debunked a lot of the myths. Kids got COVID,

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<v Speaker 2>kids were vectors for COVID. There's lots of people who

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<v Speaker 2>died from COVID. There's lots of kids who were orphan

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<v Speaker 2>because their parents died or grandparents died because of COVID.

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<v Speaker 2>But we from April twenty twenty, we're the first ones

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<v Speaker 2>to put out a report that said we need to

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<v Speaker 2>have schools reopened. They're really important, but we need the

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<v Speaker 2>safety measures. You can't do one without the other. You

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<v Speaker 2>need to do both.

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<v Speaker 1>And to have.

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<v Speaker 2>American government led by Trump that prioritized you know, bars

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<v Speaker 2>and restaurants rather than schools, and then say, look at

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<v Speaker 2>what happened in Europe. Well, Europe prioritized schools being opened,

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<v Speaker 2>and we're and the problem, the dilemma right now is

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<v Speaker 2>that because of all the conspiracy theories and all of

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<v Speaker 2>the odjita that happened at the end of COVID, and

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<v Speaker 2>you know, on mass and vaccines and all of this,

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<v Speaker 2>we're not going to have an appropriate or proper public

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<v Speaker 2>health system directing us or guiding us about what to do. So,

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<v Speaker 2>this is what I would say to people, and this

0:17:54.240 --> 0:17:57.920
<v Speaker 2>is what we're doing. Fight like hell to get good

0:17:58.000 --> 0:18:01.360
<v Speaker 2>ventilation in a school. That is the number one thing

0:18:01.440 --> 0:18:04.119
<v Speaker 2>that we can do. And let's make sure that we

0:18:04.160 --> 0:18:07.919
<v Speaker 2>don't stigmatize people who wear masks or who need to

0:18:07.920 --> 0:18:13.640
<v Speaker 2>wear masks. And let's do and try to figure out

0:18:14.000 --> 0:18:17.679
<v Speaker 2>the other mitigating factors that we need, because COVID is

0:18:17.720 --> 0:18:21.480
<v Speaker 2>still a respiratory illness, and we need to make sure

0:18:21.720 --> 0:18:27.000
<v Speaker 2>both COVID rsv all of these respiratory illnesses. We need

0:18:27.040 --> 0:18:29.639
<v Speaker 2>to make sure that we are giving people the best

0:18:29.680 --> 0:18:33.760
<v Speaker 2>guidance for how to protect their health and safety, whether

0:18:33.800 --> 0:18:36.560
<v Speaker 2>it be kids, whether it be teachers, whether it be

0:18:36.640 --> 0:18:38.400
<v Speaker 2>kids families or teachers' families.

0:18:40.560 --> 0:18:44.159
<v Speaker 1>Last question for you, Randy, is this. You know, schools

0:18:44.440 --> 0:18:49.000
<v Speaker 1>like we started out at the top, have always been

0:18:49.440 --> 0:18:53.000
<v Speaker 1>on the front lines for social justice in this country.

0:18:53.119 --> 0:18:57.040
<v Speaker 1>It is they have always been a battleground and for

0:18:57.240 --> 0:19:01.280
<v Speaker 1>people who want to get involved, for people who see

0:19:01.560 --> 0:19:04.720
<v Speaker 1>their school boards being taken over, for people who see

0:19:05.160 --> 0:19:09.520
<v Speaker 1>their teachers fleeing because they no longer want to teach.

0:19:10.040 --> 0:19:13.600
<v Speaker 1>What can regular people who are not necessarily a part

0:19:13.640 --> 0:19:18.119
<v Speaker 1>of AFT. What can they do to support their public schools,

0:19:18.240 --> 0:19:22.399
<v Speaker 1>their communities, their administrators and teachers and students.

0:19:23.119 --> 0:19:28.040
<v Speaker 2>So I would just say there's one there's one recommendation

0:19:28.160 --> 0:19:31.879
<v Speaker 2>I would make, and I want to kind of link

0:19:31.920 --> 0:19:35.240
<v Speaker 2>it to our new campaign, which is just get involved

0:19:35.680 --> 0:19:39.639
<v Speaker 2>in whatever way you can get involved. You know, lots

0:19:39.640 --> 0:19:45.840
<v Speaker 2>of schools have you know, some open something day night

0:19:46.080 --> 0:19:49.800
<v Speaker 2>for community that welcomes community in. Be involved in a

0:19:49.800 --> 0:19:53.720
<v Speaker 2>local school, do some tutoring, do some reading with kids,

0:19:54.200 --> 0:20:01.399
<v Speaker 2>do something that gets involved in the of the community.

0:20:01.800 --> 0:20:04.200
<v Speaker 2>Because the most important thing we can do right now

0:20:04.920 --> 0:20:08.679
<v Speaker 2>is connection and community. That is the most important antidote

0:20:09.040 --> 0:20:13.879
<v Speaker 2>to this hate and division and fear and crossing ideological

0:20:13.920 --> 0:20:17.840
<v Speaker 2>lines and doing the things that really kind of lift

0:20:17.960 --> 0:20:22.160
<v Speaker 2>up communities and lift up kids, and it becomes infectious

0:20:22.200 --> 0:20:24.600
<v Speaker 2>that people then start talking to each other. It doesn't

0:20:24.680 --> 0:20:29.040
<v Speaker 2>matter if they're Republican or Democrat or independent. Most people

0:20:29.119 --> 0:20:35.080
<v Speaker 2>still in America want basic decency and basic humanity. So

0:20:35.400 --> 0:20:39.600
<v Speaker 2>what we've tried to do, and this may sound counterproductive, counterintuitive,

0:20:40.480 --> 0:20:44.560
<v Speaker 2>is that as okay, we're fighting the fights as they

0:20:44.600 --> 0:20:47.080
<v Speaker 2>ban books, we're giving books out as I said before,

0:20:47.160 --> 0:20:50.280
<v Speaker 2>we're fighting to make sure that people can teach honest history.

0:20:50.560 --> 0:20:54.400
<v Speaker 2>But what we're also trying to do is deal with

0:20:54.560 --> 0:21:01.720
<v Speaker 2>the issues of loneliness, learning losses, reading literacy, and bringing

0:21:01.800 --> 0:21:07.240
<v Speaker 2>together really kind of lifting up solutions for the problems

0:21:07.240 --> 0:21:09.639
<v Speaker 2>of families and kids have, for the problems that we

0:21:09.680 --> 0:21:12.880
<v Speaker 2>see all the time, and really trying to lift this up.

0:21:12.920 --> 0:21:16.359
<v Speaker 2>So this whole year we're doing a campaign, you know,

0:21:16.480 --> 0:21:19.800
<v Speaker 2>and how do you deal with loneliness? Let's wrap services

0:21:19.800 --> 0:21:23.840
<v Speaker 2>around schools, and let's together fight these social media companies

0:21:24.040 --> 0:21:27.280
<v Speaker 2>who could in a day deal with and change the

0:21:27.359 --> 0:21:32.480
<v Speaker 2>algorithm and change and they could actually emphasize children's health

0:21:32.760 --> 0:21:35.800
<v Speaker 2>and safety as opposed to making money, and they'd still

0:21:35.800 --> 0:21:38.520
<v Speaker 2>make a lot of money. So parents and teachers together

0:21:38.640 --> 0:21:43.240
<v Speaker 2>are working on telling and pressuring social media companies to

0:21:43.359 --> 0:21:47.040
<v Speaker 2>change their algorithms. We're working on wrapping services around school

0:21:47.280 --> 0:21:50.480
<v Speaker 2>We're actually working to make experience or learning the norm

0:21:50.840 --> 0:21:55.040
<v Speaker 2>career tech ed, giving kids lots of different options, particularly

0:21:55.160 --> 0:21:59.360
<v Speaker 2>as this economy creates more and more new jobs. Why

0:21:59.400 --> 0:22:02.359
<v Speaker 2>aren't we doing that? Stop with the testing, testing, testing,

0:22:02.600 --> 0:22:06.000
<v Speaker 2>Let's actually work with our hands and make schooling fun.

0:22:06.359 --> 0:22:10.240
<v Speaker 2>And then let's really help teachers, help kids how to

0:22:10.320 --> 0:22:13.840
<v Speaker 2>learn to read, so kids have books that they want

0:22:13.880 --> 0:22:16.840
<v Speaker 2>to read. But also what are the tools of the

0:22:16.880 --> 0:22:19.919
<v Speaker 2>trade and doing things like that. So we're really trying

0:22:20.359 --> 0:22:25.080
<v Speaker 2>to get into what are the solutions that transcend ideology.

0:22:25.240 --> 0:22:28.720
<v Speaker 2>What are the things that we can do together as

0:22:28.800 --> 0:22:34.680
<v Speaker 2>a community, because once we do that, these extremists they

0:22:34.720 --> 0:22:40.680
<v Speaker 2>won't they will They only are effective when they can

0:22:40.760 --> 0:22:42.439
<v Speaker 2>create anger and fear.

0:22:43.040 --> 0:22:43.320
<v Speaker 1>Yep.

0:22:43.520 --> 0:22:49.919
<v Speaker 2>And so let's create love and engagement around schools dealing

0:22:49.960 --> 0:22:52.879
<v Speaker 2>with the issues that people really care about.

0:22:53.520 --> 0:22:55.720
<v Speaker 1>I tell you, Randy, every time that I speak to you,

0:22:55.800 --> 0:22:58.000
<v Speaker 1>I say that you're doing the Lord's work and I

0:22:58.080 --> 0:23:03.159
<v Speaker 1>appreciate your leadership and your voice every time that we

0:23:03.240 --> 0:23:06.960
<v Speaker 1>have the opportunity to speak. Thank you for making it

0:23:07.119 --> 0:23:08.600
<v Speaker 1>time to join wok F.

0:23:09.280 --> 0:23:10.919
<v Speaker 2>I'm back at you. Thank you.

0:23:13.119 --> 0:23:16.200
<v Speaker 1>That is it for me today, dear friends on wok

0:23:16.600 --> 0:23:19.960
<v Speaker 1>F as always power to the people and to all

0:23:20.280 --> 0:23:23.680
<v Speaker 1>the people. Power yet woke and stay woke as fuck.