I was disturbed to listen to the racist voice messages and death threats to our school board president Sean Eversley Bradwell and Superintendent Luvelle Brown that were summarized in this recent Ithaca Voice article. I condemn these actions and stand unequivocally with these leaders in the face of these racist threats, attacks, and slurs.

Whether the voice messages came from people within or outside our local community, they are indicative of a pervasive sickness in our culture, one that we need to face and heal. This sickness stems from a myopic focus on “me and mine”, a tribalism that is fundamentally threatened by any kind of otherness.

It is a great injustice in our country that many people of color still feel unsafe to hold positions of leadership or run for and hold public office, whether it be school board, local, state, or federal government. Threats, attacks, intimidation, and slander have systematically contributed to a government that is not fully representative of the people, and has ensured a systemic exclusion from the very institution of our country. A fundamental tenet of our Democracy is “of the people, for the people”. If we are not “of the people”, we are not a Democracy. We need to ensure that the full diversity of voices in our communities are represented in all positions of leadership, as well as electeds on school boards and in local, state, and federal governments. 

There is a long history in our own communities and around the country of holding leaders of color with greater distrust and to a higher standard than white people. This is often unconscious, which makes it all the more insidious and destructive to our culture and society. It takes extra effort to identify our patterns of suspicion, distrust, judgment, and extra scrutiny of ugly truths we’d rather not see, recognizing that systems of oppression are still rampant. The content of these voice messages were examples of this exact pattern of race-based judgment and blame. But with our collective efforts, we can counter racist messages and lead to a more robust and vibrant society. 

What we cannot do is leave the fight for justice and equity, decency, safety and fundamental humanity towards one another to People of Color in our communities. Statements are a small gesture but they are a place to start. As the person who holds the New York State Assembly seat for District 125, it is my responsibility to call out this despicable and unacceptable behavior and state that I will do my part to fight for a safer society.

For anyone in the community who was disturbed by these racist messages and want to take action to create a more inclusive community, there are actions we can all take together. For example, we can get involved with groups working for racial justice, such as Village at Ithaca, the Tompkins County Human Rights Commission, White Allies Against Systemic Racism (WAASR), and Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) or attend an educational program like these Diversity and Inclusion Certificate Programs. We can attend board meetings, raise questions about how diversity and inclusion is being integrated into our institutions, voice our support and celebrate the work and accomplishments of staff of color. We can hold ourselves accountable to make the change we want to see.