On Friday, City Councilors Michael Flaherty and Ed Flynn released a joint statement about recent incidents at Condon Community School involving live ammunition + swastikas and the principal’s response to the incidents. Faculty and staff of the Condon have responded with their own statement and video.
Although the staff’s statement does not address the recent incident specifically, it does mention racism within the school, within the community and within the district. The statement also confirms the staff’s commitment and dedication to helping those unlearn racist behaviors.
Read the statement below:
We are the Condon staff! We represent the voices that have been fighting the true struggle with racism from within these walls, within this community, within this district. Historically, we have not been a school to practice transparency. We lacked the will, courage and means to tackle things directly.
We have made a commitment to the work the district has asked of us. Once we began our journey we were quickly met with resistance and hatred. Hatred from fellow staff, resistance from the district and dismissiveness from this community.
We have chosen to share our truth, to no longer wait to be handed a mic. To disrupt a system that abuses its power to harm and belittle our community. The recent narrative presented in the media and by city
counselors portray our student community as violent and damaged, our staff as incompetent and neglectful, and our school community as unsafe. Within the last two years, our school community has criticism for our anti-racist work, our black and brown staff and students have been at the center of inequity and racial prejudice by individuals within and outside our school.
South Boston is a community made up of students from all cultural, racial, and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Our diversity is our collective strength. We are here to reclaim our power. We still believe that unlearning racist harmful behaviors can be accomplished through unified commitment and dedication.
Maureen Dahill is the editor of Caught in Southie and a lifelong resident of South Boston sometimes mistaken for a yuppie. Co-host of Caught Up, storyteller, lover of red wine and binge watching TV series. Mrs. Peter G. Follow her @MaureenCaught.
A commitment to work on unlearning racisms is honorable and need. I support this effort. Kay Walsh
There is not even one single, specific (or even vague, for that matter) example provided as to how the “…school community has criticism …” (?)…
This whole thing reeks of “cover-up”, in my opinion. The 2 City Councillor (and, yes, they do hale from this neighborhood, giving them more than enough right and reason to be concerned, regardless of their jobs) who expressed dissatisfaction with the (lack of) response were instantly castigated and dismissed and their remarks labeled as “inflammatory”. Which (and who knew?) is apparently just one of the many, many ways to say “Mind ya business, White man. Nothing to see here.” Unfortunately the City, at this point in time, is being ruled by a divisive, virtue-signaling tyrant who is every bit as willing and able as these so-called “disgruntled” staff to broom this away as just the latest example of “White problems”.
P.S. I pray to God that the person (can I still say “person”? Is that ok? ) wrote that…that…whatever it is…is NOT an English teacher. Yikes.
It’s all Ray Flynn’s fault. He caved into the multicultural pressure and Southie has never been the same. Too bad we didn’t clone Louise Hicks and Jimmy Kelly 25 years ago. It’s all ova folks.