In 2024, I was invited to deliver the opening keynote at a back-to-school convocation in Maine. The room was filled with nearly every adult who would serve the district’s children that year, including teachers, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, principals, and district leaders. Months before I took the stage, the superintendent made only one request. She was a Black woman leading a predominantly white school district, and she was deeply concerned about the enormous gaps in academic outcomes between students of color and their white peers. She explained that her teachers were still taking “baby steps” toward examining their own practices and addressing racial inequities. She asked me to be gentle with my comments.
I understood her concerns, and I agreed. But what happened next is something I am still not proud of.