Teachers at Garfield HS holding ‘Black Lives Matter at School’ rally

Teachers at Seattle’s Garfield High School will hold a rally in front of the school in support of the “Black Lives Matter at School” week.

Teachers will be wearing Black Lives Matter shirts, holding signs and banners Monday at 12:20 p.m.

This week, teachers will be giving students lessons about “structural racism, intersectional black identities, black history, and anti-racist movements for a nationally organized week of action,” according to a news release.

The Seattle School Board endorsed the Black Lives Matter at School week of action.

In a resolution passed on Wednesday, the board wrote:

“Historically, when black people have fought for a more democratic society, the lives of all people have improved and, conversely, each time barriers to black people’s potential have been erected, our whole society has suffered. This resolution makes the unequivocal declaration from the School Board that the lives of our black students matter, as well as the lives of all of our students of color. It also encourages participation district-wide in the Black Lives Matter At School Week from February 5-9. This week is being recognized by educators nationwide as an opportunity to promote racial justice and identity safety in classrooms.”

“The school-to-prison-pipeline is real,” said Seattle educator and attorney Nikkita Oliver. “It extends across this country and is certainly a destructive force right here in the Seattle education system. The Black Lives Matter at School movement is about dismantling the school-to-prison-pipeline and creating a school-to-justice-pipeline for our youth.”

Teachers in cities including Philadelphia, New York City, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Boston, and others are participating as well.