Our Statement Regarding the Governor's Executive Orders
To the supporters and community of The Listening,
As you all know, the newly elected Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia was sworn in last month. Out of the eleven executive actions that he signed, two of them are directly related to education. As you know, our programming includes creative and performance writing, as it relates to poetry, and reading enrichment. Chiefly, our main educational programming is our Freedom School program, which has been operating during the summer months since 2019.
We found it necessary to address these Executive Order publicly, because as we aspire to align ourselves with community-centric fundraising action, transparency is key. These items hold implication into how we manage our programs and keep our children safe. We also want to create an avenue for dialogue with any of the families, scholars, artists or supporters that are connected with us. It’s in our name - we are here to LISTEN.
Regarding Executive Order Number One, K-12 public education is to “end the use of inherently divisive concepts, including Critical Race Theory, and to raise academic standards”. As The Listening operates as an incorporated tax-exempt nonprofit organization, we are not under this designation of public education. At the same time, many of the scholars that participate in our Freedom School program during the summer are.
Our goal has always been to supplement the education they receive, whether public or private, and we do this in partnership with the Children’s Defense Fund. With their support and training, our Servant Leader Interns lead intentional conversations with our scholars based on weekly themes of making a difference in ourselves, our families, our communities, our country and our world through hope, education and action. The Listening, as does all Freedom School sites across the country, agree with CDF’s description, copied here:
“By providing K-12 scholars with rich, culturally relevant pedagogy and high quality books that deepen scholars’ understanding of themselves and all they have in common with others in a multiracial, multicultural democratic society, CDF Freedom Schools programs further empowers scholars to believe in their ability and responsibility to make a difference while instilling in them a love of reading to help them avoid summer learning loss.”
While we do agree with the Governor’s statement that “political indoctrination has no place in our classrooms” and “our educational system should be built on teaching our students how to think for themselves”, we want to add that our history in this country also deserves a critical analysis. Our duty is to serve our community, especially those who may not have access to the literature and narratives that may not be present in their classrooms. Once again, our goal is not to replace or contend with, but to supplement. Our young people have thoughts and questions, and while we may not have the answers, we want to join them in pursuit of solutions and LISTEN to them.
To quote Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.”
Regarding Executive Order Number Two, affirms the “rights of parents in the upbringing, education, and care of their children”. As a nonprofit, The Listening does not belong to any one person; our mission, vision and overall goals are reflective of the community that we belong to. This includes families and parents, as much as it does poets, dancers, students, singers, activists, advocates and allies. With a creative community as dynamic and broad as ours, safety is paramount.
We are an organization that thrives on connection. Since our beginnings as a small gathering in a local coffeeshop to session of vulnerability and community conversations with creativity as it’s catalyst, The Listening is truly only as healthy as it’s people. With this in mind, we will continue to encourage that our community members pursue safety and that we abide by this pursuit - even if it benefits others more than it benefits ourselves. We echo this commitment mentally, socially, emotionally and physically. When gathering in our open mic sessions, workshops or during our upcoming Freedom School 2022 season, masks will be encouraged or required, depending on recommendations from the Center for Disease Control (CDC). If health, cultural or spiritual reasons permit, please contact us by email so we may learn more about your circumstance.
We look forward to continuously serving our community.