Standing With Our Community

On Sunday, local high school students led a march from downtown to the Capitol to call for change in our city and across the country. This came at the end of a week that challenged and tested us as individuals and as a community. On Tuesday, July 5, Alton Sterling, a father of five, was fatally shot by a Baton Rouge police officer. In the days that followed, we witnessed the tragic impact Sterling’s death had on his family and his community — as well as the country, with additional tragedies in St. Paul and Dallas. We also faced hard questions about racial divisions in our city and our nation. Sadly, this is a divide our organization is all too familiar with: most simply, Black children who live north of Florida Boulevard do not have the same educational opportunities as their peers in other parts of the parish. We also know families in North Baton Rouge do not have access to resources many of us take for granted, something as basic as a neighborhood grocery store. As much as we love and are inspired by our city and its people, we are profoundly aware that Baton Rouge falls short of its potential when its residents experience daily hardships and gross inequities because of the color of their skin.

We are hurting because our community is hurting. Over the past week, our team members and I have spent time with pastors, community members, school leaders and friends to try to make sense of what has happened and to listen. We are deeply saddened and troubled by the pain, fear, and injustice people feel. Frankly, we have a lot of difficult conversations ahead and a lot of work to do before our city can heal. But the student march on Sunday gave comfort that through such tragedy, there is hope.

Every day, our team dedicates itself to improving the lives of kids and families by ensuring there are great school options available to every child regardless of in which zip code they live. Education will not fix everything, but that is where we know how to start. We stand with our community in this time, and we remain committed to Baton Rouge as it moves to a path of healing and becomes stronger, together.