Ms. Kincaid, a parent-volunteer at Del Paso Elementary school in Sacramento, California, recently taught a lesson about the art and activism that occurs in communities and in schools. She encouraged students to create a poster detailing a cause they care about. Four students at the school chose to create art in support of Black Lives Matter. But, when the classroom teacher, Mr. Madden, saw these projects, he thought them to be too political, and he threw one of the student's projects away. 

When Ms. Kincaid spoke to school authorities about Mr. Madden’s decision to throw out the students’ projects, the school principal and other administrators not only supported the Mr. Madden’s decision, but also banned Ms. Kincaid from being an art docent.

Throwing out students’ Black Lives Matter projects sends a message to Black children and other children at California schools that Black people’s dignity and humanity is not important. It also sends a message to the students that they should be ashamed of Black Lives Matter. But students should not be shamed for supporting Black Lives Matter; they should be encouraged!

In collaboration with other civil rights orgs, we demand that the school:

• Issues a public apology;
• Reinstate Ms. Kincaid’s the parent volunteer’s privileges as a parent volunteer;
• Allow students to put up their Black Lives Matter posters;
• Incorporate Black Lives Matter into their curriculum and school events;
• Provide cultural and sensitivity training for staff, and,
• Host parent engagement training.

Stand with the students of Del Paso Elementary School against efforts to silence their support of the Black Lives Matter.

Here is the Petition:

To Kent Kern,

We are writing to demand an end to the school district’s censorship of four students’ Black Lives Matter posters and the censorship of parent volunteers who want to speak about Black Lives Matter. Per the California education code, it is both illegal and immoral to prohibit students from speaking on subjects that affect their lives.

To remedy this situation, we ask that the school district issue a public apology to the students and Ms. Kincaid, the parent volunteer who led the project. In addition, we ask that you:

• Reinstate the parent volunteer’s privileges;
• Allow students to put up their Black Lives Matter posters;
• Incorporate Black Lives Matter into the curriculum and school events;
• Provide cultural and sensitivity training for staff; and,
• Host parent engagement trainings to ensure a situation like this does not occur again.