Photo by Obi Onyeador on Unsplash

by Robyn Kravitz

To our Prince George’s County family,

Here at Prince George’s County Advocates for Better Schools (PGCABS), we have made the intentional decision to provide facts, to provide primary sources, and to help provide tools so you can advocate for what you feel is best for your student(s), your family, and your community. We haven’t endorsed individuals; we endorse ideas. We endorse giving equitable opportunities for all voices to rise. And we endorse our community.

We are united in the belief that every child has the right to a quality education and every family has the right to be heard. Right now, we are grieving, we are scared, we are empowered, we are one community. On the eve of the primary election, I am sitting in my dining room listening to sirens. I am tracking snap chat and twitter. I want to help my community right now. Should I stay in? Should I go out and be a body for change? But instead, I sit here. Not sure what to say and not sure what advice to offer. So much feels broken. So much is inspiring. The news feels scary. And I can’t hug my friends.

I hope everyone has voted in this primary election and plans to vote in November. Despite the turmoil, the government is still pushing forward. Progress is still happening. As community members, we all must stay engaged and vocal. There are so many initiatives both small and large that we will feel the effects of for years and generations to come. We must stay engaged over the Kirwan Commission recommendations. Conversations around restorative practices and the school-to-prison pipeline need our engagement and our voices.

While I am grieving George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and all of those who have suffered at the hands of the police, I am looking for ways to honor their lives. My heart tells me that I can use the passion, the anger, the sadness, and all other other emotions I’m experiencing to stay engaged with our school system. I won’t stop working toward an equitable education for all in our county. I hope you’ll join us.

In community,

Robyn Kravitz, PGCABS Chair