Author: Reggie Jackson

“One is astonished in the study of history at the recurrence of the idea that evil must be forgotten, distorted, dimmed over. We must not remember that Daniel Webster got drunk but only remember that he was a splendid constitutional lawyer. We must forget that George Washington was a slave owner… and simply remember the things we regard as creditable and inspiring. The difficulty, of course, with this philosophy is that history loses its value as an incentive and example; it paints perfect men and noble nations, but it does not tell the truth.” – W.E.B. DuBois, Black Reconstruction...

“Supporting our LGBTQ students and staff does not ‘infringe’ on the rights on anyone else … it just assures that all rights are being supported … not just those of a vocal group.” – Carrie Kummrow, President of the Education Association of Waukesha Recently, special education kindergarten teacher Sarah Whaley, a teacher in Waukesha, was suspending for a day without pay because she refused to take down a pride flag she had in her classroom. The School District of Waukesha sent out an email to all staff on August 20 saying: Our classroom environments need to be engaging, reflect...

One of the shifts taking place in equity work and conversations is a shift away from strictly talking about racism to include much more inclusive types of marginalization and discrimination. I find that there are two main reasons for this shift. The first of these makes perfect sense. There are more forms of discrimination than just anti-Black racism in American society. Those other marginalized and horribly treated communities are making their voices heard and are openly telling their stories. I am glad we are addressing all of those other things in a way that we never have before. Secondarily...

I took a strange, but satisfying journey off the grid over the past eight days. I confused my wife and friends by saying I wanted to be off the grid, meaning that I would stay disconnected from television, the internet, and my phone. I did not talk to anyone other than my mother, my wife, my daughter and my mother in-law on the phone. I did not answer emails. I had an ill advised out of office reply to my emails that sent emails to basically everyone who has emailed me over the past two years. It was embarrassing...