Dear FoCA Community,
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd’s death at the hands of the police sparked a rallying cry for racial justice in Philadelphia, across the United States and throughout the world. We mourn the senseless deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade and every Black person whose life has been taken as a result of systemic racism and police brutality.
The groundswell of concern demands that we re-examine who we are as a country and has challenged people of all races to understand the experience of being Black in America. From Philadelphia to communities across the world, we are not remaining silent. We are saying loudly and decisively to our Black parents, students and community residents, “WE HEAR YOU.”
The Friends of Chester Arthur stand with protestors demanding justice and equity in our society. Black Lives Matter. Today and every day. It is not enough to acknowledge this statement as true. We must create a community in which Black lives have abundant support, space, and resources to thrive and flourish. It is FoCA‘s mission to foster an engaging, safe and robust learning environment for Arthur’s students, the majority of whom are Black. In fulfilling our mission, we must remain aware that structural racism and inequities remain prominent in our education system both locally and nationally. It is thus of the utmost importance that FoCA and our Chester Arthur community continue to learn and grow together to create an environment in which our Black students at Arthur not only succeed but thrive.
There is tremendous work to be done. FoCA is committed to speaking up and creating spaces for our Black parents, children and community residents to feel safe, supported and included. We welcome you to share with us your thoughts, experiences and suggestions, which will help ensure our efforts are in the spirit of anti-racism and our organization remains open to all members of our community. FoCA can be reached at arthurschoolgroup@gmail.com.
Sincerely,
Shannon Braden and Leigh Botwinik
co-Presidents, Friends of Chester Arthur
Jason Miller, Secretary
Keola Harrington, Treasurer
Brad Baer, Director
Noah Buboltz, Director
Michael Burlando, Director
John Diston, Director
Dan Harris, Director
Matt Katz, Director
Rebecca Lacher, Director
Hannah Ryan, Director
Debra Serota, Director
Timothy Spreitzer, Director
Amy Sutter, Director
Dr. Mary Libby, Principal & Ex-Officio Director