Grounded in the principles and teachings of the Brazilian educational philosopher
Paulo Freire, the Paulo Freire Democratic Project at Chapman University is a group
of critical educators, public intellectuals and community activists who work towards
attaining a more humane, equitable, and just society through critical educational
practices that are anti-racist, anti-sexist, anti-homophobic, anti-gender normative,
and anti-capitalist. As such, we vehemently denounce the abuses inherent in the violent
policing of the Black community and other communities of color. These practices and
those of vigilantes have led to the unjustifiable deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery,
Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Corey Jones, and many others over the years. As Freire
warned, “Engaged in the process of liberation, [we] cannot remain passive in the face
of the oppressor’s violence.”
We stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and other anti-racist groups who demand
that we value the life of every Black person. In recent weeks hundreds of interracial
and intergenerational protests have erupted throughout the country and the world in
support of the victims of police brutality and their families. The purpose of these
protests has been to demand justice and the cessation of police brutality against
Black Americans. We are filled with rage and deeply saddened at the continued loss
of Black lives. However, we are greatly inspired by the boundless courage of Black
people who are, once again, leading the fight for justice in the current global protests.
When one candle is lit, there is hope; when many candles are lit, there is promise.
We call for a dismantling of racism and other systems of oppression that dehumanize
our communities of color, including the prison industrial complex that serves as an
arm of the state to ensure white supremacy and capitalist interests. We argue for
community-based, restorative alternatives to the punitive systems of state repression
represented by the police. We are in support of holistic social programs aimed at
the health, welfare and empowerment of local communities and their development.
James Baldwin once said that, “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing
can be changed until it is faced." We kneel united with our Black brothers and sisters
with compassion and we are committed to face those who deprive them of life and liberty
with steadfast determination. We refuse to be seduced into piecemeal reform once again
or to acquiesce to a gradual decline of tyrannical policing. ¡Basta ya! Enough!
While racism permeates all levels of society, we recognize the roles that class exploitation
within capitalist societies play in perpetuating and sustaining racism, police violence,
extraordinary levels of poverty, underemployment, and homelessness. These must be
attended to through a common ownership of the wealth, goods, services, and economic
means of production. In educational institutions, this means organizing around the
shared democratic means of socially produced knowledge
As educators concerned with the lives and welfare of our students, we also call for
increased support to schools and teachers. This support includes curricular changes
that include critical pedagogy, culturally responsive and sustaining teaching, and
ethnic studies, which affirm cultural diversity and funds of knowledge in communities
of color. It is with conviction that we prepare educators to do the important work
of building respect, understanding, and inclusivity in all young people so that we
can live in a world where diversity is celebrated, and social relations are rooted
in love and dignity for every human being and all life.
The views expressed here are those of the PFDP members and do not represent those
of Chapman University.
