Students, teachers and parents walked out of Westlake Middle School and marched to Oakland Unified School District offices to protest its consideration for closure by the district in Oakland, California, on February 1, 2022., a group of students, parents, teachers, and allies united to achieve a historic win in Oakland, California, resulting in the removal of police officers from the Oakland Unified School District. The campaign succeeded after years of Black students being treated unjustly.
The GFR also led to School Safety Officers being renamed “Culture Keepers” and “Culture and Climate Ambassadors.” As per the OUSD board report, “no longer carry handcuffs or wear police symbolism or logos and instead are tasked with “promoting school site safety through relationship building, de-escalation techniques, and the use of trauma-informed restorative practices.”
Oakland set out to bring people together to imagine a better path to safety, security, and Black liberation. It chose a path that has started to reimagine the purpose of schools: supporting all students to learn, thrive, and be safe. The Oakland model provides lessons for school districts across the country to look for ways to advance racial equity and support all young people to succeed.
The George Floyd Resolution is a manifestation of what the community has always known: We must invest in spaces of creativity, joy, and connection for young people. Our children thrive when we center violence prevention and mental health support, and work alongside the community to co-create learning environments that welcome the whole person.