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Board reads Black Lives Matter at School Week proclamation
Summary
The Olympia School District board read a Black Lives Matter at School Week proclamation that outlines support for the national week of action and asks district staff and community to use the movement's 13 guiding principles; the text was read aloud but no formal vote to adopt was recorded in the transcript.
The Olympia School District Board of Directors read aloud a proclamation supporting the national Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action for Feb. 3–7, 2025, during its Jan. 23 regular meeting.
The proclamation, read in parts by board members and student representatives, states that “students have the right to live unapologetically Black” and calls on district staff to teach with resources and professional learning grounded in the 13 guiding principles of Black Lives Matter at School. It names district student outcome No. 4 — that “our students will have the skills, knowledge, and courage to identify and confront personal, systematic, and societal bias” — as aligned with the national demands of the week.
The document includes a series of “whereas” statements citing the district’s recognition of institutional racism affecting Black students, families and staff and affirms a commitment to restorative justice, culturally relevant curriculum, diversifying the educator workforce and increasing counseling and student support services. The proclamation text also urges educators, students, families and staff to incorporate the movement’s guiding principles “all year long” and to teach Black Lives Matter lessons aligned with Washington state learning standards.
President Kliffthorn introduced the item and said the proclamation has been included in district practice for many years and that some community members have asked the board to reconsider or amend it. Kliffthorn said critiques that the proclamation is “performative” should be addressed by continuing the district’s work on racial justice, not by dropping the proclamation.
The transcript records the full reading of the proclamation; it does not record a separate motion or roll-call vote to formally adopt or approve the proclamation during the portion of the meeting provided. The proclamation text itself includes the phrase “That the board of directors of Olympia School District number 111, Thurston County, Olympia, Washington, endorses and encourages our community to participate in the Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action to be held February 3 to 02/07/2025,” but the transcript does not show an explicit board vote on that language.
Board members and presenters acknowledged teaching and learning staff for preparing materials and rolling out resources connected to the proclamation.
The proclamation reading was followed by the superintendent’s report and the board’s outcome-monitoring presentation on academics and postsecondary readiness.
