Letter to the editor: Headline takes focus away from Amplifying Black Voices survey findings

I am writing, on behalf of the “Amplifying Black Voices on Education Equity in Evanston” research team and our project allies, in response to the article titled “Survey: Most Black residents still distrust local school districts” written by Duncan Agnew in the Evanston RoundTable.

I initially thought that seeing local media cover a story concerning marginalized community voices was a positive step. Let’s face it … marginalized voices struggle to be heard and even when heard, we are often at the mercy of those in power for any real action to be taken. However, upon deeper reflection, I came to realize that while the title of the article may serve to capture the attention of the public, it actually has harmful repercussions.

The title sounds an alarm but does little to invite readers to have thoughtful dialogue on what was shared by Black community survey respondents, which I believe should be the primary goal. The title does not further the process of learning from the insight and nuances conveyed by the Black community. Yes, I acknowledge there are folks who distrust the district and want to see the district do more. Evanston RoundTable has published numerous articles that highlight disapproval of the district. The article title may yield clicks, but it takes the focus away from what was shared about ways to improve the educational experiences of Black students and their families.

Furthermore, the optics are even more troubling, with cherry-picked data from a presentation by Dr. kihana miraya ross and Sarita Smith, who are both Black women, seemingly utilized to launch an attack on School District 65 and Superintendent Dr. Devon Horton, a Black man. As a Black man myself, my heart aches watching this unfold, especially knowing the actual professional interactions between these parties who are all working toward the same goal of improving educational equity in Evanston.

I am not a linguistics expert, however I am sure that there are more appropriate title choices to communicate the survey findings. I love the inclusion of some observations in the article, such as the fact that the data reveals a strong desire from the Black community for a STEAM focus and to see Black history and culture meaningfully included in the curriculum throughout the year. However, these positive takeaways from the survey would have been better served by not being so buried in the article or overshadowed by a controversial title.

Henry Wilkins II,
founder STEM School Evanston