“Systemic racism” and “equity,” Fuller noted, have become catchall phrases that aren’t backed by facts. “Everything is ‘equity’: hashtag, buzzword, catchall, equity. But if you say you’re against it, who wants to say they’re against equity?”
“The problem with ‘systemic racism’ in ACPS is that it is so often used as rhetoric, yet nobody ever points to actual data or specific examples. In fact, everything about ACPS points to the contrary,” Fuller said. “It’s almost like ‘systemic racism’ is being used as a shield to protect the failure of leadership to the point that nobody can challenge their decisions for fear of being labeled a racist. It has a definite chilling effect, but people see right through it.”
Fuller recalled deciding she had had enough of ACPS’s agenda when, watching a school board meeting, she observed members of the board and the superintendent wearing “We’re on an antiracist journey” T-shirts. “Who is ‘we’? Do I need ACPS to teach me and my kids not to be racist? Or is that my job and the job of my faith community?” she asked. “Even better, why don’t we just teach our students to love all people?”
Fuller and another concerned ACPS parent, Elizabeth Seltzer, started a Facebook group called “Agenda Free ACPS” for others who share their concerns.