Read MoreHistorians have found that most sundown towns deliberately hid the means by which they became and remained all-white. Apart from oral histories, there are often few archival records that describe precisely how sundown towns excluded Blacks. Laws and policies that enforced racial exclusion have largely disappeared, but de facto sundown towns existed into the 1980s, and some may still be in evidence today.
Read MoreHistorians have found that most sundown towns deliberately hid the means by which they became and remained all-white. Apart from oral histories, there are often few archival records that describe precisely how sundown towns excluded Blacks. Laws and policies that enforced racial exclusion have largely disappeared, but de facto sundown towns existed into the 1980s, and some may still be in evidence today.
José Castro is a native Puerto Rican teacher and librarian with a Master of Information and Library Sciences from the University of Puerto Rico and a Bachelor of Secondary Education. José is also a human rights activist. He is passionate about serving underserved communities, and has worked with local Kitsap communities, including Latinx, as well as educational and library institutions in Puerto Rico. José is also an avid outdoors enthusiast who loves backpacking, camping, and hiking. He came to Washington in 2017 after a natural disaster in Puerto Rico, where he lived for 34 years. The Kitsap community has adopted him since his arrival.
Read MoreJosé Castro is a native Puerto Rican teacher and librarian with a Master of Information and Library Sciences from the University of Puerto Rico and a Bachelor of Secondary Education. José is also a human rights activist. He is passionate about serving underserved communities, and has worked with local Kitsap communities, including Latinx, as well as educational and library institutions in Puerto Rico. José is also an avid outdoors enthusiast who loves backpacking, camping, and hiking. He came to Washington in 2017 after a natural disaster in Puerto Rico, where he lived for 34 years. The Kitsap community has adopted him since his arrival.
Read MoreThe truth is that in American society’s democratic ideal, public schools are for everyone. Even though the reality is that public schools were designed with a narrower focus on serving the white and wealthy, it is very clear now that this is not the goal. Public schools are one of the few spaces, along with public libraries, where American society at all socioeconomic levels, racial/ethnic identities, and abilities are welcome to learn without an expectation of spending money.
Read MoreThe truth is that in American society’s democratic ideal, public schools are for everyone. Even though the reality is that public schools were designed with a narrower focus on serving the white and wealthy, it is very clear now that this is not the goal. Public schools are one of the few spaces, along with public libraries, where American society at all socioeconomic levels, racial/ethnic identities, and abilities are welcome to learn without an expectation of spending money.
Read MoreRead MoreMientras escribo esto, estoy sentado aquí pensando ¿cuándo terminará el racismo? ¿Qué va a hacer falta? Desde mi primer día en el jardín de infantes, me sentí diferente. No sabía inglés, siempre era el último en aprenderlo todo. Mis padres no tenían el típico trabajo estadounidense. Mis padres no eran abogados, médicos ni maestros, mi papá es paisajista y mi mamá limpiaba casas.
