“Regardless of where we teach, we all deal with Black students and the inequities that they face,” McKnight said. “I think the community and the students need to know that we’re here for them.”
A Live DJ, choreographed dance, emotional and powerful poetry readings, speakers and voter registration all took place during the event that lasted about two hours.
Officer involved in Breonna Taylor shooting to be fired
One teacher who came forward to address the crowd, Dianna Outten, was the former high school teacher of the Louisville woman, Breonna Taylor, who was shot eight times by officers who burst into her home using a no-knock warrant during a March 13 narcotics investigation. No drugs were found at her home.
Outten grew up in Tipp City and in 2009, began her first year of teaching at a high school in Louisville where she met the then 10th grade Taylor.
“Working with students, they really are your students forever,” Outten said. You go into education because you want to be their advocates and you want to stand for them … To watch somebody that you knew growing up — you have a snapshot of their innocence — and then you see that their light has gone out, that their life force is gone.”
Saturday’s crowd was completely silent as Outten recalled having Taylor as as student.
“I haven’t really wanted to say too much because it’s about Breonna, it’s about her,” Outten said. “This happening time and time again, and we know it’s happening and we see it’s happening. … If people who can do something, don’t do something, then nothing is going to change.”
The Dayton Alumni Chapter and Montgomery Chapter of the international public service sorority, Delta Sigma Theta, set up a table at the event, as well as other recent local protests, to encourage voter registration and motivate people to complete the 2020 census.
Dayton reviewing complaints about police actions during protests
Delta Sigma Theta is a non-partisan organization.
“We don’t talk about who to vote for, we just encourage people to vote and exercise that right,” said Lillian Drakeford, the DST Dayton Alumni Chapter social action chairperson. “Voting is your voice and if you choose to not vote … you’re saying you pretty much don’t care what happens and nobody should really feel that way because democracy only works when people make it work.”
Drakeford, also a retired Dayton Public Schools teacher of 38 years, was among the crowd of about 150 attendees Saturday, many active and retired local teachers themselves.
Saturday attendee, Marie Taylor, is the principal of Horizon Science Academy in Cincinnati, but said her roots are in Dayton as she grew up in Jefferson Twp. and began her career in the Dayton Public Schools system.
“Dayton is home,” Taylor said. “I just felt like anywhere there’s a need for educators, I want to be here to support no matter where we are.”
Family of Beavercreek Marine killed 35 years ago finds grave vandalized
The need for fairer funding in the education system was a consistent message among teachers at the rally.
“Funding is a big thing, and it needs to be fair funding. Some school districts get more money than others, so they have more resources than other students. I think it just needs to be fair equity across the board. … If I was in a different school district that’s not an urban school district, we don’t get a lot of funding. I think we need to look at that and be consistent with that.”
Thompson echoed Taylor in fairer funding being an essential move towards equity and added that educators have a responsibility to their students right now.
“Black Americans are facing so many different obstacles right now and our students are a part of that,” Thompson said. “So this event is to always show our students we are going to be your voice. If you can’t speak, we will speak for you.”
About the Author