Monday Morning Mantra

This is read before announcements every Monday at Mercer Island High School:

We acknowledge that we occupy the ancestral lands of the Coast Salish Peoples, in particular the Duwamish and Snoqualmie Tribes who lived here for many generations and who continue to be systematically erased by the policies and practices that remove their histories from this place. We see you, respect your right to sovereignty and self-determination, and are committed to being better listeners, learners, and in lifting indigenous voices. We want to recognize that the United States was built off the stolen labor of kidnapped Africans and enslaved Black people’s work, which created the profits that created our nation. We need to acknowledge systemic racism, and how over time the injustices have changed but our nation’s original sin remains the same. We also recognize that the United States was built on the labor of immigrants from around the world. For four hundred years, immigrants have sought the American Dream of a better life, and their hard work has made the United States a global power, economically and politically. We should acknowledge and understand our nation’s history of injustices and our nation’s enduring founding principles—equality, liberty, and opportunity. Today, let’s strive to have productive discussions and push for the real change needed to make these principles true for all.

It can be summarized:

Hey, kids! Odds are, you’re all card-carrying racists - congrats on that birth certificate! You’re squatting on stolen land, and your mere existence is a middle finger to the indigenous ghosts we’ve scrubbed from the history books. Systemic racism? That’s the blood in America’s veins, and you’re the heartbeat. Immigrants are the heroes - except your great-grandpa who probably held the deed to this theft. Have a stellar day, you privileged little bigots!