GPOC Anti-Racism Statement The Great Plains Orff Chapter believes that inclusion and respect should be at the core of all Orff Schulwerk learning environments, and practiced by our membership both inside and outside of their classrooms. We denounce injustices imposed on any communities of color and particularly condemn violence against Black communities in our country. We stand in solidarity with our Black teachers, Black students, and Black families. We believe #BlackLivesMatter. Anti-racism is an ongoing discussion among GPOC board members, and we will continue to reflect on our own organizational practices as well as systemic racial inequities within our country and local communities. As our awareness of who GPOC is and what we represent evolves, we are dedicated to listening, learning, and acting in ways that support BBIP (Black, Brown, Indigenous People) and all communities of color.
We also acknowledge that personal growth requires reflection, work, and pressing ourselves for change. Confronting truths about ourselves is difficult, but actively taking this journey as a board and chapter is the only way to grow.
Below are resources our board members have found important on their personal journeys, and we encourage you to use them on your own journey.
Books/Articles White Fragility, by Robin DiAngelo; How To Be An Anti-Racist, by Ibram X. Kendi; For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood... and the Rest of Y’all Too: Reality Pedagogy and Urban Education, by Christopher Emdin; First Steps in Global Music, by Karen Howard; Guide for Selecting Anti-Bias Children’s Books https://www.teachingforchange.org/selecting-anti-bias-books ; Narratives of Musical Resilience and the Perpetuation of Whiteness in the Music History Classroom, by Travis Stimeling and Kayla Tokar http://ams-net.org/ojs/index.php/jmhp/article/view/312
