An Endorsement From Nia Hamilton

Nia Hamilton

Collingswood Resident

Intercultural Communication and Racial Justice Scholar

Harvard Graduate School of Education Graduate

I had just received my Masters of Education when I moved to Collingswood, and I remember thinking, “This is the kind of school environment my colleagues have always dreamed about.” Engaged parents, an involved community, and a town-wide discourse about what’s best for students. I was, and still am, eager to learn about public education in Collingswood.

The nature of school funding makes this referendum a complex issue, but one thing I know intuitively is that the Black youth in this community deserve more. They deserve the full attention of our educators and administrators, and they deserve a higher concentration of our resources. They deserve access to more services that will support their learning needs. They deserve a thriving community in which, from a young age, all children are exposed to differences amongst their peers, and are taught to engage with that difference in an open and respectful way.

I don’t believe that integration alone will solve racial discrimination, but I do believe that providing children with the opportunity to engage with a variety of cultures, opinions, and ways of life is the first step. Though the changes will not be simple, I fully believe that the referendum is that step in the right direction, and I’m All In.