North Cook News

Evanston/Skokie District 65 Superintendent Devon Horton, who recently came under fire for calling parents white supremacists, discussed racism and white supremacy in an email to students and parents in the community.

Horton said during the most recent video that was part of a video series called “Conversations with the Superintendent” that white supremacy and racism go hand-in-hand. He said his emails with parents where he called them white supremacists were mischaracterized.

“This discussion reflected on the mischaracterization of an email exchange between myself and a parent last week as reported in local publications and to discuss the language that was used, its historical context, and how we as a community can lean into critical inquiry and community connection when discomfort is experienced,” Horton said. “This includes educating ourselves about language and words that trigger feelings and experiences of racism.”

Horton said in the video he also discussed how white supremacy and racism go hand-in-hand. He also discussed how to grow and expand awareness and understanding when it comes to that.

“This is the work we are committed to doing every day in 65,” Horton said in the email. “We know that there are struggles and confusion in understanding why schools are not open.”

Horton said he wasn’t calling the parents white supremacists and that was something he wanted to clarify.

“To be very clear, we are not saying that anyone who wants schools open or advocates for their needs is a white supremacist,” Horton said. “We are saying that the way some people are advocating is causing incredible harm and is rooted in white supremacy.”

Horton sad the community needed to have a hard conversation about the issue and be willing to “lean into discomfort” to be committed to achieving equality.

Last week, parents were frustrated with schools not reopening for in-person learning yet and sent emails to Horton.

Horton, who is Black, responded to a parent’s email saying that COVID-19 was negatively impacting people of color more than white people and, because of that, he was not going to reopen schools and risk a single student contracting the coronavirus.

“In the world that we live in, I’m sure that you have not had to reflect on your white supremist (sic) thinking and way of life,” Horton wrote in the email. “White Supremacy is no longer the white hooded villain attempting to cause physical harm. You make personal attacks towards me because we are not giving you what you want. I suggest you look in the mirror and reflect on who you are and how you are presenting yourself to an African American leader. I refuse to sit back and be assaulted about my decision making to not return to in person learning especially when the undertone is outright racists.”