Like lamb and Bordeaux, Barton & Ho pair well with Pace.

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But as teachers, we have a special obligation to stand up for what is right, because more than any other profession, we influence the future. We must take responsibility for the face of the world.

But we might get in trouble! Yes, we might. Many people have gotten in trouble for standing up for what is right. It’s likely to happen again, because we are living through a horrible and dangerous moment in our nation’s history.

“As teachers, we make sure that students learn about all people; we make sure that they see all people as deserving of dignity, respect, and rights; we don’t discriminate in our classrooms—that’s not what we do.” We need to say it, practice it, own it.

What we can do is act as the professionals we are and state our principles clearly and confidently:

But what if someone complains!? Yes, what if? If someone complains about these things—and they might—they are not coming from a place of generosity or humanity or democracy. We probably won’t be able to change their minds, but that’s not our job.

Every action we take or fail to take sends a message, so we must make sure we are sending messages that promote the humanity of all people.

If students never see LGBTQ+ people, or immigrants, or Asian Americans in our books and posters, they will rightfully conclude that we think these people are not important enough to care about.

It’s not enough that we avoid demeaning or stereotypical images, as important as that it, because the messages we send by what we leave out are as important as those we include.

So too for our walls: Our posters must show workers striking and minorities marching and same-sex couples kissing and present-day Native people governing and people in less economically developed countries teaching and laughing and inventing.

(And of course, these books must portray them in respectful and dignified ways, as knowledgeable, insightful, and concerned people who take responsibility for their own lives and who work for the common good.)

These must be stories that both reflect the backgrounds of our students and that expand their understanding and concern to people who may be very different than they are.