Shocking: Survey shows most boards in classrooms are white

In one of the most comprehensive educational studies in recent memory, over 5,000 classroom teachers nationwide were asked “What color is the board you write on in your room?” The results show a disturbing trend. The vast majority of writing boards in American schools are white.

The shocking results have spurred a grassroots movement for better representation for boards of color. One group of 30 public school librarians from ten different states has formed Blackboards Matter, a particularly vocal advocacy group for change.

The group’s spokesperson, proud NEA member George Aries (she/they), wrote a letter to they congressperson, Hasmaedala Bin Jewasniaki of Maine, demanding that “historically marginalized boards, especially those of black color but not limited to them because we support all boards of color equally, like green, be written on, not written off!”

In a hastily scribbled response using what appears to be Expo marker, Congressperson Jewasniaki expressed a lack of confidence in his/her colleagues’ ability to get anything done about this issue under the current administration. According to Jewasniaki, “Funds for such important work as this have been diverted towards things like improving reading and math now that the Department of Education is being disolved. We may have to wait until more sensible adults run the country again.”

Aries says that Blackboards Matter will continue to fight for safe and inclusive spaces for blackboards. “Chalk this one up to experience,” they said. “It’ll just make us stronger. We/us have to keep fighting. We will not rest until we/us see equal representation in our schools. We will not be silenced. Neither will us.”

According to Quill Reed (zhe, zher), a member of Blackboards Matter (BM), “Studies show that students learn better when their skin color is represented across the board. If 98% of boards are white, imagine what that does to kids with darker non-racist skin.” Ms. Reed went on to explain that zhe and zher’s colleagues are pushing hard to have a better BM, to do the really important work of activism in our schools and to change outdated perceptions that schools should prioritize learning over feelings.

“This just goes to show why the fight against colonialism and the patriarchy is so important and why we must get rid of the nuclear family” said Ms. Reed.

I reached out to conservative educators for a response to the actions and policy positions of BM. So far no one has answered. One retired teacher with conservative leanings told me on the condition of anonymity that teachers may fear reprisal from Blackboards Matter and similar groups, like the Coalition for Black Ink. “Once you speak out, you get labled. And you know, labels hurt,” he said.

Ms. Reed, arguing for ways to have a better BM, suggested, “This study has many implications for the direction Blackboards Matter could go. For instance, what if we not only had more black and green boards, but what if we had them to match each and every child’s skin tone? Not only that, but we could also match paper to students’ skin colors as well. Then, and only then, will they feel like they really belong at school and be free to explore their sexuality without worrying about stuffy parental interference.”

I asked, “Would it be possible to team up with Home Depot or some place where you bring kids in and have them match a paint for each kids skin color and then we could like order paper based on that color for each kid?”

“Capitalist,” was zher’s response.

The study was conducted by Mark Er and published in Educator Weakly. Here is a summary of the answers to the question, “What color is the board you write on in your room?”

Margin of error, 6 inches.