Los Angeles Rams nose tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day published an op-ed on Medium demanding equal education for all children regardless of race or economic status. As an active member of Players Coalition, Joseph-Day discusses the relationship between the lack of educational funding in low-income communities and systemic oppression. He urges the United States Senate and the Administration to team up with the House to pass the HEROES provisions to address education inequities and the digital divide.
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Joseph-Day wrote, “This past week has been a tough one for the African-American community and in America as a whole. I’ve been thinking long and hard about the systemic oppression that has consumed this country…What this country fails to realize is that systemic oppression is so deep that it is running within our school systems. The fact is, low-income communities are not getting the same amount of resources and opportunities that other schools are getting.”
COVID-19 has not made closing the educational gap any easier. Schools across the nation have turned to using online platforms to teach children of all ages. Joseph-Day points out that before the coronavirus outbreak nonwhite school districts already receive $23 Billion less than white districts and now that students are at home, children from low-income communities do not have access to the same learning resources.
Sebastian Joseph-Day is a member of Players Coalition which is a foundation that works with athletes, coaches and owners across leagues to improve social justice and racial equality in our country. Recently, Joseph-Day took part in signing a letter to Congress, alongside 1,400 other athletes, coaches and front office personnel urging passage of the Ending Qualified Immunity Act, also known as the Amash-Pressley Act. The bill, introduced by Representatives Justin Amash (L-MI) and Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), would help restore the public trust in government and law enforcement by ending qualified immunity for public officials, including police officers.
Feature submitted by Rachel Lucosky
