Following the death of George Floyd, teacher union-based committees focused on addressing systemic racism in local districts appeared around the country. In Providence, Rhode Island, the union's Racial Justice Committee, the majority of the members white, faces a national issue: can overwhelmingly white teachers unions be anti-racist?
In addressing staffing across the district, Professor Qazilbash says, "It’s very appropriate that the Providence Teachers Union is focusing on racial justice...But I do think that they need to really reflect on their role in the hiring processes that they’ve bargained with the district."