Voices That Matter

The ASBA “Voices That Matter Campaign” was created to honor voices, emotions and experiences on racial injustice in the United States.
ASBA condemns racism and police brutality against black people. Along with our community, we mourn the lives of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and the endless list of black lives lost as a direct result of racism, white supremacy, and systemic oppression.
Black, brown and other underrepresented voices in our schools must be amplified. This campaign is one opportunity to do this and help our staff and members express themselves and heal through these difficult times.

Ellen White

ASBA Director of Business & Conference Services

I was shopping at a local Hallmark store when a family of four came in – Mom, Dad and two children. One of the children was touching things. The mom told him not to touch anything. He continued touching and the clerk said, in a direct tone, “Stop touching things.” They continued to shop for a bit and the mom said, “Let’s go, we aren’t buying anything here.” They left the store, but the mom came back in and confronted the clerk and asked why she talked to her son in a rude tone. The clerk told her it was because he was touching things and he didn’t listen to her when she asked him to stop. The mom told the clerk she ruined their night and that it was her little boy’s birthday. The clerk replied that her son shouldn’t be touching things. The mom then called the clerk a “white bitch.” The clerk said there is no reason to bring race into this. The discussion got more heated and the mom told the clerk to come at her. Finally, the clerk said she wasn’t going to engage in the conversation any longer and that she would need to leave or they were going to call security. At that point, the mom left. When I checked out, the clerk apologized for the incident.