In Gwinnett County, Georgia, there is uneasiness about whether students are receiving a comprehensive education that acknowledges and respects diverse identities. This issue is at the forefront of the county’s upcoming school board elections, as a local group promotes its theme of “Greatness for Gwinnett Students” to help ensure more inclusive curricula.

The Asian American Advocacy Fund is a non-profit organization advocating for the civil and human rights of Asian Americans, Pacific Islander, and Native Hawaiians in Georgia. Doha Medani serves as the group’s Organizing Manager, overseeing its community organizing initiatives. For the past four years she’s resided in Gwinnett County, where, according to Gwinnett Magazine, the public school system makes up the county’s largest employer.

There is a level of fear among Gwinnett County’s teachers and librarians, Medani explains, who are concerned about recent political decisions being made — the banning of certain books, for example. 

With school board elections soon taking place, Medani said, “We (AAAF) believe that by supporting candidates that believe in our values, we can create a better Georgia for all.”

At a town hall event with AAAF’s school board candidate of choice — third-generation teacher Shana V. White — AAAF and the Georgia Youth Justice Coalition discussed defending against book bans, enhancing curriculum diversity, promoting inclusive school calendars, and the importance of voting and holding elected officials accountable. I interviewed Medani to learn more.

Q. Why did AAAF endorse Shana V. White for Gwinnett County School Board? 

A. Because she supports the creation of equitable, inclusive, and quality learning environments. She is strongly invested in equity, anti-racism, and inclusivity for all historically marginalized people within schools. Shana will fight for students’ access to accurate, diverse historical truths in their classes and curriculum. And we believe she is best suited to meet the diverse needs of Gwinnett County Students. 

Q. How does AAAF view its role in supporting events such as the Shana V. White town hall meeting?

A. We believe it is important for grassroots organizations like ours to provide accessible opportunities for our communities to learn more about the importance of school board elections and to know candidates who will advocate for their interests. Our role is to create culturally responsive opportunities for our communities to engage with elections and provide the education needed to make an informed vote.

Q. What were some of the key topics discussed during the town hall meeting?

A. Defending against book bans. Students deserve an educational experience that embraces and respects diverse identities. Unfortunately, some local school boards in Georgia are banning books that address important themes of sexuality, gender, race, and religion from school libraries. Recently, the Cobb County School District removed several books with LGBTQ+ themes from its media centers. It’s essential to elect school board members in Gwinnett who will uphold inclusive learning environments and oppose censorship policies like these.

Enhancing curriculum diversity. When students engage with comprehensive curricula that present accurate history from diverse perspectives, their educational experience and understanding of the world significantly broaden. We advocate for the inclusion of voices from Asian American and other marginalized communities in our schools, and we urge the adoption of school board policies that promote the implementation of such inclusive curricula. 

Promoting inclusive school calendars. Given Gwinnett County’s status as one of the most diverse counties in the country, it’s essential to support the diverse needs and cultures of our students. In previous years, a public vote was held in Gwinnett County to consider adopting school calendars that recognize holidays such as Eid al-Fitr, Good Friday, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Diwali, and more. However, community feedback indicated confusion and uncertainty about the voting process. Gwinnett needs school board members committed to a transparent process for deciding on school calendars that accommodate the diverse needs of all students.

Q. What challenges or opportunities does AAAF encounter in its advocacy efforts related to events like the town hall meeting? 

A. Language accessibility. Our communities are extremely diverse — in an ideal world we would be able to provide interpretation and translation at an event like this in all of the languages that are represented in the Asian American community in Gwinnett. Unfortunately, we don’t have the capacity for this, but language accessibility is something we want to expand on in future events.

Also, participant attendance. Building up knowledge of our organization in our communities is something that we work on year-round. We try our best to get as many people through the door at events like these as possible, but there is still work to be done.

Q. In what ways do you think the outcomes of the town hall meeting might have impacted the broader community, particularly Asian-Americans?

A. We hope that this engagement informed our communities that voting in every election is important and voting all the way down the ballot in local races has an impact on our everyday lives. We want Asian Americans to understand the power of our vote and how wielding political influence can impact our lives. Especially in areas like Gwinnett where we have a larger Asian population. As a community we have the power to be the margin of victory for candidates.

Q. What other specific actions has AAAF taken to support White, and why were these actions important?

A. We have been canvassing, phone banking, sending mailers and running digital ads for Shana — doing our best to meet voters where they are at and providing them with information on why we think Shana V. White is the best candidate for Gwinnett County School Board District 3.

Q. How does AAAF plan to leverage the insights and discussions from the town hall meeting to further its mission and goals?

A. Any event where we hear directly from our community members provides insight into where folks are at. These engagements tell us what issues our communities are prioritizing, and how they feel about the state of Georgia and US politics, and that has an impact on how we do our work and what we advocate for.

Q. What actions can Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Native Hawaiians in Georgia take to help support their civil and human rights?

A. Vote! And get all eligible persons to vote, as well. If language is a barrier to doing so, visit the AAAF website for voting information and resources available in many languages. Research who is on the current school board ballot and reach out to those persons already serving as school board members. And, get involved in our membership program, where they’ll get to meet others who share their advocacy interests and have opportunities to develop programs similar to our town hall event.