To the editor:

In your editorial “Noise is Not Progress,” you state that Lawrence has always championed civil rights and that Lawrence needs to stand up to the bullying ways of Black Lives Matter-LFK.

Lawrence is not free of racism, nor, in terms of its institutions, is it actively dismantling systemic racism. The incident at USD 497 is another example of Lawrence’s passive approach to blatant racism.

It is solely the work of black activists which fights racism in Lawrence. As we have seen this month, we need only one unsubstantiated story to show how fickle nonblack allies are.

Further, you exaggerate BLM-LFK’s acts as bullying. The Lawrence school board meeting of Dec. 12 was the fourth meeting BLM-LFK attended. The takeover of said meeting only occurred because the board had neglected to even respond to their concerns. Lastly, a boycott is neither coercion nor bullying. It is a tried and true mechanism. It is a consumer choice, not a ransom note.

I urge you to fully educate yourself on the history of racism in Lawrence and the ways in which progress is actually achieved before spreading hostility.