Ten weeks ago, like so many other organizations, Achieve Atlanta shut our physical office and retreated into our homes to shelter-in-place. As our Achieve Atlanta Scholars fled their colleges and came back home, we responded to the crisis and re-prioritized our work to support them. As they always do, our students rose to the challenge.

This week, Atlanta Public Schools completed its school year and thousands of high school seniors celebrated their graduations. College students also wrapped up their semesters. With the achievement of this important and hard-won milestone, and as we all take a moment to breathe and prepare for the work ahead, we want to take a moment to say thank you.
 

Thank you for the ongoing support and the individual notes of encouragement that so many of you have sent in response to our weekly updates. They have given us strength and inspiration to continue to fight for the day when Atlanta is no longer a city where race and income predict postsecondary success and upward mobility.
 

Over the last 10 weeks, we’ve seen individuals and organizations respond boldly and set aside policies and practices that don’t serve a greater good. We have witnessed what’s possible. As we are tempted to go back to the old ways and accept that there will always be winners and losers in our society, we must resist. There’s just too much work to do, and we can no longer be satisfied with halfhearted efforts and incremental gains.

As a parting reflection (for the time being), I want to share a poem by Rumi, which captures what’s in my heart today.

 

Not Here

There's courage involved if you want
to become truth.

There is a broken-open place in a lover.

Where are those qualities of bravery and
sharp compassion in this group? What's the
use of old and frozen thought?

I want a Howling hurt. This is not a treasury
where gold is stored; this is for copper.

We alchemists look for talent that
can heat up and change.

Lukewarm won't do. Halfhearted holding back,
well-enough getting by? Not here.


Thank you to all those who hold tight to bravery and compassion. May we all be willing to break ourselves open to give our young people what they need to succeed.          
 

Today’s newsletter will be our final in our Coronavirus Updates, but we will return late summer and look forward to sharing what our Scholars are up to as they prepare for a new school year that will likely be different than any we’ve seen in our lifetime.
 

In the meantime, stay healthy and be well.

 

With love,

Tina