“It’s not about color; it’s about human dignity,” said a tired but exuberant Suzette Robbins after marching down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 13 with tens of thousands of fellow Americans in the name of fairness, justice and respect for all. “It was very important for the UFT to be here,” said Robbins, a paraprofessional from PS 329 in Coney Island, who traveled to the nation’s capital as part of a 10-bus caravan with fellow UFT and NAACP members. “We have to be in support of our children at the end of the day.” The event stood out for not only the diversity of its participants but also the peaceful tenor, with marchers singing, holding hands, hugging and some even saying prayers together. “Our union has a long history of social justice work,” said UFT President Michael Mulgrew, who joined the march. “Our role is to make things better for our schools and communities. Change is a process that requires dialogue and respect, and that means bringing people together to have difficult conversations.” The UFT participated in the march after a resolution to do so was discussed and approved by the union’s Executive Board.

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Brian Gibbons