Introduction: The Origins

The authors of the articles contained in Disrupting Racism in US Schools: Transcending the (un)Civil War are connected through their affiliation with California State University, Sacramento, California (CSUS, or Sac State). All articles, but one, were coauthored by professors, scholars, education researchers, public school teachers, Indigenous activists, and doctoral and master’s level students. The authors represent a wide range of cultural backgrounds, comprising Asian American, African American, Middle Eastern American, Chicanx, and Euro-American heritages, as well as Original Nation identities of Rumsien Ohlone, Potawatomi, Sierra, and Coastal Miwok. The two author/editors of this compilation include Rose Borunda, who is born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and descended from the Purépecha tribe of Guanajuato, Mexico. Amy Murray identifies as a white American of mixed European ancestry including English and Irish while being raised in a Chinese-American home. While this listing of contributors does not reflect this nation’s entire demographic spectrum, the mindful collaboration with a wide range of voices speaks to the intentional value and practice of inclusion.