Statement from Professional Educators of Tennessee Executive Director JC Bowman

As Shelbyville and Bedford County, as well as Murfreesboro and Rutherford County brace for white supremacist rallies, we anticipate needless conflicts.  We see the “us versus them” attitude that prevents us from collectively working to improve our communities, our state and our nation.  Racism, bigotry and vitriol hate have no place in a modern culture.   All children are created in the image of God.

For centuries, our country has attracted people in search of a share of “the American dream” from all corners of the world. E Pluribus Unum (From Many, One) remains the national motto, yet it appears that there is no longer a consensus about what that should mean. If you step into our public schools today, the many different cultures are on full display.

We reject the creed of bigotry, which is rooted in hate, that any race is superior to another.  We hope protesters, who are…