Remarks as prepared for delivery by Becky Pringle, President, National Education Association, to the 104th Representative Assembly

Oh, Freedom.

I am Becky Pringle. I am the great-granddaughter of people who were kidnapped from the Ghanaian region of West Africa and enslaved in Charlottesville, Virginia. I am the daughter of Haywood Harrison Board, a public school history teacher and Mildred Taylor Board, a Head Start food service worker. I am the widow of Nathan, a labor attorney, who loved and supported me, unconditionally. I am a proud mother and the grandmother. I am an educator, who has spent 31 of my 70 years on this earth teaching middle school students the wonders of science. And now, I have the honor and privilege of being the president of the largest labor union in this country—the National Education Association.

Oh, Freedom is a Negro Spiritual that my family choir sang at our annual concerts at our church. During these long weeks when our spirits have been saddened, our consciousness outraged, our realities rattled . . . that song has stirred in my soul. I sang it out loud as the Supreme Court decisions were handed down last week; as lawsuits we had won were challenged. Oh, Freedom. I sing it while watching evil run rampant; while witnessing so much hurt and harm. But delegates, I also sing Oh, Freedom while watching millions rise up to say no; when decent people remind this nation of what is good, and right, and true; when morality carries the moment.

Oh, Freedom. It is a reminder . . . a clarion call for courage and determination . . . for the righteous indignation that must fuel our resistance and resolve. And when I look back at my family’s ties to that song, I know that the singing of it built community. Just like we are doing in this space—building a community of support and strength and love.

And, my community, I must express some radical gratitude. You continue to show up with courage in the midst of exhaustion. You defend truth and equity amid a vicious swirl of hatred and lies. You are the holders of hope and the keepers of dreams. You provide love and care to our students and to each other.  NEA, thank you . . .  for all you are, and for all you do. 

Fellow delegates, as the highest governing body of the NEA, our country is depending on us—on this community—to lead the way . . . from dogmatism back to decency and democracy. NEA, we must lead the way from callousness and the castigation of society’s at-risk communities. It is up to us to lead the way toward the care, consideration and compassion that is everyone’s right.

We know well the obstacles we face—all of them designed to distract, divert, and divide as those in power blatantly and aggressively target immigrants, our Black, Brown, Indigenous, API, and LGBTQ+ communities, and anyone who dares to demand the safety and humanity that should be the inheritance of us all.

Those in power are trying to erase the truth of our history. They want to whitewash the past so our students are denied the full story of who we are. They want to silence all of the pain, all of the struggle. Even in the telling of the triumphs, their narration is incomplete. They want to stop our students from looking inward to see their own dignity, or outward to a diverse world filled with possibility and pride.

NEA, none of this, none of it is normal. And, it is not an accident. It is all despicably deliberate. This pitting of parents against educators, neighbors against neighbors, and communities against themselves. Scapegoating, othering, and blaming, instead of fixing the inequitable systems that are baked into this nation’s soil. 

And as they blame and they ban, Donald Trump and his billionaire buddies are slashing already promised federal support, funneling public dollars into private hands that are already obscenely wealthy, gutting protections for trans students, and dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion programs that lift up every student.

Notice I said the words: Diversity. Equity. Inclusion. We cannot allow this administration, or anyone else, to reduce these three sacred values to a simple, three-letter slur. 

Diversity is our uniqueness, our strength. Equity means every student gets what they need, when they need it, and in the way that serves them best. Inclusion means all students are seen, valued, and respected; that they all have access to opportunities and support. 

Delegates, we cannot allow fear to write the future. Diversity. Equity. Inclusion. Say the words, NEA! Say the words!

NEA, we know exactly why public education lies at the core of their attacks.

Because a public, free, universal education that is grounded in teaching critical thinking is a threat to authoritarianism. Because if they can control what our students learn, they can control what they believe, and then they can use those beliefs to manipulate reality and reason, and manifest confusion and cruelty. 

That’s why they want to dismantle, defund, privatize, and voucherize public education. That’s why they want to demoralize the education professionals who have dedicated their lives to teaching and feeding, nurturing, counseling, and driving our students every day. 

This is an intentional, coordinated campaign to strip away the very tools that challenge power, demand justice, and preserve democracy. As they work to destroy public education, and then profit from the wreckage, this administration wants to lock in policies that will take generations to undo.

Delegates, I need you to understand that we are in a prolonged fight—one that cannot end on the last day of this RA. 

While you have been elected to lift up the voices of educators across our country and then decide the future of our union, your responsibility reaches well past these four days. It’s not only about what we deliberate, debate, and decide, and...learn. NEA, it is always about what we do.

We must use our power to take action that leads, action that liberates, action that lasts.

And, we cannot simply fight against, NEA. We must also fight forward: for our vision of a public school system where every student—every one—attends a school that is safe, welcoming, and plentiful in resources; a school where every student is celebrated for who they know themselves to be; a school that is steeped in excellence and care; where education justice is recognized as a birthright; where educators—you—are valued as the professionals you are.

NEA, I see you. In so many ways, you are already fighting forward to make that vision reality.

Just last month, in a historic vote for unionization, determined education support professionals in Kansas brought nearly 600 new members into the Lawrence Education Association. Their dedication unites all school employees into one powerful local, laying the groundwork for a statewide movement for dignity and respect. 

Last fall—while we didn’t “win all the things”…yet—we can find strength and inspiration and learning in victories in Nebraska, Colorado, and Kentucky. In each of those states, public education was on the ballot. And every time—every time—voters said no to school vouchers. 

And in legislative sessions this year, educators helped to beat back vouchers in Utah, Kansas, Mississippi and in North and South Dakota. 

And not just that.

NEA-New Mexico wrapped a circle of protection around our immigrant students. They fought against using the standardized testing process to collect student immigration status—and they won.

Educators in Sackets Harbor, New York, mobilized their community and won the release of their students who were detained in an ICE raid.

NEA, this is the type of work that we must do all over this country.  

And I will forever be proud of NEA’s response to the Department of Education’s dangerous, diabolical, and unconstitutional edict, which was designed to erase diversity, equity, and inclusion. NEA stood up. And we won. In three states, federal judges blocked implementation, ruling that what the department had done was a clear abuse of power. 

As we continue and expand this work across our nation, we must take action guided by these seven important verbs: Educate. Communicate. Organize. Mobilize. Litigate. Legislate. Elect. 

In many of the world’s cultures, spiritual systems, and creation stories, the number seven holds special significance. In the Lakota Sioux tradition, “Every decision we make must be done with consideration for the next seven generations.” 

Our seven verbs hold similar long-term thinking. As we answer the call to fight back now, we must also fight forward for those who will follow us in our continuous struggle for justice. 

Our multi-pronged strategy to protect our nation’s promise is designed to meet the multi-pronged attack on our democracy and our schools. Seven verbs… 

We must EDUCATE. We will talk openly about what is happening to the world around us and what it portends for the future. As the rapid consolidation of power leads us down a treacherous and dark road toward authoritarian rule, we must be vigilant in teaching the lessons of history, and help not just our students, but our communities understand what is at stake and ensure they are able to fully imagine their world as it should be. 

We must COMMUNICATE. We will use truth to cut through all of the noise and each of the lies. We will share all of the joyful and miraculous stories we have witnessed serving in our nation’s classrooms, on campuses, and worksites. Together, we will inspire, motivate, prepare, and compel others to join our movement and take action. 

We must ORGANIZE, and we must build our power. Power to promote, protect, and strengthen public education. Power, expanded by partnerships that connect our work to the struggles for worker rights, wages, and protections. For fair taxes and economic justice. For reproductive freedom. That’s why we’ve allocated more money to organizing. It is the most powerful tool for creating change. 

We must MOBILIZE. We will show up in school board elections, state capitals, marches, protests, at the ballot box—wherever our students’ futures are at stake, we will stand. Together. 

We must LITIGATE. Whenever the rights of students and educators are denied, we will take our fight to the courts! Just since January, NEA has filed several suits and joined our allies in hundreds of other lawsuits on: diversity, equity, and inclusion; public education funding and support; and the closure of the Department of Education. We’ve worked to protect collective bargaining rights, the right to strike, and the right to engage in union advocacy. We’ve stood up for disability rights, the rights of students, educators, immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community, and constitutional rights to voting, speech, and assembly.

Every time they create an unjust policy, we will use every legal tool to challenge it.  

And, we must LEGISLATE. From school board meetings and state houses to the halls of Congress, we will continue to call for laws that provide what’s best for our students. Together, we will continue to demand for educators the dignity, respect, and fair pay that every professional should have. We will create and support measures that invest in public schools. That’s why we’re fighting so hard against the Big, Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Bill that recently passed in the Senate—a bill that will allow taxpayer dollars to fund private schools that are allowed to hand pick students and freely discriminate; a bill that will slash Medicaid, school meals, healthcare. 

And in November of 2026, we will hold lawmakers accountable! 

We will ELECT. We must have leaders who believe in fully funded public education. Leaders who will stand with us in the battle for racial and social justice. Leaders who know educators deserve the freedom to teach and our students deserve the freedom to learn.

NEA, we are not simply reacting to a moment. We are building a strong, sustainable movement. A movement that votes. That holds leaders accountable. A movement of strong educator leaders who run for office—and win!

Educate. Communicate. Organize. Mobilize. Litigate. Legislate. Elect. NEA, I need you to remember these verbs. Action words. Then, I ask that you decide every day what you will do; which actions you will take!  

Use your power to fuel our resistance and resolve; our righteous indignation and our renaissance!

Show me your power, NEA!

If you led a walk-in or rally, a march or a protest, stand up!

If you’ve joined with allies in acts of resistance, stand up! 

Stand if you’ve said something or done something to defend our democracy.

Stand if you have fought for the survival of public education!

If you will make the commitment to protect every student . . . every family . . . every community . . . stand up! 

Stand, NEA! Stand! Look around and see each other. 

I see you NEA!

As you return to your seats, I ask you to relax into the poetry of Leslé Honoré. Allow her writing to lift your hearts, feed your spirit, and strengthen your resolve: 

Hold your head high

Especially when the winds are heavy

Especially when the lies are loud . . . when the traps are set . . .

Especially when the truth is banned . . . 

Hold your head high . . .

Dance in the rain you walking miracle…

You are the resistance

You are the victory

You are the history

And present 

And future . . .

You are the wildest dream

Dreaming still for the dreamers yet to come

Hold your head high

You are 

Living

Breathing

Hope

NEA, as you fight back: hold your head high! 

There is power in what you do every day.

As you fight forward, hold your head high knowing there is hope in the future you are building.

Through your courage and your conviction, we will create a path for our children toward a world where life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is a promise fulfilled.

NEA, remember who you are and hold your head high!

You are brave. You are powerful. You are the NEA!

Hold your head high!

Hold your head high! 

Oh Freedom! 

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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, healthcare workers, and public employees. Learn more at www.nea.org