The Spokane Public Schools Equity Summit that happened on Nov. 4 of students from various multi-cultural students groups and diversity clubs throughout Spokane high schools was a chance to discuss various issues impacting students of color in the school system, and how to deal with them best.
We kicked off the event by each school giving a five-minute presentation on a topic that pertained to awareness around equity, racism, and stereotypes in their respective schools with a solutions based activity given for participants. This helped promote a proactive approach and advocacy.
After the presentations, students were broken up into groups with students from different schools, where they got together to brainstorm on a variety of topics on how to solve and reduce issues affecting students of color. Topics included tokenism, cultural appropriation, hate speech, slurs, and micro aggressions.
At times throughout the event, it was heart breaking to be in a room full of students and hear about how unwelcomed, unsafe and unheard they felt in schools. There was also frustration. No child should be having panic attacks in a bathroom because they feel unwelcomed and unsafe; no child should be walking down the hallways, minding their own business at school, and be harassed by other students simply because of the color of their skin. No student should feel targeted by insults while eating at the cafeteria because of their race or their ethnicity. No child should hear from a teacher that they are not fit to be in an advanced class when they have emigrated from another country and have not been given a chance to show what they know based on what they have already done in their previous education. These examples were given during the summit in conversations and ideas for solutions were shared in small groups. What was undeniable by the end: a call to action that things must change.
These issues did not start from nowhere and will continue to plague the schools unless we take a stance against racism and bigotry. Consequences can shape new learning and changed behavior. There should be accountability when these incidents occur, and a standard that is followed. Prejudice and stereotyping create horrible experiences for students who deserved to come to school and feel safe. Giving a slap on the wrist for acts of prejudice and racism is not an appropriate or serious response. Also, parents need support in educating their children on why bigotry against a certain group of people or stereotyping is wrong.
A child is not born racist, nor is a child born with prejudice or hate in their heart. A child becomes racist due to the surroundings and systems they grow up in. We cannot continue to live in a city that doesn’t address racism directly, and when confronted with it does nothing. This sends a message to children watching that hate of any kind is OK and allowed. If we continue to do nothing about it, we will be raising a hateful and racist future generation. Some steps we can take to reduce discrimination in schools include:
Educate. Teach students about race and racism in historical and current context.
Create a safe environment. All students should feel welcomed and should have an opportunity for their voices to be heard.
Take action. Take a stand against offensive language and behaviors.
Report. Making administration aware and keeping a record helps build accountability and tracks the follow-up on the outcomes of the reports made.
We need to work together to fight against oppression and hate of any kind so that no child feels unsafe, or unheard at school, or unwanted at school. No matter what race, gender, nationality or background they have, all should feel welcome at school.