Evergreen Stands Against Racism
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| Evergreen students. Back row (L to R): Audrey Pierce, Xaviana Barber, Asia Benton, Rayna Armitage, Isa Satake. Front row: Jahniya Kilaru-Liontree, Tobias Fairhurts, Paco Villatoro, and Kai Harmon. |
Staff reports
An atmosphere of acceptance and activism suffused Evergreen Community Charter School as students and faculty took a Stand Against Racism during the last week of April.
Throughout the week eighth graders used the school’s Public Address system to share quotations relating to racial justice, prompting school-wide classroom discussions. On Friday, parents dropping their kids off for school passed a five-foot banner made and signed by Afterschool students; a group of sixth-graders handed them “Racism Hurts Everyone” stickers.
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| Seventh graders (L-R) Audrey Pierce, Asia Benton and Xaviana Barber sign the Pledge Against Racism. |
Middle-school staff and students signed a large Pledge Against Racism
bulletin board, while elementary-school teachers discussed the concepts
of racial prejudice and respect via picture books and class meetings.
One class made posters to cover their classroom door, and another put on
a play for younger students based on Dr. Seuss’ book The Sneetches,
which promotes acceptance of people’s differences.
Evergreen’s lunchroom was transformed into a Poetry Café. Eating by
candlelight, middle schoolers, staff, and parents spent lunch reading,
writing, and listening to poetry related to racism. The poetry theme
permeated the Stand as students, staff, parents and Board members
submitted poetry for the “Embrace Race” poetry wall.
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| Eighth grader Lasha Kedar reads a poem about overcoming racism. |
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| Sixth grader Sophia Vess reads her original poem at the Poetry Cafe. |
Parents were given a resource guide, “Preventing Racism and Prejudice in Our Children.” Behind the scenes, teachers heightened awareness by posting articles on teaching diverse children, preventing and disassembling racial prejudice in kids and becoming better teachers by working honestly on their own biases.
Stand Against Racism is not just a one-day event at Evergreen. The public charter school has a Diversity Task Force working on increasing the racial and ethnic diversity in its school community as well as optimally preparing graduates to thrive in a multicultural world.
Evergreen Community Charter School serves students from kindergarten through eighth grade, with a focus on environmental education, expeditionary learning, high academic standards, and service learning. In 2010 Evergreen was among eight percent of all public schools in North Carolina to receive the designation of Honor School of Excellence. For more information visit www.evergreenccs.org.
