Each month the Anti-Racism Task Force at the Momentum Center hosts town hall meetings. In an attempt to get more students and community members on board with their cause, they hosted a town hall entitled Racism and the Educational System which featured several student speakers. The goal of the Anti-Racism Task Force at the Momentum Center is to teach citizens the correct way to think about racism. They believe there is a difference in not being racist and being an anti-racist.
One group the Anti-Racism Task Force is working hard to influence is our teenagers. They are doing this with the assistance of GHAPS employees. The email below, sent to both Mary Jane Evink and Brian Wheeler at GHAPS, contains a basic overview of the teen town hall event. Without the assistance of GHAPS leadership, would the Anti-Racism Task Force been able to reach these students?
Please pay close attention to the eight questions students were asked to address in their presentations and the three questions used as discussion questions in the break-out rooms. After reading these questions ask yourself if they work to reduce or increase racism in a society? Do they influence the way our teenagers think? Do they push a particular political ideology onto students? Question 8, points out that certain races are more likely to get suspended but doesn’t address any other differences between students who get suspended. Do they live in one parent, two parent, or other type of home? What kind of rules and boundaries were established by their parents? What are their parent’s educational expectations for them? Do they struggle financially? Do they have enough food to eat? Race seems to be the only important contributing factor for determining which students are more likely to get detention.
Question 7 asks – How should teachers of predominately white students address the day-to-day displays of racism like micro-aggressions? The book New Kid was all about micro-aggressions. It provided a very interesting viewpoint that relates to this question.
If the Momentum Center is pushing a political ideology, they should definitely not have a standing partnership with GHAPS administrators and board members working on behalf of the school. This violates board policy 2240 Controversial Issues and board policy 1130 Conflict of Interest.
The entire town hall can be viewed below. Racism and the Educational System