Just a few weeks ago, I graduated from high school. Our community was rocked when media outlets published stories that implied racism on the part of my peers and others that represent Payton. Payton students spoke out via our resident newspaper, The Paw Print. With the news regarding the ruling in the Trayvon Martin case, I have been shocked and disappointed by the youth responses, particularly my classmates, I have seen all across social media. All in all, there seems to be lack of sensitivity on both sides. Everyone has a reason for opposing or defending the court ruling; that in itself cannot be used as an ultimate judge of character or morality. Respect, yo -- that's key.
Me & Baraa.
Together we can do anything.
Below is my response to the baseball controversy, previously published in the Paw Print, however it aims to get at the larger issue of the role that race plays at my high school. A role that I'm sure is not unique to Payton. Yeah, this blog usually deals with lighthearted things, but I feel compelled to share this article. Out of everything I've ever written (and that's a lot), this is the one thing I hope Payton kids read and, ultimately, seek to converse with. Share your opinions in the comments section, email, twitter, what have you. I'm open to hear everyone's thoughts. Also, share this article if you're vibing with my message.
Here we go:
"Address issues head on"
By Stephanie Greene
Staff Writer
It is nearly safe to say that the situation involving Payton’s and Brooks’s respective baseball teams was not racially charged. So, now that that has been figured out we can continue to pretend that race is simply a social construct that every Payton student (and their mother) chooses to ignore. It has been resolved: race is a non-issue at Payton.
Provided that it was unfair for the media to paint our school in such an unpleasant light, this was an opportunity lost. In response to the implicated racism on the part of Payton parents and students, we toted facts about how our school is so diverse, how we pull kids from all over this segregated city, and how we are a majority-minority school. While all of that sounds great, we can throw a bunch of kids that look different into a room together, but that does not mean that prejudices are thrown out of the window.
Together we can do anything.