A Broken Relationship: Las Lomas & Black History Month
* It has come to the attention of the Page staff that the article covering Las Lomas Black History Month does contain inaccuracies in the presentation of information. There are shortcomings in the coverage regarding the number of voices and is lacking the voice of the Las Lomas ASB President.
March 2017
At Las Lomas, some students were dismayed that there was no acknowledgement in February of Black History Month.
“It doesn’t make sense to me that Black History Month didn’t have any type of event done for it,” said [then] junior Eryca Worthen, one of the leaders of Black Student Union. “Maybe people felt because they aren’t black they can’t speak to certain things or it would make people uncomfortable, but you have to be able to work through those things and ask, ‘Hey, what would you be okay to do?’”
February 2018
Among all the clubs, committees, and classes on campus there hasn’t been a celebration of Black History during the short month of February. Thomas Henri, the 2016-2017 ASB president explains why Las Lomas Leadership failed to promote black history: “We were planning a leadership conference and I think that it just kind of slipped.”
All of black history is dwindled down to 28 days, in those 28 days its expected that almost every school in America would acknowledgment the precedents of Black history, yet in most cases “it just kind of slipped.”
Las Lomas is currently riding through the era of bomb and shooting threats that target specific minority communities. Although it may not seem that Las Lomas and the Acalanes Unified School District is combatting this influx of hate speech and threats, the School District and Las Lomas have taken many steps to push for more inclusive campus’. Since 2015 the district has held multiple Diversity Summits, has sponsored teachers to attend the National Summit in Detroit, and C.A.R.E (compassion, acceptance, respect, equity) weeks at multiple schools.
Laila Amro, a senior, is both a leadership student and Student Diversity Council Co-President and speaks to account for many of the unseen things Las Lomas has done: “This year, leadership has been more involved with Student Diversity Council and Care week, and is really speaking to the members of different diversity-related clubs to make sure they are taking the most appropriate approach to certain events.”
So if Las Lomas is willing to set aside a week for encouraging inclusion why can’t the same be done for Black History Month? Amro discusses this point: “The administration is very supportive of our activities to make the campus more inclusive; however, many students at this school are not. Since the word “diversity” has become such a buzzword, when people that don’t usually want to be involved in these activities hear this word, they tend to shut down, believing that what we do is anti-white”
Amro points out something very important, it is that diversity can only be psuhed so far at Las Lomas. Unlike Care week, Black Student Union and its mission is specific to one thing and not the umbrella of ‘diversity.
Betsy Fikir, a senior, explain BSU’s mission: “BSU’s mission at Las Lomas is to create diversity at the school and educate students about black culture.” Fikir explains the obvious: Black Student Union’s mission is to uplift Las Lomas’s black students and black students only.
According to the WASC 2017 Self Study, Las Lomas only has 47 black students that compromise 3.1% of the school population. In a school where 65% of the school population is white and with a staff that is 79.4% white. Evidently Fikir experiences the ramifications of this data: “BSU is not supported by the school or administration. However there are a few teachers who support us and participate in our weekly meetings,” Fikir explains. “We would appreciate it if school administration would be more involved in helping our club grow and spread diversity in our school community.”
Under the circumstances presented at Las Lomas and the Acalanes Unified School District one could only look forward. “My perception is that there is definitely work to be done, but that it’s not a one-way street. It’s up to leadership and clubs that need more advertising to come together and help one another, and I think the relationship between leadership and other clubs on campus is one that is developing and can eventually be great,” said senior Eryca Worthen member of BSU.
For many equity work isn’t priority number one, but regardless Las Lomas will have to tackle this issue. In the WASC report one, of critical learner needs include: “There is a need for students who represent cultural diversity on campus to define and drive more robust and culturally responsive awareness to support school-wide equity.” In addition, the WASC report outlines a plan for an additional 2% every 2 years of more diverse faculty.
All these plans for a more diversity and equitable school are occurring at a slow pace, but it is still clear that when it comes to uplifting and celebrating its black students, Las Lomas has a long journey ahead for which it hasn’t embarked on.
What is it like being black at LL?
“I don’t notice that I’m a part of a small minority here. No one makes me feel different because of my skin tone.”
-Isaiah Newell
“Being apart of a small minority at Las Lomas can be a bit difficult to adopt. Especially if you’re new to the environment coming from a diverse community. However, at Las Lomas, you get to experience new things and meet new people everyday.” -Betsy Fikir
“It’s kind of weird sometimes being the only black student in a class, so I get really excited whenever I see other black students either in a class of mine or on campus.”
-Priscilla Jones
“I’ve been at Las Lomas for quite some time now and I’ve never felt like I’m apart of a minority. This school has always been inclusive to me, so I’ve never experienced exclusion.”
-Dax Harris
Do you think that LL does enough to celebrate BHM and/or Black identity?
“I’ve been attending Las Lomas for 3 years now and throughout my 3 years, I haven’t seen one activity that interprets or celebrates black culture. I feel that it isn’t something that is celebrated here at our school community. As a black student, I’ve realized that it’s our responsibility to spread and acknowledge our heritage.”
-Betsy Fikir
“I feel like Black History Month is underrepresented. All I remember is there being one event in the rally court and it was for music.”
-Ranada Duffy
“No, the school doesn’t do enough to celebrate Black History Month. I feel like it goes unnoticed here.”
-Priscilla Jones
A Deeply Rooted System
by Nayah Saadiq
Since Black History Week was introduced in 1926, it has revealed the mass-media propaganda of United States history. Black History Month has been an opportunity to rebut the misrepresentation and stereotypes of Black culture throughout the country and a chance to celebrate extraordinary achievements as a whole, setting a tone of what was actually happening in Black America. The 1932 editorial in the Chicago Defender entitled “Black History Week and What it Means” recognized the various contributions made by Blacks in America. This disputed the misconception that only Whites could convey the benefits and burdens of American citizenship. As Carter G. Woodson put it, “Unless Black History Week can be used to accomplish such a purpose, the mere celebration will be meaningless.” Black History Month, then, is more than just a celebration of Black heritage. It is a political and moral project that uncovers the willful ignorance about the experience of Black people in America that forms American history and informs present societal and communal adversities.
America’s myth of racism in the country has enabled what novelist Toni Morrison calls “a sort of disremembering, which blots out the pain and strife of past events.” As Americans, have been convinced the United States of America is the chosen nation. That America’s example of democracy is “the shining city upon a hill.” That is the tale that we have been brainwashed to believe. In order to sustain this belief, we must forget that throughout this nation’s history, Black people have had to fight a long war against White Supremacy. So, disregard the fact that the government flooded Black communities with drugs to destroy the Black Power Movement or the chalk outlines of the bodies of someone’s son or daughter or mother or father gunned down by government agencies whose purpose is to protect and serve, regardless of race, gender, or class. It doesn’t matter that these things happened. Forget the Black women who have had to struggle against patriarchy and mistreatment at the hands of male and female employers. Let’s not discuss that our educational structure is in no way equipped to support the 16-year-old Black boy who has a 4.0 GPA, who is taking care of his sick mother and young siblings, who is doing his best to provide for his family -- all the while attempting to transcend his circumstances. Just ignore the Black student who becomes emotional when participating in a class discussion about racism in this country. Especially ignore her when a classmate responds to her tears with, “Slavery is over and so is racism. Why are you so mad?”
Not wanting to talk about race because it’s taboo or it makes people uncomfortable prevents Americans as a whole from understanding it. It is that very attitude about the disease of racism that runs deep in the veins of American culture that contributes to the burying of Black History. As a matter of perspective, one cannot negate the struggles of a race simply because one has not experienced the same tribulations.
The yearly ritual of celebrating Black History Month now strips away the illusions of the United States’ legend of liberty and justice for all. It is a 28-day refusal to turn the page and bypass the ugly truth. It is a reminder that as a race, Black people are worthy of all the things the Star Spangled Banner, Pledge of Allegiance and semblance of the American flag tote. If we learn the right lessons from the celebration, we come away knowing, deep inside that America has a long way to go before she is worthy of the respect and adoration she all too often demands.
