May 12, 2023 By Karen Mansfield 5 min read

Nearly 160 years after the 13th Amendment abolished slavery in the United States, Americans are deeply divided over how far the nation has progressed in addressing racial inequality, and how much further it needs to go.

A group of students from Washington High School joined in the conversation recently by holding a student forum to discuss incidents of racial injustice and explore ways the community can respond and learn from what is taking place.

For 90 minutes, the nine students, who were Black, multi-racial and white, engaged in a conversation and shared personal stories that at times were raw, powerful, emotional, and brutally honest.

The forum, led by Washington High School English teacher Treg Campbell and Washington Health System Teen Outreach Director Dr. Mary Jo Podgurski, opened with Podgurski explaining that the purpose of the forum was to provide a platform for students to get heard, noting the value of sharing perspectives.

“I do know unequivocally that I have white privilege. What I mean is when people see me, they see a white lady. So when you have white skin, you have one up on people that don’t have white skin. It’s true. I believe it because I’ve lived it,” said Podgurski.

Nearly all of the students shared that they’d experienced some form of racial discrimination or mistreatment in their lifetimes, including people acting suspicious of them and being subjected to slurs.

“I’ve gone through a lot of things. I’ve witnessed a lot of racism toward me just because of how I look – in the elevator, a woman clutching her purse, people asking me if I’m gang-affiliated because I have tattoos, or because of my hair,” said Xzavian Willis, a junior, who wears dreadlocks. “There are so many different types of assumptions about me because of how I look.”

Senior Brenden Sibert recalled a recent incident while on a trip to Disney World, where he, an uncle and cousin stepped into an elevator that was occupied by a white couple.

“There were about 10 white people in another elevator, so it was crowded, so obviously we didn’t want to go in the one with all the people in it. So my uncle, cousin and I go into the elevator with the couple, and the lady pulls her husband out and they get into the crowded one,” said Sibert. “It was pretty obvious.”

The students also expressed concern about efforts by state lawmakers and politicians across the country to introduce bills that would limit what schools can teach about race, and are worried by an increase in hate crimes against Black people, members of the LGBTQ community, and others.

According to an FBI report released in March, hate crimes in the United States surged 11.6% in 2021, with the largest number driven by bias against Black people, followed by crimes targeting victims for ethnicity, sexuality and religion.

The data showed that bias against African Americans overwhelmingly comprised the largest category of reported hate crime offenses pertaining to race, with a total of 56% of those crimes motivated by anti-Black bias.

“I’m very scared for the future, especially with what’s going on right now because I feel like we’re just repeating history,” said senior Kathryn Sorice.

Campbell, who is one of only a handful of Black teachers in Washington County, asked Black and multi-racial students if their lives would have been different had they been born white.

“Absolutely, 100%,” said Willis, who plans to become an astrophysicist. “But that doesn’t mean I’d want to live that life because I’m proud to be Black, regardless of what comes with it, regardless of how people view me. Me being Black strives me to be better. That’s why I have high aspirations for when I get older.”

He recalled a conversation in which an acquaintance asked him if he thought being Black was a burden.

“I would never view it as a burden. I feel like me being Black is the motivation I need to prove everybody wrong, and I want to be like I need to be that person to show everybody I’m not who you all say I am based off of being Black.”

Ryanna Goulbourne, a senior, addressed concerns with colorism within the Black community – prejudice based on skin tone, usually with a preference for lighter-skinned people – and how it perpetuates racism.

“Some Black people give racists the OK to be racist because there are colors within the Black community and that affects us a lot,” said Goulbourne. “I see people comment on people’s skin color, their hair texture, and I think that gives people the OK to be racist.

Mackenzie Burch, a senior who was recently accepted at Toni & Guy Hairdressing Academy, wants to work specifically with Black hair.

“Growing up, I was told I looked better with straight hair, to cut my hair, my curly hair wasn’t good enough, and when my hair was braided I was told I shouldn’t have braided it because I’m not Black enough,” said Burch. “So I want young people and people in general to feel comfortable with their hair because your hair is your crown and you should wear that crown proudly.”

As the discussion wound down, the students said they would like to hold additional forums, including community forums, and advocated for change through voting.

Said Podgurski, “We don’t take care of each other as human beings. We’re not as kind to each other as we should be, we judge each other by color and body shape and how we act and what words we use. But racism runs deeper. I have so much faith in your generation, I think you guys are going to fix the mess that other generations have made.”

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