Opinion: MTHS should do more for its Black students

A civil rights movement has struck the country following the death of George Floyd, leaving many heartbroken, angry, and pining for change. The recent shootings of Jacob Blake and Ricardo Munoz  have stimulated this uproar.

Although the event involving Blake occurred hundreds of miles away, communities all across the country have expressed similar sentiments. The recent event in Lancaster involving police has left many shaken up as well; Ricardo Munoz was lethally shot four times by a Lancaster police officer after running after that officer with a knife. The effects of these events here and all over the country have reverberated among many students throughout MTHS. 

Gellila Asmamaw, a senior and president of the Black Student Union (BSU) at the high school, said, “It’s almost like the same story, but a different face. … It’s like this vicious cyclical situation that’s happening. ”

Nubia Bogale, senior and co-vice president of the BSU, expresses a similar sentiment: “With things like this still happening, it makes me question whether or not we are really being heard…[it] makes me feel like we haven’t made any progress at all.”

Although the incident in Lancaster has had serious repercussions, there haven’t been many changes in the school environment; I have had productive discussions in some of my classes, but I have not heard any announcements or seen any changes in the environment as a whole. Senior Alice Gaalswyk mentions, “I haven’t really noticed a change in our school community…it almost seems as if some people have moved on and are no longer advocating for the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.” 

The district did, however, release a statement back in June regarding the Black Lives Matter movement in general. “We [the school] must do better to provide a bright future for all children,” it read. This statement was poorly publicized, however, and I wasn’t really aware that they even released a statement until I went looking for it. 

When asked about the lack of response, Asmamaw said that“ it’s almost like they’re disregarding the 5% of students of color we have in our school right now. … It feels like we’re not an important part of the school.” 

 Also, the statement says, “We have programs in place, throughout the district…But it does not stop here; much work remains”; however, I have not seen many changes in the school environment as I mentioned before. If work has to be done, then I think it would be productive to discuss what that entails and how it could be executed. I think one important step the school can take is hosting a discussion in a few advisory periods with questions about the movement in general and how it is affecting students. 

It’s vital now more than ever that the school comes together to recognize that what is happening with police brutality is unjust, and that things need to change; it’s discouraging when some students recognize this pain more than the administration itself. 

“Over the past couple months, things have gotten progressively worse. … A solution is well overdue,”  Grace Bowman, a senior, said. Yes, a solution is well overdue, and the solution should start in the school environment, so we can educate and inform students about these pressing topics. It is so vital that a supportive, open community thrives at the crux of the high school environment.

 I do recognize that the administration has been busy with its response to the pandemic and how to get students back to school safely, and that this response has been successful thus far; however, there are multiple issues at hand here, and they should all be addressed. It is vital now more than ever to foster a safe, comfortable environment for every student, and steps need to be taken to achieve this safe space.                   

“We need to be doing more for our students of color. We need to be doing more to create an environment where these kinds of things can be addressed and discussed…[that] leads people to look around at our school and say that we’ve created a safe space for our Black students,” Asmamaw says. 

To address these problems even further, the administration could work with BSU to try and discuss options for the future of the school environment; as these events are continually happening all over the country, it would be productive for both students and administration to work together to nurture a supportive school environment. The recent MT Coalition is actually a terrific example of a step in the right direction for these issues in the school environment; junior Sophie Yost worked with Mr. Loose to establish this club. The coalition fosters a supportive environment where students can have productive conversations about what is going on around the world, especially in regards to the BLM movement.

 BLM is a really important movement right now in our country, and it is vital that we as a student body have productive conversations and foster a supportive environment for all of the students in the high school.

“This Black Lives Matter movement is going to be something that’s extremely important for years to come,” Asmamaw says.