RACISM AT SCHOOL : What Do We Do About It?

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Lizbeth Pacheco

The First Amendment grants all citizens the right to express their freedom of speech. But what about in school? After cases like Hazelwood, schools must allow student speech as long as it does not disrupt educational practice and a student’s ability to learn. So what should schools do in the event that student use this right to spread hate speech?
Students at Wood Cross High School attended a football game on September 29th, 2017. In an article written by Tamara Vaifanua of Fox 13 News, she explains that students brought inappropriate slogans to the game. There slogans were about building a wall to prevent immigrants coming to the United States, and they were being chanted at the game.
Ayelen Almada, who used to attend the school, was attending the game with her younger sister and one of their friends. The former student, Almada, had asked the people to stop chanting and they did, but once again Almada began to hear the chant. Bottles were being thrown as violence erupted in the crowd. One of the students in the crowd, had thrown a Gatorade bottle at Ayelen’s sister, after she had thrown a water bottle in the crowd of chanters. The school district handled the problem, but Ayelen Almada feels that they will not strongly apply it.
At Kearns High School, how should we deal with racism? The Cougar Claw held an interview with the head counselor at the school, Fred Falcon. Questions asked to Mr. Falcon were based on hate speech. When asked to define racism he said, “I think racism is any physical, emotional, social attack against the ethnic minority, an attack based on their race or ethnicity,” “To prevent racism, I think it’s just based on education.”
Falcon responded when asked if there is any way to prevent racist acts at out school. Mr. Falcon discussed his own belief, “Being a racial minority in this state, I don’t believe necessarily that I’ve come across people who are racist as much as I’ve come across people who are ignorant about issues of race. So, I think that the more you can educate those people the more understanding they have on the issues of race. I’m often amazed at non-racial minorities who try to speak on issues of race, it’s one of those ‘If you’ve never walked in my shoes you can’t talk about it.’ I firmly believe that non-racial minorities can
not speak of issues of race, because they’ve never experienced things like racism.” When asked if there are any consequences if students get caught in an act of racism at our school. Falcon explained that if a student witnesses an act of racism, he recommends we report it to an administrator immediately. He also added, “Responsibility as human beings to stand up to things like that. People who ignore those types of issues, are as much to blame as those who are actually perpetration racism.”. Falcon also said, “I don’t there’s any place for those kinds of sayings. If you’re going to harm somebody, then I don’t think it has any kind of place at all.”
Then he added some examples that aren’t hurting anybody. Some of those examples include what’s going on with the NFL. The protest might not have everyone on one page, but it isn’t harming anyone. Falcon then goes on to quote the Former First Lady, “When they go low, you go high.” and he said he tries to live by that. For his final response, “As far as you should act, if it’s here at the school and you’re a student take it to an administrator.”
If you witness an act of racism at school, report it immediately. Like Mr. Falcon said, if it’s going to hurt someone don’t say it. Try going high instead of going low. If you’re attacked due to your ethnic/race let someone know as soon as possible. No voice should be kept silent, especially in the case of racism. Adminitstrators, counselors, and teachers will do all that they can do to make you feel safe at school.