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BCHS Makes Waves with Social Justice and Equity Day
On Friday, February 26th, Ben Carson High School had their first annual BCHS Social Justice and Equity Day. The event also known as LET'S MAKE WAVES 2021 featured guest speaker Erica B. Edwards, PHD, Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies with Wayne State University, College of Education.
“Social Justice and Equity Day is a great idea and long overdue,” said BCHS Dean of Culture Shannon Richardson.
Students participated in a day of student dialogue sessions facilitated by the BCHS Equity Team and Civil Rights Club instead of attending regular classes.
“I was super excited for Equity Day! As a member of the school's Equity Team, getting the opportunity to bring students into the conversation about how to make the school community more equitable and socially just is amazing. I loved that the we are incorporating student voice throughout the day, from gathering questions from the student body, having students on the panel discussion and helping moderate breakout sessions, and giving the student body the chance to discuss the questions about the school community they have with their peers. I am hoping we all learned and grew from the experience and that BCHS grows closer as a community,“ said BCHS Teacher Michelle Linkowski.
Students were exposed to a variety of social justice issues and had a chance to participate in the discussions.
“I liked the fact that we actually discussed what African Americans accomplished instead of just what was done to them,“ said BCHS Senior Zykiya Terry.
Senior Sumina Tasmin, a member of BCHS Civil rights club, was excited to be able to lead a panel discussion.
“I was really excited. I got a chance to talk to people about a subject that I am really passionate about,” said Tasmin.
The day was made possible by the BCHS school equity team and civil rights club which enjoys support from the district, school staff, and school administration.
“From the feedback I received, the event was a huge success. We had over 250 participants. I heard from district office staff, BCHS staff, and BCHS students and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. I am so excited that we hosted such an important event of this size. I couldn't be more proud of our Staff Equity Team, our Student Diversity and Civil Rights Clubs, and all of our teachers that moderated chats and hosted small groups during the breakout sessions. We also had a phenomenal discussion panel,“ said BCHS Principal, Dr. Sean Lively.
According to Dr. Lively, the Equity team has been a great addition to the BCHS community.
“This is the time to make a huge impact on social justice and equity for our school community and to build a community of upcoming leaders. Students can use this knowledge, discussion, and ability to build their skill set to make a mark on their community to establish a positive influence for those that come after them at BCHS,” Dr. Lively added.
Students agree that the Equity team and Make Waves day was a great addition to BCHS.
“Yes I believe it was a great idea. Not only was it a chance to learn something new but it also gave the students and staff a chance to talk about their experiences. Students and teachers were able to communicate with each other in a way they wouldn’t be able to in a class setting,“ added Tasmin.