A Place To Start: Human Rights Club Provides a Uniquely Needed Space of Discourse
by Gaia Yun, Editor
School News; Club Spotlight
October 26th, 2020—as black squares popped onto the Zoom screen, Human Rights Club president Sally Schafer asked if everybody was doing alright, election-stress wise. There was a murmur of approval, and I instinctively moved to unmute myself as well. Despite having entered the Kamiak HRC’s weekly Zoom meeting to observe silently, I often felt the urge to jump in and offer my opinion. Students discussed the upcoming election and the incredulity of attempts to disenfranchise voters, the paradox of anti-feminist women in power, and self-care tips in the upcoming week.
The conversation flowed naturally, a refreshing break from the pervasive online-school-era reluctance to participate. In a setting that feels comfortable, organic even, members exchange their frustration—and occasionally joy—with recent events.
Chaitna Deshmukh, club member, says HRC enables students to talk freely about contentious topics, which she feels is often discouraged in other spaces. In this way, “HRC has definitely widened my perspectives... Many people in HRC are incredibly knowledgeable about current events, so I have been exposed to new ideas and heard stories I could never have imagined otherwise.”
In fact, meaningful discussion has always been a defining part of HRC. Last year, it collaborated with several other social rights clubs to create the first “No Place for Hate” campaign at Kamiak, which involved a forum on the day of the Martin Luther King Jr. Assembly about harmful stereotypes. After lockdown in March, the group held online forums about human rights during the coronavirus pandemic and racism within the community.
Other projects involved increasing the visibility of social justice values; the club’s bulletin boards in Kamiak’s history wing feature inspirational human rights leaders and the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. On another board, aptly labeled the “Democracy Wall,” members posted various articles and questions, creating a space for all students to share their opinions in written form. Currently, the club is working on moving the Democracy Wall online.
HRC has been especially vocal during the election period. Back in October, HRC members created a 2020 Election Resource Guide to help student voters consume reliable sources of information during election week; the guide was available to the student body through the Kamiak ASB page, as well as the HRC’s instagram page, @kamiak.human.rights. With Joe Biden’s victory and imminent transition into the White House, the club is exploring issues in context of the 2020 presidential election; soon after, it intends to delve into the topic of racism, as well as human rights violations in both the U.S. and other nations like China.
The club’s character clearly reflects that of its members, particularly its leadership; Schafer strives to create a space in which “the ideas of all club members are important, and most decisions are made as a club.” She notes, “We all care very deeply and seriously about the world around us, but our conversations are always fun, and can sometimes be silly.”
Indeed, I found myself smiling as Shan Oglesby, club advisor and social studies teacher, explained how FiveThirtyEight, a website that analyses information such as polling data, works. “It’s really addicting,” Oglesby added with a chuckle while clicking on voter turnout simulations, and I wholeheartedly agreed. Oglesby’s knowledge and enthusiasm clearly adds a profound level of depth to HRC’s insights; Schafer confirms that “the club would not be the same without her.”
Oglesby, in turn, praises the club’s impact since its inception 22 years ago, when its founding student, now Washington Senator Marko Liias, approached her. “I said, ‘OK,’ of course. No idea what I was getting into. There was a number of marginalized groups of people who were just not feeling safe in the Kamiak community, so some students got together and decided to change our climate.”
She characterizes her time as advisor as a “roller coaster ride for sure, but worth every minute.” Noting that many members have gone on to volunteer in other similar organizations or enter careers with a social justice focus, Oglesby concludes, “It never ceases to amaze me how our work here at Kamiak has been carried forward into our community, our nation, and our planet.”
As the meeting neared to an end, there was an unmistakable sense of gravity in the air (screen?). Oglesby offered members self-care tips, adding, “This is the reality we’re living in. We have to uphold laws in civil liberties, hold the flag, and… carry on.” There was a brief silence as members contemplated the magnitude of the coming week, upon which rested the future of the U.S. and its people. Yet, there was something about the shared silence, the act of wordless solidarity, that was distinctly comforting.
In the electronically saturated world we find ourselves in, it seems plausible that the internet should provide us with all the facts we need. In the expansion of the BLM movement this year, there’s obviously been a special emphasis on becoming informed citizens—a phenomenon evidenced by the countless activism-inclined infographics and posts that dominate Instagram stories and Twitter feeds. But sometimes the tremendous flow of information can be overwhelming to process in isolation.
Therein lies the special significance of HRC; there’s something so liberating, yet grounding, about breaking out of one’s own head. According to Schafer, “inundated with news, we can feel lost and helpless, as if nothing can be done about the things we care about… as if nobody cares about making real change. But in actuality, the club has shown me that most people do actually care; they just don’t know where to start. The Human Rights Club gives you that place to start.”