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Quincy Public Schools’ Students Call for Change

On Friday, November 12th, hundreds of students at Quincy High School (QHS) staged a walkout at 9:25 A.M. Students were protesting incidents that were the result of an older video consisting of racially charged hate speech made by a QHS student that resurfaced on social media in recent weeks. The post triggered a fight that was documented and shared amongst students throughout the district. The students who protested expressed concern that their school improperly addressed the situation with seemingly disparate disciplinary actions for the students involved in the fight.

After protesting at their own school, the students proceeded to march across the city to North Quincy High School (NQHS). Quincy students waited outside of the school while North Quincy students began to leave their building to join them. Eventually, the group headed to City Hall, where they peacefully protested for more accountability and social justice. The goal of the walk out was to bring light to the situation, which was successfully achieved. The responsibility now falls to the students, staff, administrators, and city officials to work together to create change to better both the school system and the community.

Within any high-pressure environment, communication is key. The events of Friday, November 12th prove that lack of communication can exacerbate tense situations, preventing healthy discourse. Although students acknowledge that another classmate’s disciplinary records cannot legally be made public, with the visibility and volatility of the situation considered, students wish that there had been more visibility in terms of disciplinary actions for the student who created the disturbing video.

A way in which this communication can be accomplished is through a coalition consisting of representatives from both NQHS and QHS that is dedicated to giving voice to student concerns about culture and climate citywide. This will allow both schools to work together for the betterment of the entire city while creating a culture of comfort and pride in both high schools. The coalition will create a healthier environment for students of color and the allies that surround them.

One important goal of a Quincy - North Quincy (QNQ) coalition will be to carefully edit the student and staff handbooks. The task will be to craft clear and explicit language surrounding hate speech and hate crimes that occur within the schools. This will give the QNQ community the ability to discipline between high schools and give all stakeholders a clear vision of the high standards expected of all Quincy Public Schools students and employees.

Another way that the Quincy community can take action towards alleviating the issues of racism in the school system is through representation. So many Quincy students see neither themselves nor their cultures reflected amongst the staff. Representation is an incredibly important factor in creating a cohesive community, as it instills confidence and acceptance between young children and adults. With little representation in the buildings, students may feel that they have no one to talk to who will understand them, resulting in measures, such as a walkout, being taken.

Given the global significance of racial issues, students should be educated in a culturally responsive way. This could decrease the issues and acknowledge the severity of the topic. The earnestness of the younger generation sets a precedent for the general public not to let these issues go unnoticed. Race can stand in a positive way instead of being portrayed in a negative light through more comprehensive, culturally responsive teaching (CRT). Training the faculty and staff in this practice of CRT will be an important step in achieving this goal.

Classes can be repetitive, teaching students the same information about the same people year after year and leaving out many important people of color throughout history, literature, science, and art. Black History Month exists for the purposes of not just acknowledging, but honoring important African American historical figures and it must go beyond Martin Luther King and Harriet Tubman. Telling the stories of triumph from the different cultures represented in the Quincy Public Schools’ community will allow students to connect with one another on a deeper level. Culturally responsive teaching will help build stronger connections amongst staff and students, and it will help produce a stronger community of allies.

Racial inequality has been a monumental problem for as long as anyone can remember. When people have tried to affect change they have too often been ignored or been forgotten. The only way we can put an end to the racial issues we keep facing is to consistently demand change and not tolerate racial ignorance. If we keep applying pressure and keep an ongoing, open dialogue, we know that this incredibly strong and proud community can achieve the change that we so desperately need.

Respectfully,

The Student Journalists of The NQ Mirror

David Bridges

Jack Cavicchi

Liam Crampton

Elijah Eno

Sean McKeone

Mollie Nelson

Caitlin O’Regan

Zoe Rakarich

Zifeng Ruan

Benjamin Snyder

Ryan Tobin

Sarah Zyba