Heights High students in the Lessons of the Holocaust class and Minority Student Achievement Network (MSAN) club have been exploring and engaging in candid conversations about identity and the role of race in our society. They have attended five events in the last four months that include facilitated discussions with other students and adults, museum visits and research.
Mark Sack teaches the Lessons of the Holocaust class and David Peake is the MSAN advisor.
On February 23 the students attended their most recent event, a YWCA sponsored Time to Talk event at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Cleveland. The forum participants included over 300 adults from Cleveland area businesses and organizations, seven students from Heights High and seven students from Shaker Heights High.
Junior Easton Figueroa thought that the approach of talking about race issues can help eliminate racism. “It was good to really listen to others and to make sure that everyone was heard,” he said. “That discussion was really important and I think it can lead to real change.”
The forum attendees ate a lunch and viewed a short documentary on the history of integration and race issues in Cleveland. The keynote speaker for the forum was President and CEO of the Metrohealth System Dr. Akram Boutros.
Dr. Boutros told the story of his life as a teenager and immigrant. He talked about being bullied because of his dark skin and poor English language skills.
He explained that he was able to avoid a path of delinquency and trouble because he had some good luck and good advice from others. Dr. Boutros encouraged the audience to not focus on what others look like and to give people a 'break' that could change their life.
The last part of the program was a facilitated table discussion that focused on how individual views on race are formed.
Junior Landry Snead is a trained YWCA facilitator and was the discussion leader at the Shaker Heights High School table.
“The students want to host a ‘Forum on Race’ at our school,” said Mr. Sack. “This is a challenging task, but we are beginning the discussions to move toward that goal.