Support Black Students in the ISD

Independence School District

In celebration of Black History Month, Van Horn’s Black Student Union created a video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxDkpMr1gIk) to help raise awareness of “The Unfiltered Reality of Black America Through the Eyes of Us” for their annual Black History Month Program. The agreed-upon plan between BSU members and school leaders was to show the video in each classroom, followed by a guided discussion with all students and staff. In the process of making this video, we were asked to edit and revise the video multiple times, to which we complied. Every. Single. Time. The day before the video was to be shown, the principal and Independence School District leadership decided that the video's content would make some staff and students uncomfortable.

BSU members were very disappointed and discouraged by the school leader’s decision. They felt mute and small in an environment meant to amplify them. One BSU member stated, “We wanted the entire school to hear from OUR mouths the things that take place in our lives allowing our voices to be heard and people hearing our stories meant so much to us because that’s the first step of education.” Another BSU member mentioned feeling powerless in the face of district power structures that can squash student voices so carelessly. This one decision affected a multitude and made it clear that white students and families were being centered. BSU had hoped to be acknowledged in the decision-making process so that they could help spread a message that needs to be talked about, only to be denied a voice within the school.

With this petition, we plan to obtain as many signatures as possible to help gain and rally support against a decision that silenced the minority for the comfort of the majority. From students to adults, we plan to use this platform to prove to our school and district that this video was indeed informative and the beginning of conversations that need to be taking place.

Please consider signing this petition. Your help and support are greatly appreciated.


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To: Independence School District
From: [Your Name]

With this petition, we plan to obtain as many signatures as possible to help gain and rally support against a decision that silenced the minority for the comfort of the majority. From students to adults we plan to use this platform to prove to our school and district that this video was indeed informative and the beginning of conversations that need to be taking place.