Throughout February, we're speaking with SPS high school students who are engaged in their school’s multi-cultural clubs to learn why they're involved and why it's important for our community to celebrate Black history.
At North Central High School, we met Senior Kamryn Richardson, a member of the school’s Shades Club.
What is the Shades Club?
Kamryn: It is our multicultural club. We do events every month showcasing what is important about that specific history month. We show everyone why it’s important to know about each and everyone's culture, because we aren't all the same.
Why do you feel that is important?
K: As a young black woman, it's difficult seeing all these things about African Americans being hated on, because we aren't all the same. Black people have done so much for the whole community, and we are still doing things. And there's so much more to come in the future. I just want everyone to recognize that, instead of automatically assuming the worst in us.
What are some things you've learned about other cultures through the club?
K: One of my best friends, Hazel, she's Filipino. During the ‘Protect Asian Rights’ era, it was very hard for her to go out in public with her family, because people always assumed they were up to something. It was eye-opening, because Black people aren't the only ones going through it. It's painful to see. It's just painful to see.
Do you think this club has helped bridge some gaps in the school community?
K: I do. There aren’t many places in the school where I can be my normal self. My freshman year I found Shades Club. It was like, there’s a place where I can go, and I can be around other people of color. There are other black people in the school who also feel trapped or pressured to be someone they're not. So, I want to create a space that other young black women can feel, “There is a space for me. People see me. I feel like I belong, and I'm not just imagining it.”
What can North Central High School do to expand that safe space beyond Shades?
K: I don’t know if it will ever happen but having more people of color as staff members instead of just one person. There are a lot of white people in the head roles. Having people of color on staff does so much for so many kids, because they might not see that outside the building. If they have at least one person of color they feel comfortable with that’s a staff member, it can do so much for their mental health, their attendance, their grades. It can change their lives.
What are you most proud of with your culture?
K: Many things. One thing is the way I was raised. My grandparents taught me about community and diversity and how education is super important for someone like me, as a young black woman. I have all these opportunities because of who I’ve grown up with and who I’ve met. I’ve had a lot of opportunities not many other young black women have had, so I just want to make the most of it.
What’s one thing you want the whole community to know about Black culture?
K: We aren’t all the same. You might see one black person who isn’t the best person, but you might see another who has an amazing role in life and they’re succeeding. We aren’t all the same. We all grow up differently. We all grow up in different areas. Like I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, so I have a different sense of myself, my community and black culture. Don’t automatically assume one black person is like the rest, because we aren’t.
Why is it important that we celebrate Black History Month?
K: You never know how life will turn out. So, you should make the most of it by learning different things. Black people are part of your everyday life, whether you like it or not. They create things, they’re on the news, they’re on TV, they’re at your school, they might even be your kid. If you want to be part of a community, you need to work on accepting other peoples’ community or it just won’t work.