LWHS Racial Equity Newsletter
Winter 2020
Winter Introduction
In this issue, we also celebrate Hip Hop music with a student academic journal paper written by Ndidi Opara as well as a summary and a link to Louder than a Riot, a podcast about Hip Hop and social themes.
Please keep scrolling to see an interview with Jessica Laing, Co-President of the BSU and reporter with a section on Kang News, as well as several art pieces created and explained by our AP student artists of color! We have also included links to POC and LGBTQ+ owned businesses in our community!
Student Voices
On this winter edition, we hear from Jessica Laing. She is a junior at LWHS.
What does equity mean to you?
Equity to me means that each individual has equal opportunity to the basic needs of our society, such as education, health care, reproductive rights, housing, healthy food, financial aid, etc. Equity means that every human is treated with respect, dignity, and kindness regardless of their race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation. Equity means that every single life matters no matter where they come.
How do school norms and policy impact equity?
There are many ways that school impacts equity. The Western School system was built to fit the narrative of the white man, meaning the curriculum has failed to open up a new perspective that speaks to students of color. This is often seen in History, English and other Humanities-based departments in schools. Teachers and staff also play a role. There is often underlying bias even implicit racism when approaching students of color. They automatically assume that they are not as educated as their white peers, more loud/ aggressive, and less motivated. This outlook impacts how they grade and assess these students. It is this ignorance that causes a detriment to student learning an academic success. The graduation rate is lower among Black and Latinx students in comparison to other races, not because they are not as qualified, but because of other outside factors that affect their learning in school. Whether it is financial instability, commute, working multiple jobs in order to support their family, the implant of drugs and alcohol in their community, or lack of resources such as school supplies and textbooks that they may not have access too. Teachers tend to ignore these aspects of their life, and just grade them solely based on a standardized scale without taking into account these factors that are out of the students’ control, raising equity issues for students across the country. Because of these reasons, school is not at all an equitable place for all students to excel with equal opportunity.
Why do students think they should vote?
Students probably think they should vote because the policies of which American Citizens are voting for are directly impacting them and their needs.
Why is student voice important in decision making? (Or: why should students be involved in decision making at the school?)
It is imperative that student voice should be taken account for in decision making. Think about it this way, you can’t have the school if you don’t the students. School is made for students, and the education that each student is receiving will be directly impacting their future and what they choose to do once they leave, so it is important for the student voice to be heard because it is the STUDENTS that will be effected by the policies, practices, and overall curriculum that is taught.
Student Achievement
BROCKHAMPTON: Social Advocacy and Diversity in Rap Music
"Abstract: BROCKHAMPTON is a diverse, multiracial rap group that has recently garnered rapidly increasing popularity and influence in the rap industry. Because of this, I wanted to determine if the popularity of the group’s SATURATION trilogy was affected by the content matter they addressed and how that intersected with the American color line in music marketing. With the research question, “To what extent does the race of BROCKHAMPTON member and the advocacy they utilize, whether it be pro-social or anti-social advocacy examined through the usage of corresponding social themes, influence the popularity of a given song from BROCKHAMPTON’s SATURATION trilogy?”, this study found that it was influenced to a minor extent, with no strong correlation found between race and social themes discussed, or between popularity and the dominant thematic category of a song."
In this deep dive into the context and content of rap, Ndidi Opara takes an academic and critical look at the prosocial and antisocial messaging in the works of BROCKHAMPTON, a 'boy band rap group' from Texas. In addition to determining the overall trend in theme in the SATURATION trilogy, Ndidi analyzes the lyrics of each song extensively to see if their advocacy correlates with the popularity of the song or the background of the main vocalist.
This paper was a force of solid background research, clear procedure, and statistical analysis. Ndidi's passion for the subject of her study is evident not only in her segment on context, but in the care and attention to detail she devotes to the paper at large.
Podcast Summary
"Louder Than A Riot"
To many, the stigma surrounding rap and hip-hop music today is clear. Few would disagree that this genre is representative of many elements of Black culture in America. NPR's podcast, Louder Than A Riot takes these two concepts and seeks to identify their intersection. Or, as they aptly describe, “the collision of rhyme and punishment”. The podcast explores hip hop music of today and, in the process, its roots. It uses modern artists and current events to tell both the history and the current story of the role that hip hop plays in American culture and the ways that Black culture has been exploited by the music industry.
Over the course of 8 (and counting) episodes, this podcast examines the use of music as a tool for uplifting marginalized communities as well as the ways in which the same communities (and individual artists) have been trapped or even held hostage, in a sense, by the music industry in their quest to “make it”. In what ways does the music industry offer an escape from the plight of Black communities in America that have experienced systemic and racialized violence? In what ways does the music industry help to entrap Black artists in these communities and/or cycles of incarceration? These questions and more are addressed in a way that is honest, authentic and simultaneously entertaining.
Student Artwork
Han Huynh, AP Art Student
The idea I am working with now is the feeling of cultural disconnect and disorder that is felt by the conglomerate of the children of Vietnamese immigrants. It is the visualization of how it feels to not be able to understand the language of one's motherland. Often, children of immigrants are forced to choose between two cultures. The one they experience at home and the one they experience at school. Unfortunately, this usually ends up with the child being stuck in between two cultures, and at times not accepted in either. This can be seen in the figure's hair, burnt edges of Vietnamese newspaper, and hand lifting their chin.
Asian representation in the media, especially in movie culture, is very limited and forces actors to take either the role of a stereotypical nerd or a rebellious and quirky character with brightly dyed hair. The figure's hair is jet black. To Vietnamese people, it is seen as blue and a symbol of westernized and white-washed children. To American people, it is seen as black: the same as any other Asian person.
The burning of newspaper is a direct reference to censoring. The censoring of information, more specifically the censoring of information that correlates with the full immersion of one's culture. The rejection is represented through the torn and burnt edges.
The last symbol/reference is the hand that lifts up the figure's chin. The color of the hand is the same as the figure. However, this plays into the normalization of colorism in most Asian cultures. Vietnamese people come in a variety of skin tones, but darker skinned Vietnamese people are more likely to be shunned and treated as second-class. The figure is a light-skinned Vietnamese person but the actual race and ethnicity of the hand is unknown. The hand could be seen as either Vietnamese or American culture accepting the figure. But, the figure's sad face indicates that they themselves do not know either.
Erica Huynh, AP Art Student
I worked with the idea of women empowerment. I painted congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (AOC) with the female gender symbol and the words "I could not let that go. After being inspired by AOC's powerful speech against congressman Ted Yoho who called her a vulgar insult as she was walking past him. In an attempt to apologize, Yoho claimed he had daughters and a wife, and therefore would never call AOC any names. She responded to Yoho's 'apology' and said, "… And that I could not let go. I could not allow my nieces, I could not allow the little girls that I go home to, I could not allow victims of verbal abuse and, worse, to see that — to see that excuse and to see our Congress accept it as legitimate and accept it as an apology and to accept silence as a form of acceptance, I could not allow that to stand. Which is why I’m rising today to raise this point of personal privilege." This quote explains how AOC makes it a point to identify the sexism and misogyny of the world, especially in a government setting. The pink background represents femininity, and the common assumption that the color is 'girly', which is typically used in an insulting context. Through this piece, I wanted to show that pink can symbolize strength and resilience, defying these stereotypes. There are powerful women who stand up for my rights daily and inspire me as a younger girl in society to advocate for what I believe in.
Chenxin "Cindy" Zeng, AP Art Student
The significance of this image is that it's the map of the world that we live in with borders of different countries. I painted each country with the color of their flag to emphasize how different each one of them are. The idea here is unity. I want to bring awareness that even though we're all different but we're all human. When an issue threatened the entire humanity, we are all in this together, like the covid-19 we face right now. I want to appreciate all the people who fight in the front line, like the doctors and nurses, because they not only fight for themself, their country, but most importantly for the entire humanity.
November Happenings
Being There for Non Binary Youth
Youth Eastside Services
November is National Native American Heritage Month
Celebrating rich & diverse cultures, traditions, & histories, & acknowledging the important contributions of Native People.
Real Rent Duwamish
"Real Rent calls on people who live and work in Seattle to make rent payments to the Duwamish Tribe. Though the city named for the Duwamish leader Chief Seattle thrives"
Longhouse Media
"The mission of Longhouse Media is to catalyze Indigenous people and communities to use media as a tool for self-expression, cultural preservation, and social change."
Eighth Generation
Supporting Small Businesses
Lynnwood and Bellevue
Seattle
Seattle
Kirkland
RET Newsletter is a Collaboration!
In collaboration with RET President CJ Green, the RET Newsletter is co-created by the Intersectionality Focus Group: Dawn Lamance, Erin Yen, Brenna Mahoney and Sam Van Waardhuizen. Our mission in part is to ensure more voices and representations are included in the discussion and implementation of initiatives enacted towards racial equity. If you have ideas for features in the next RET Newsletter, please email LWHSRacialEquityTeam@lwsd.org
For more information visit the RET website at LWHS Racial Equity Team.