Making sure the POC community feels safe enough to speak about issues that we have are very important for the generations behind us. A child should never have to feel unsafe at school or feel like their voice isn’t loud enough. All I’m asking is for change to happen, a teacher and/or a student should be talked to when putting someone down directly. Meaning if a student says something to the teacher that the students knows is wrong they should be pulled aside and talked to but if it a continuous behavior, further action like detention or an apology should be taken, that also goes for teachers. I’ve had conversations with a teacher that always went one way they felt like the things that me as an African American girl were saying about my people weren’t true and that I was just talking. That hurt me because yes I’ve encountered racism but for it to happen on school grounds more than once it’s uncalled for. Something has to change and the goal is for that something to change. Teachers and peers are supposed to work together, yes I understand that it has been over 400 years and we’re still having to do silent protest and petitions but if that change is gonna happen then it needs to happen sooner than later and it’s sad to say but it will have to start somewhere and I chose Ben Davis University High School.