We Can Imagine Peace
Students, parents, staff, and teachers filed into the Schlagle auditorium as John Lennon’s “Imagine” sang over the speakers. On Friday, Feb. 29, while Lennon’s lyrics sang, “Imagine all the people living life in peace . . . I hope someday you’ll join us, and the world will be as one,” we stopped and tried to imagine how that kind of peace does not presently exist in our society. Like most people we, too, long for a world of peace. At the panel discussion on Friday morning, Schlagle Principal Mr. Douglas Bolden explained the goals for this demonstration. The goals were: 1. Students will be educated about Blacks in America – the struggles, victories, and accomplishments, 2. We will discuss what they can do to eradicate racial prejudice, and 3. We will stand up and be a voice for all people when we see injustice. We believe that, in essence, we need to have love and compassion for our fellow humankind. We believe the most important goal that Mr. Bolden mentioned is: standing up, and being a voice, for all people when we see injustice in the world. And that is where we believe some people at Schlagle failed. We saw examples of behavior contrary to tolerance and compassion. On Tuesday, Feb. 26, the roles of light- and dark-skinned people were reversed to illustrate the reality of living during the times of Jim Crow laws. Specifically, if your skin was darker than a brown paper bag, then you had more privileges including: use of vending machines, better access to restrooms and water fountains, more help and support from teachers, and preferential treatment when it came to tardys. Furthermore, we personally witnessed two fist fights occur between students, in front of the “darks only” sign on the doors of a restroom. Also, several offended students refused to stay at school that day. And many students whose skin were darker than the brown paper bag personally admitted that they were glad to be favored that day. They enjoyed the time, although discrimination was taking place. In the panel discussion on Feb. 29, Mr. Bolden said, “When you’re dealing with this ugly monster – racism and bigotry – I don’t know how you can wrap it up and make it look nice.” So we choose to overcome the ‘monster’ of racism and bigotry by embracing the positive things that exist in humanity: compassion and love. Perhaps the reason we felt so emotionally moved while hearing John Lennon’s Imagine is because we can imagine us living in peace. We have witnessed it many times. Despite the hate and intolerance and the anger that existed – and still exists – we challenge us all to embrace and celebrate times of compassion and love. For it is only with compassion and love that we believe we truly may eradicate racism.