#BlackatBLS Inspires #BlackatBLA

By: Britney Firmin ‘16 and DT Staff

     In response to the #BlackatBLS movement on social media a number of BLA students made some disturbing racist comments. These racist and inappropriate comments ignited a new movement, #BlackatBLA. Then, clash ensued.
     In response to the various concerns raised about the racial culture at BLA, Mr. Henninger has called a series of after school roundtable discussions for students to voice their concerns. These discussions include topics such as distributive justice and other activities sponsored by members of the BLA community. With suggested grade levels and a wealth of perspectives within the BLA community, these meetings are centered around the role that race plays at BLA.
      On Martin Luther King Day, members of a BLS student organization called Black Leaders Advocating for Change and Knowledge, launched a social media campaign also known as #BlackatBLS, with the mission of spreading awareness on the racial inequalities that are present within the school community.
      A Youtube video was posted where two representatives of B.L.A.C.K commented on how many of the racial issues, such as the use of offensive racial slurs, are often overlooked and not acknowledged by the school. Key leaders of this movement sought to address and confront these prime racial issues by empowering peers to partake in the discussion. this campaign was not limited to circumstances existing within BLS alone, but was open to allies and people of color who believe that there is a clear problem with race relations within their own communities across Boston Public Schools.
      The most recent  commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on January 18th, 2016 holds true in honoring his legacy as a prominent civil rights activist who strove to eradicate the social injustices that racially stigmatized African Americans on a daily basis. The Civil Rights era has historically revealed the racial inequalities that have existed in American society, and as progress was made during this time period, the notion of more work to be done and more progress to be made is an ideal that has manifested itself throughout later generations.
      However, when it comes to discussing and acknowledging race relations as we know them in America today, much tension arises especially as individuals strive to carry on a legacy that can serve as the foundation for a more racially cooperative and aware society.
       As this campaign gained momentum in the BLS community, students at BLA also took to social media to express their opinions and shed light on the many racial inequities that they find harmful to a more racially conscious and aware society. The #BlackatBLS social media campaign evidently inspired the #BlackatBLA movement as well. This trending hashtag was equipped with personal experiences in regards to the racial injustices that African Americans are facing within the school community and beyond. Many students took to Twitter and Instagram to express their views in support of this movement, while also identifying the many stereotypical and negative perceptions that are often associated with the African American community as a whole. At the same time, there was evident criticism of this campaign on social media from those who believe that these terse race relations are not present in our school communities. Though some critics believed that this social media campaign was unnecessary, the differing viewpoints  address the significant and complex issue of institutional racism as we know it in America. It can no longer be merely simplified as the segregational divide between blacks and whites. There are many layers to this discussion that have resulted in differing viewpoints over how exactly it can be seen and manifested amongst our peers and mentors.