[Personal opinion of Annika Verma who is a junior at Pennridge High School.]
The rise of COVID-19 and our reckoning with racial tensions have us reevaluating much of what has been taught in schools. These past few years have been times of introspection for many, and communities are widely shifting their focus to what children are learning.
One of the most controversial topics is the conversation and action surrounding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs.
We have seen the scorching headlines of local school board meeting decisions and public outrage from parents.
The majority of the controversy surrounding DEI efforts comes in the form of accusations about critical race theory, or CRT. For context, CRT is associated with the concept that racism is not the product of individual bias, but rather something immersed into legal systems and governmental policies.
From community members to elected officials, there have been calls to condemn DEI as a form of critical race theory.
I attend a public school in an area that is surrounded by boroughs and municipalities that are, on average, over 90% white.
When I go to Pennridge High School and realize that DEI was paused indefinitely with all but one school board member voting to keep it, it furthers the divide and strikes racial minority students at Pennridge.
As superficial as certain efforts for DEI may be, they have one foot in the door. Schools must look to their community and students for further insight as to how they may truly represent the historically underrepresented.
Related Content: