During an assembly on May 11, “I’m not racist… am I?” was the question on everyone’s minds.
Held in the auditorium during first and third periods, the assembly featured a screening of the documentary “I’m Not Racist…Am I?” and was mostly attended by juniors. The movie follows 12 teenagers from New York City as they participate in workshops and discussions about race, and will be shown to next year’s freshmen, sophomores, and juniors when school starts up in the fall. The film is being shown to the Wilson community in the hopes of igniting constructive conversations about race, discrimination, and identity.
“We are engaged in a school-wide initiative toward understanding our unconscious biases,” wrote Principal Kimberly Martin in an e-mail to Wilson parents. Showing the documentary is part of that initiative, as are the discussions about the movie and its themes that will be held before school on June 1 and 2 in the Black Box, and in some classes.
The rising seniors were shown the film before other classes so that the class of 2017, now the oldest students in the school, can act as leaders in the initiative. Similar thought-processes went into the staff’s screening of the documentary last week.
The film, released in 2014, was produced by Point Made Films and was directed by Catherine Wigginton Greene in partnership with The Calhoun School in New York City. The 12 students in the film, who had different backgrounds, races, and experiences, participated in real workshops and discussions as part of their “year-long journey to get at the heart of racism,” according to the film’s website. The students also carried on the conversations about race with their families and friends.
Tensions both racial and personal were sometimes present between the students, but as is explained on the film’s website, those moments show how the “difficult conversations” the students had regarding race affected their “relationships with friends and parents, and ultimately challenged them to look deep within themselves.”
Wilson students who viewed the film were also challenged to consider difficult questions about race and reflect on the film in general. A talk-back with the director, who was at the screening of the film, was held immediately after. Several students offered their thoughts on what they had seen in the film, asked Wigginton Greene questions about the process, and talked about their own experience with race and discrimination. Students ended up being dismissed late to STEP, because the discussion ran long.
If students have more to add to the conversation, workshops will be hosted in the Black Box at 8:00 a.m. Wednesday, June 1, and Thursday, June 2. All students are welcome to attend, even if they didn’t see the film this morning.
In the fall, lowerclassmen will have the opportunity to view the documentary, and there will also be a screening for parents and community members.
As Wilson embarks on its own journey to promote understanding and improve relationships within the community, activities like today’s screening may become commonplace.
PHOTO COURTESY OF I’M NOT RACIST AM I?
