Jun 8

Jun 8 Racism at Hamilton: A Structural Battle

Olivia George, Jasleen Kaur, Bronwyn Rhoades

Section IV of the 2021-2022 Hamilton Student Handbook clearly states:

““The Hamilton School District is committed to a policy of non-discrimination on the basis of sex, race, religion, national origin, ancestry, creed, pregnancy, marital or parental status, sexual orientation, color, disability, physical, mental, emotional or learning disability, handicap, or any other factor provided for by state and federal laws and regulations.” ”

“I do not think I have ever been satisfied with a final outcome of a racial matter at Hamilton High School.” Qamryn Ross, a senior at Hamilton, expressed her frustration with the way staff and administration handle instances of racism. Many report to the administration about racism in this school, but what really comes of it?

Hamilton High School touts a no-tolerance policy that aims to resolve any issues of bullying or other discriminatory practices as soon as they arise. With a growing student body and a subsequent growth in the number of students of color, the enforcement of this policy has been questioned more often. Hamilton students of color have expressed blatant acts of racism to the administration and staff on multiple occasions with what they perceive as little to no response. Hamilton staff and administration must address acts of racism more effectively and efficiently in order to foster a safer and more equal environment for Hamilton students of color.

How has the administration responded to
reports of racism?

“It seems that the administration makes excuses to not punish the students who are acting in these ways because they don't want to make the school look bad,” states Rosa Martinez, sophomore at Hamilton. She further explains, “They want proof of these incidents happening and it seems that the most they would do is talk to the students about being better.”

Several students of color see the lack of disciplinary action as Hamilton’s desire to brush incidents of racism under the rug. Ross shared, “In my experience, it's debatable to even say that these situations are ‘dealt with.’ It seems like the general idea is to be efficient and quiet and simply keep the peace when in reality my peace has already been disrupted and they don't want to acknowledge or do anything about it.”

Many students perceive the lack of action by the administration as intentional ignorance to make things “easier” or to make the school “look better.” According to ascd.org, rather than focusing on preserving the school’s image, approaching racial conflict directly has proven to be more effective. The administration has the ability to hold students accountable for improper discriminatory language, regardless of physical evidence or visual proof, such as a video.

Section IV of the student handbook also states, “Hateful language that does not respect individual characteristics, such as race, gender, sexual orientation, cultural background, religious belief, body type, etc. is inappropriate and will not be tolerated.” This statement is furthered with descriptions of potential consequences: “Disciplinary referrals for language offenses may be made on a progressive scale. Progressive discipline includes consequences, which range from reprimands to out-of-school suspension and possible police referral.” If administration highlights potential consequences of verbal discrimination in the student handbook, why are students of color consistently denied adequate repercussions for racist acts that they consistently are forced to come face to face with?

“It’s kind of hard to report something if you know there will not be an outcome,” states Jordan Thomas, current junior at Hamilton. Our students of color are being denied the opportunity to be heard and taken seriously. When it comes to reporting, as Thomas voiced, students feel like what they express does not matter. This deters students of color from coming forward because they know that nothing will come from what they report.

How have teachers failed their students of color and how can this be addressed?

Students at Hamilton regularly encounter microaggressions within the classroom. Nevaeh Hughes, sophomore, shared, “I was in class and we were talking about slavery and I was clearly uncomfortable when my teacher asked a question regarding our opinion and [this teacher] called on me even though my hand wasn't up and a bunch of other people's were. I was the only Black student in the class.”

Many students of color voiced a desire for improving education and conversations about race. Erika Houston, sophomore, stated, “I wish the school would do a better job of educating students on what’s appropriate and inappropriate to say.”

From repeated name mispronunciation to blatant ignorance of racist situations arising in classrooms, staff has furthered the hateful space in Hamilton classrooms by not properly addressing these situations. Microaggressions formulate in many ways that may not come across as obviously racist.

Many students of color at Hamilton have been victims of a very common microaggression: name mispronunciation. Mispronouncing a name isn’t the problem; the problem arises when the student of color feels they need to go by a pronunciation that isn’t correct in order to fit in. Many students of color aren’t called by their real names because they are “too hard” for teachers and students to pronounce. The reality is that staff need to be able to actively listen to their students of color when they correct the pronunciation of their name and make an active effort to correctly say their name. Asking if they have a nickname they could be called, or simply repeating the incorrect pronunciation after correction causes students of color to feel that they are different, that they don’t matter enough for their name to be properly pronounced. It causes a loss and confusion of identity as students are constantly debating which name to be called: their real name or their “American” name (theedadvocate.org).

Ross further articulated that she wishes teachers would “foster open and empathetic conversations about it in class so that students aren't afraid of them, but also have a forum to learn about it and from one another. Shying away does nothing but amplify the problem.”

According to the article, “Children Are Not Colorblind: How Young Children Learn Race,” children as young as preschoolers develop a concept of race. The biases developed at a young age are determined by societal and environmental factors. It is the ethical responsibility of the public education system to ensure that those biases are prevented as children mature.

As the students above stated, incorporating open discussions about race and educating students on the use of racially sensitive language would foster a more equity-focused environment, which Hamilton claims it strives to achieve. These conversations need to occur not only in English and History classes but throughout the entire school. Science and Math focused classes have become breeding grounds for Asian American students to feel targeted and experience microaggressions without any repercussions. The model minority stereotype has infiltrated these classes in a way of attributing good grades in these fields to the expectation that Asian Americans are always smart. This plays a key role in deteriorating Asian American mental health and puts undeniable pressure to succeed, placing self-worth on academic achievement and abiding by the expectations of others.

On the other hand, Black students of color are often underestimated in their classes with teachers and students utilizing false stereotypes that those students are not as academically successful. This double-standard causes Black students to have to constantly prove themselves in classes in order to be seen as “acceptable” in an unwelcoming environment.

On both sides of the spectrum, stereotyping can create expectations that are detrimental to the development and health of students of color. Staff must actively attempt to decrease stereotyping at Hamilton in order to create equal opportunities for all students.

How can Hamilton staff and administration implement change to decrease discrimination?

Pursue repercussions for discriminatory actions

“I think racial discrimination needs to have much more serious repercussions in order to be taken seriously by the student body. Casual incidents of racism occur every day, and they are so common that no one thinks anything of it. We’ve literally grown used to racism,” expressed Soumaya Drover, senior at Hamilton. The harsh reality is that students of color have become accustomed to being cast out at this school. Growing “used to racism” is not something an accepting environment fosters. This “equity-focused” school fails to incorporate its students of color time and time again, ignoring their qualms and failing to turn promises into actions that further growth and acceptance. It is imperative that the handbook is followed as the policy is written in which administration highlights its commitment to equity for all. This equity can only be achieved and protected if staff and administration take the action to hold students accountable for racist acts which pose a threat to the safe space for students of color, inherently denying the promised “equity.”

Educate students and staff about the importance of equality

The first step in reducing the number of microaggressions and outwardly racist acts toward students of color begins with educating the student body. It is possible for staff and administration to implement discussions that focus on educating students on the severity of racial discrimination. A student who wished to remain anonymous suggested, “There are lessons every Monday teaching basic things like respect, kindness, integrity, etc. They could add some lessons to teach people about racism.” Implementing more open discussions in the classroom through something as simple as advisement lessons exemplifies the fact that creating an inclusive environment for all students may not require extremely drastic changes.

Many students have expressed their dissatisfaction with the way Hamilton administration and staff have responded to reports of racism. From racially insensitive language being dismissed in classrooms to ignored reports of racial discrimination in administration, many students of color believe they are consistently denied equal treatment at Hamilton. Hamilton has the ability and potential to implement different policies and actions to stop this trend of ignorance. This also goes hand in hand with training staff through the lens of equity. Staff needs to be able to address situations of racism with a firm hand while also being able to actively listen to their students of color. Equity-based training will also increase the comfort level of students of color in the classroom and they will likely be more inclined to report incidents of racism if they feel that their teachers know how to properly address the situation.

Make reporting racial discrimination easier

Students may brush off incidents of racism if they feel that there is no clear way to report them. Administration can increase the ease of reporting by creating a system that quickly and effectively receives reports and proceeds with disciplinary actions. Education.uconn.edu details the requirements for an effective reporting policy: “This component often lays out a specific procedure for responding to an incident including requiring a written report, timeline for resolution, documentation of resolution, and family notification.” Many students of color experience both extreme racism and microaggressions often in school, without a timely way to make a report and see change.

Hamilton Administration has a form posted on the district website to report danger at Hamilton, but this form is vague in purpose and meaning, which could confuse many students. Furthermore, many students do not know about this form, making its existence less significant. A student may choose to remain anonymous on this form, or include their name. While this form may be helpful in some cases, it does not specifically specify that discrimination may be reported but instead focuses on illegal activity and suicide.

To make reporting racism easier, a separate form should be offered. This form would specifically regard reporting racism anonymously in an efficient manner. A more efficient reporting process may increase the percentage of racial discrimination that gets reported and, coupled with fair consequences, has the potential to significantly decrease the amount of racism at Hamilton.

Make an active effort to pronounce your students of color’s names correctly

Too many times, students of color are forced to assimilate into society by giving up a key part of their identity: their name. The constant mispronunciation of a child’s name affects their confidence level and sense of identity for the worse. Staff should ask their students of color how to pronounce their names correctly, even privately, as many students may not feel comfortable correcting the teacher in front of the whole class. Go up to your students and ask them if you pronounced their name right and make it your job to make them feel that you truly want to know. The baseline of this is respect. Students of color being stripped of their identity by having their name mispronounced happens much too often and the first step to changing this is showing that you care and respect your students as individuals with a variety of backgrounds.

Offer students of color support

“Listen to the kids, if teachers want students to feel welcome, listen to POC kids when they go through these things. The teacher's skin color doesn't matter; what matters is that the students know the teachers will support them,” Maya Bell states. Teachers have the capacity to offer students a strong support system through education. Building trust and equality between students can be achieved by enforcing the no-tolerance policy of discriminatory actions and language. When racial discrimination is constantly excused at Hamilton, the experiences of students of color are consistently invalidated while the perpetrators of these racist acts are placed on a pedestal. Every classroom has a teacher with the ability to offer support to students of color, and it is vital that this ability is utilized.

Hamilton staff and administration must actively aim to decrease racism, from policy implementation to education. School should be an equal and safe environment, not a place where children of color are faced with the normalization of discrimination.

Please read Part I of this series: Racism at Hamilton: The Voices of our Halls