Rosa, Rosa, Roll On

SYLVIA WINSTON
Features Editor

Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson once said, “In many ways, history is marked as ‘before’ and ‘after’ Rosa Parks. She sat down in order that we all might stand up, and the walls of segregation came down.”

Ever since the beginning of our educational career, we were taught the importance of diversity and the effects it has on our lives. Many scholars know who Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr. and Fredrick Douglas are and what their contributions to society are. However, at AHS, a handful of students fall under this ethnic group and many do not speak freely about their roots. What would have happened if a woman such as Parks never refused to give up her seat or a man like King never recited his famous speech “I Have a Dream”?

For starters, we would not be able to mingle with our fellow classmates and friends during lunch,
“One of my best friends is African American and I love spending time with her. I wouldn’t like to be separated from during lunch period,” junior Grace Diep said.

The opportunity we have to be together with other ethnic groups during school is something many take for granted. During that era of segregation, the prejudice that many young African-Americans experienced caused them undue stress.

Although many argue that segregation still exists in America, the effort we do to counteract discrimination is not overseen by AHS students.

“I enjoy seeing students gather during lunch and after school to talk about their day, not caring what ethnicity their friends belong to. It proves that we have come far,” sophomore Elisa Martinez said.