Protesters held umbrellas in one hand, and shined their phones' flashlights in the other. Rain beat against the ground in time with their chants. One at a time, members of a huddle called out the names of murdered or missing black men and women, including those who once belonged to their own small town.

“We are dying,” one student protester said, desperate to be heard while illuminated by the lights left on after a somber moment of silence.

On Sunday evening, Oak Park and River Forest High School (OPRF) students in Chicago held a protest in response to a series of racial incidents in the school’s halls and classrooms. After chanting outside, the group moved their efforts in, strategically disrupting a panel discussion for America to Me, a Starz documentary that centers around race, equity and racial parity at OPRF. The documentary follows the real-life stories of both students and staff, as they navigate the school, whose wide achievement gap was made evident in 2015 when white students averaged an ACT composite score of 27.4 and black students averaged a 19.1 score, the Chicago Tribune
reports.

Some students have found the documentary and the attention it has brought ironic. Although the series addresses equity as a concept, students continue to live each day without any action taken to improve conditions in the school's halls.

“Respect us; respect us as students,” OPRF senior Grace Gunn said during the protest. “I shouldn’t have to worry about my black teachers feeling unsafe just like I do.”

Gunn’s impassioned words addressed one of three recent racial incidents at the school within the last two weeks. The first occurred on Oct. 23, when OPRF sophomore Naahlyee Bryant was listening to rapper Juice WRLD in class, and his teacher asked that the music be lowered or shut off. Assuming that the explicit lyrical content was the issue, Bryant switched to artist Lauryn Hill, and asked his fine arts teacher Michelle Carrow if the alternative was better.

“Yes, it’s much better,” Bryant recalled Carrow saying. “Better than n****r music.”

According to Bryant, Carrow used the same language two other times, before he walked into the photography class’ dark room to recompose himself. Upon return, the 15-year-old invited Carrow into the hall to discuss his frustration.

“She said she was mimicking what was said, and that it was the first thing that came to her head,” Bryant told Blavity. “I was like, ‘You said it two or three times, and that’s not cool. You offend so many people when you say that, and it’s not just me — not just a couple of kids in this class. It’s everybody.’”

Bryant’s mother, Charisse Mims, admits to being shocked by the situation.

“I don’t know what gave her the audacity to think she could use that kind of language, especially in the days and time that we are in now,” Mims said. “I would hope, coming from this, that staff will think twice about using this language going forward. It’s not OK.”

During a community conversation hosted by the school on Wednesday, students addressed administration and community leaders with their concerns. An OPRF senior asked if a zero-tolerance policy was in place to tackle situations where teachers used racist language. Officials were not able to fully discuss the happenings of Carrow’s case, as actions are still underway. Though Blavity reached out to both OPRF principal Nathaniel Rouse and Carrow, neither offered a response.

Students continued to challenge administration during the conversation. Many questioned officials' intentions, with regards to handling a pattern of racist graffiti found around the school. The first graffiti appeared on Nov. 2 with the words “dancing n****r Anthony Clark” scrawled across a shed near the school’s tennis courts. Beneath it were two swastikas and a proclamation of “white power.”

Facebook, courtesy of Anthony Clark

“Today I was blatantly reminded of how racist systems react when I and others respond by pushing for justice,” Anthony Clark, an OPRF teacher and outspoken community activist wrote in a responding Facebook post. “While as a child, I required comfort and reassurance from others, as a man I require others to identify what they are wiling to risk and sacrifice for systemic change.”

The second graffiti mark was found four days later on Nov. 6.

“All n****rs need to die,” the graffiti said. “Death to Blacks and Muslims. Gas the Jews.”

This just happened, so forgive me if you’re #AmericaToMe means nothing to us #OPRF @oprfhshuskies pic.twitter.com/Cub1xhR5B1— Brittany Justine (@RealBrittanyJay) November 7, 2018

Local Rabbi Adir Glick was alarmed by the displays and what they could mean for the future.

“When you have two incidents, it starts to feel like a trend, and we cannot let it become a trend,” Rabbi Glick said during the community conversation. “For communities with a history of oppression, like the Jewish community and African-American community, we don’t look at this as an isolated incident; we think, ‘Here we go again.’”

During the conversation, Rabbi Glick sat a few chairs away from Grace, and several more from Clark. Students of different races and communities spoke up between them. The image was reminiscent of the first night in the rain, when student protesters drew a crowd of all colors and beliefs to their message. In those moments, adults simultaneously realized their methods were not working, and it was time to listen to the youth.

According to OPRF’s Students Advocating for Equity member Ryhen Miller, the young protesters demand an increase in the amount of teachers of color, a racial equity policy, an inclusive curriculum and representation on the school’s board.

Most recently, on Nov. 9, students were anonymously mass–airdropped an image of a swastika and rumors of a threat made against the school spread, leading many to go home early.

“Our goal for our school community is to do everything possible so that our staff, students and families are not put in harm’s way,” OPRF Superintendent Joylynn Pruitt-Adams and school board President Jackie Moore wrote in a letter of response. “We won’t tolerate our school being used as a springboard for hate.”

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