Justice Week Explores Dynamics of Race

By Ellen Murphy '22, Communications Apprentice
February 10, 2021

The longstanding Justice Week tradition focuses our attention on a different societal issue each year. For 2021, the chosen topic was “Exploring the Dynamics of Race.” Inspired by the uprisings in the summer of 2020 following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, students chose to learn more about racism and how they can address and change it.

Within the limitations due to the pandemic, the Justice Week committee worked very hard to get their message across.

“Our goal is to focus on the dynamics of racism and open students’ eyes to how oppressed people are and what we, as individuals, can do to better our society,” said Annie Noyes '22, a member of the Justice Week Committee. 

Before the week started, members of the Student Council spoke to students about the civil discourse guidelines they developed earlier this year. They discussed the importance of engaging in conversations that can sometimes feel uncomfortable and shared how to appropriately participate in such conversations.  

The basics of their policy are to “listen first, think second, and speak third.” When engaging in conversations with people who have different opinions than your own it is extremely important and beneficial to listen to everything others have to say and learn as much as possible about different perspectives. 

All students viewed a keynote presentation by Dr. Anton Treuer, a consultant for our Dismantling Racism Initiative and a Professor of Ojibwe. They also heard Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche on “The Danger of a Single Story,” which explored the dangers of stereotypes that are placed on those with different cultures.

In addition to the all-school programming, teachers were provided with resources to incorporate into their lessons. Students may have participated in a Say Their Names Prayer Service, researched the connections between race and impacts of the pandemic, watched the PBS documentary “Jim Crow of the North,” or read The Highwaymen, a play about the 1956 construction of I-94 and the displacement of people in the Rondo neighborhood, among other activities.  In addition, students were reminded of the story of former Cretin teacher, now on the path to sainthood, Blessed Brother James Miller and how he dedicated his life's work to addressing injustices.

There are also visuals around the school to help students reflect and understand how systematic racism is still extremely prevalent today. One of the biggest visuals, and the thing many committee members hope will resonate with students, is the chairs set up in the Blessed Brother James Miller courtyard. The chairs represent African American people whose lives have been taken because of police brutality.

“I saw a similar thing done in Washington DC that was a symbol of the people who have died from COVID-19, and I think it was really cool that the Justice Week Committee thought of such a simple yet meaningful visual for students to walk by and reflect every day they’re in the building,” said Colin Benick ‘22. 

By taking an interdisciplinary approach, students had the opportunity to discover the dynamics of race and begin the process of addressing racism in ourselves, our school community, country, and world. Inspired by the example of Blessed Brother James Miller, they were empowered to be a light for the world. 

“Overall, I feel Justice Week helped me get a better grasp of how systematic racism affects people’s daily lives and what I can do to be part of the solution,” said Tyler Mader '22.

Ellen Murphy '22 is a Communications Apprentice. She sees herself as creative and a leader, and is also a member of the volleyball team, math team, and involved in The Chronicle. She is excited to share her writing and ideas with the broader CDH community.