Middle Schoolers Attended the Race and Community Symposium

On Friday, May 13, a small group of Newman 6th graders attended an event hosted by Welcome Table New Orleans geared towards discussing issues of race and inequality presently occurring within the city. Sixth graders from four different New Orleans schools (Newman, Crocker, McGehee, and ReNew Cultural Arts Academy) met together at the Ashe Cultural Arts Center to collaborate on solutions to help prevent and end inequalities plaguing New Orleans communities. Over the course of the day, our 6th graders met and heard from several speakers: Mayor Landrieu, local social rights activist Tom Quant, and Leon Waters, the Chair of the Louisiana Museum of African American History.

 

These speakers helped set the tone for the students’ own discussions in which they explored their own inherent biases and the barriers to overcoming them. Over the course of an afternoon, students worked together in small groups composed of members from each participating school to read, learn, share, and ultimately listen to the disparate experiences of peers living in the same city. At the end of the day, it was so inspiring to hear about the positive and revelatory experiences our students had. It is our hope that they will use what they have learned as they continue to grow and become leaders in our Newman community.