Clarke Central High School English department teacher Jennifer Tesler stands with her son at the University of Georgia. Tesler believes it is important to protest police brutality in support of those who have lost their lives to it. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Tesler
On Saturday, June 6 in Athens, our community protested police brutality and historical oppression of Brown and Black bodies in our society. The National Guard arrived at noon to assist our local police force. The aim, to maintain peace. The night ended with tear gas and rubber bullets.
My son and I protested earlier that week in a gathering to support Black Lives Matter. We felt we needed to engage despite the risk of the virus. It was too important to not participate. We sat under the arches downtown with our masks on, in solidarity.
The oppression of, the rejection of, the invisibility of, the blaming of and disposability of Brown and Black bodies in our society is violence and results in death, most recently the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbury and now Rayshard Brooks.
No justice. No peace.
Before the 2020 school year ended prematurely, Clarke Central High School senior literature students engaged in projects where they thought deeply about ways that forces of oppression in our society have impacted their lives. If we allow ourselves to listen, we have much to learn from them.
America
What is white privilege
The American Image
Someone has been killed
Two suspects
The darker sentenced to life
While the white gets a slap on his wrist— By Cameran Daniel and Ashley Mendoza,
CCHS students
Put a finger down Challenge
Put a finger down if you have been called a racial slur
Put a finger down if you have ever dropped a class because you felt like you didn’t belong
Put a finger down if you ever been told “go back to your country”
Put a finger down if you have never learned about your race history without it being a specific month
Put a finger down if you have to depend on a sport for a scholarship
Put a finger down if you have ever been worried about paying bills
Put a finger down if you have ever been accused of stealing because of your looks— By Cameran Daniel and Ashley Mendoza,
CCHS students
The Wooden Table
The wooden empty table
Holding nothing but its weight
Not everyone is able
The risk,
The pain,
The bruises,
But why would you even bother?
You have nothing but a sense useless,
All you can do is pray to the holy father.— By Oscar Mejia,
CCHS student
