While all students understand the importance of DJ Henry Day and why we should celebrate his life, some students were confused on the relevance of some of the discussion topics. It can not be denied that the day was a success when it comes to spreading awareness and the Henry family’s message.
Senior Aisha Giraud says that “DJ Henry day was overall a successful day. It had students talking
about giving back to their community and what DJ means to the community.” Community was a big theme throughout the discussion. What does this community mean to you, what is your place in the community and how can we improve it together? Giraud also says “the discussion questions were for the most part good and allowed for discourse in most advisories.” The day was mainly about getting students to have open discussion on DJ’s Legacy and also the problems that OA is currently facing.
Yet students were left feeling confused about the true message of the day, as some signals were crossed. After overhearing discussions in the hallways and classrooms, it is evident that some students felt that questions asking about inclusivity and the atmosphere at OA didn’t feel like it fully fit into the discussion about DJ’s legacy and what happened to him.
Many feel as though there should have been two different days. One day dedicated to talking about DJ Henry. His story, his legacy and what we can do to continue his legacy and build our own. And one day dedicated to discussing systemic racism and how it affects our school and community.
Most students also felt that it was hard to have discussions in such small groups. Considering there were six discussions questions and only about 8-12 kids in an advisory, some of the questions were barely discussed. Claudia Cox says “I think that it’s hard to have good discussions in a small group.”
The videos also didn’t fully go in depth on what actually happened to DJ Henry Day and some of the younger grades haven’t been exposed to his story and were confused. It can be tough to answer questions about someone and their story when you don’t really know that person and their past.
It is of course a difficult topic to discuss in class, especially when it is a discussion held with your peers. That led to some awkward silence, especially in some of the younger advisories. Claudia suggested that the school look into hiring “a professional who is used to having these conversations that some teachers and students find difficult.”
The Peer Leaders thank all of you who participated and gave feed back and hope to one back stronger next year.