Initial Thoughts. Reaction to their power

Sometimes what we say must be contentious. Sometimes you must be uncomfortable. You have to sit in that discomfort and see it for what it is. Sometimes, that ‘fineline’ is superfluous. Being smooth sailing, being careful, pleasing people is irrelevant. What you want may be to incite peace and positivity but in our state of violet discord, that is not possible without first seeing that there is a lack of peace and a battle for positivity. It is not possible until we have actively rejected the self-serving foundational pillars of our functioning.

There is no point at which we can just say ‘this is other people’s issue’, there is no ‘other people’. There are only people. You may feel removed and disinclined to “say something” because you find comfort in keeping your head above water, on the surface; a removal that allows you to maintain some false sense of superiority because you are not involved. You can automatically repeat that it is not something in which we have a place to act as a school and that we must be careful, but you will do so while behind you, historical anguish erupts and you have no ownership over your place in the world. This is an institution that raises human beings. What is it that you want them to learn?

You say we must be careful because we cannot push our opinions upon others. In this instance, this is no longer a relevant thought. You say it is wrong to use children to present ideas. That it is not for us to confront them. There is no age too young to learn about voice. No age too young to learn about its vitality. There is no protection for children against injustice so there should not be a shield over their understanding of it or their ability to challenge it. You want to inspire achievement, but you teach them that to achieve is to be obedient. You won’t teach them that to achieve isn’t to spectate or suppress, but to own and to move. 

As the head student of this school, I have and will always act with the intentions of bettering Mount Aspiring College. To let us do nothing would, to me, leave us in a position of hollow indifference with a confused idea of what it is to be a citizen of this world. What it is to be proud. It leaves the future positioned to choose blindness over change. 

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ASSEMBLY 10/6/20

I invite you to have conversations. Don’t be afraid to be open, to have discussions and to search for more information. Sometimes you have to be uncomfortable in order to see things honestly. Having ownership over your voice is a part of being a citizen of this world. Don’t be afraid to use yours. And be thoughtful when you do so. Inclusion is a principal value of our school and we need to engage in a way that recognizes individual value and contribution.  This is not ‘other people’s’ problem, there are no ‘other people’, there are only people. As a school and as human beings, solidarity is vital. If you want to learn more about what has happened and is happening currently in the world, there are many opportunities available for you to educate yourself. There are also several anti-racism charities to which, if you choose to, you can donate to such as the George Floyd GoFundMe page, the GoFundMe page for his daughter, Gianna and The Bail Project. If you’d like to hear more about these options or please feel free to speak to us. There’s a group of people having these conversations at school who are exploring ways to bring these opportunities to you. This is ongoing

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A speaking platform- event? certain people to speaking, do so asap then from there invite others to listen and share, through whatever means, written, spoken, conversational, art, A platform for work, ideas, words -billboard ?

• specific, you, to someone/people so need to be more broad to students as well while still being direct
• take some out to fill in with stuff below- not what I already said at assembly
• know it!!!! Paper but no stand. holding mic

Racism is a complex cultural disease, insidiously apart of our society and the ways by which we function no matter who we are. You may reject the idea that you may have a role to play in racism- But .

hate is a manifestation of racism, as is privilege.

White. Racism. Privilege. Voice. Truth. Ignorance.

When you speak, who are you speaking for? So often our actions and words hit at a perpendicular angle rather than running parallel to each other. Be critical of yourself, your own values and whether or not your actions and words align with them.