The Student Organization Against Racism (SOAR) is working to increase diversity in the literature taught in English classes at Park, according to junior co-president Olivia Massie.

“We started our project. It’s about the books that we read in school and how most of them are from dead white male authors, and how we want to see books written by people who look like us and with characters who look like us and that are normal characters too,” Massie said.

English teacher Andrew Wilkes said the literature taught in schools should reflect the diversity of students.

“I think the things we read need to reflect the students that we have,” Wilkes said. “So often you look at the stuff that’s being read in school and it’s the same things I read when I was in high school 35 years ago.”

Massie said the club plans to build off current curriculum in order to diversify literature taught in English classes while still meeting necessary standards.

“First we’re going to compile a list of all the English books that we have, and then we’re going to look at English requirements and standards they need to meet for the curriculum,” Massie said. “Then we’re going to make a list of alternative books teachers can use that are more diverse.”

Wilkes said reading a more diverse set of literature allows students to expand their perception of other perspectives and cultures.

“It’s kind of like Atticus Finch in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ when he says ‘to walk around for a mile in someone’s shoes,’” Wilkes said. “I think that’s what reading text from other perspectives and other cultures is; it’s a chance for you to, for a moment, get into somebody else’s shoes.”

Massie said students should join SOAR to expand their perspectives on race.

“Everybody should join and come because it’s something that we all need to improve and work on,” Massie said. “Right now we only really have people of color who are in it and it would be really helpful if there were white people in it because it’s a perspective they need to hear.”

SOAR adviser Joy Esboldt declined to comment.