Park’s Students Organized Against Racism recently held its second uncensored race panel. The panel allowed students and faculty to pre-submit questions to be answered by a diverse group of students at the panel itself.

The Student Organization Against Racism (SOAR) panel members touched on issues pertaining to students of color at Park, as well as the lack of diversity in higher level classes. The Echo Editorial Board believes this is an issue that needs to be discussed further within our school community.

The Editorial Board recognizes the discomfort that can come along with being in a class as the only person of a certain race, especially because the higher level courses offered by the high school are populated largely by white students. We also feel students of color in high level classes should not be forced to speak on the behalf an entire community simply to provide a different perspective.

An issue we observed is the lack of diversity within curriculums of higher level classes that could discourage students of color from taking them. For example, white students interested in their ancestry can learn about it in classes like AP European History and IB History. However, the school offers little to no courses breaking down history from continents like Africa, Asia and South America unless teaching about white colonization.

The Editorial Board applauds SOAR representatives for their willingness to vocalize their viewpoints, as well as their courage to talk about race so openly, something often tabooed in our society.

We urge educators of higher level classes at Park to adjust their curriculums to include a more diverse view of the world in order to appeal to a larger demographic of students. We also urge students to vocalize their questions rather than to continue making assumptions.