High School for All
Carrboro High School Black & Brown Student Coalition founders: Navia Mosely, Phoenix Tudryn, Julian Taylor, Walker Robinson and Rekiyah Bobbitt.
Photo by Katerena DePasquale
Inspired by the activism surrounding them in an incensed America, Carrboro High School students banded together in forming affinity group The Black & Brown Student Coalition.
Recognizing the importance of representation in combating current issues exposed in our country, local high school students launched an anonymous, inclusive podcast platform to amplify the voices of disenfranchised or otherwise affected classmates.
To uplift voices that are left out, this student podcast directly conveys urgent messages from many young minds by providing an opportunity for fellow classmates, particularly minority students, to speak out and be heard, in the hopes of creating better teacher understanding of what different students are dealing with.
First of all, congratulations to each of you for the successful launch of your platform! Is this the start of your telecommunications journey?
Phoenix Tudryn: This is the start of our telecommunications journey. We understand that podcasts and other forms of media give us a really easy way to amplify student voices while also maintaining the safety of those involved due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We also realize that podcasts are a great way to spread our message and also include all who are interested. We are currently working on another podcast that provides black teens in the Triangle with a platform to speak about life in their own communities and their reactions to events that occurred this summer, like the murder of George Floyd and nationwide protests. We are building a platform for students of color to speak out about their experiences and opinions. This is one of the reasons why we founded The Black & Brown Student Coalition, and this is something that we will continue developing.
What inspired your classmates to unionize in this way?
Phoenix Tudryn: Having been at Carrboro High for a while, we know there are many issues within our school system when it comes to equity and inclusion. We acknowledge that our teachers and staff are doing the best they can in most cases to address them, but, at some point, student voice and leadership is necessary to foster an environment where change is possible.
As student leaders, we can now point out issues that directly affect our student body and also come up with action initiatives to address and resolve them.
Essentially, as students, we saw the opportunity to instill the changes that we think could benefit our school - not only for those who currently attend it, but also for those who will, in the future.
Why is providing anonymity important for your podcast?
Navia Mosely: We want this to be a safe and comfortable place for the students. As a group, we figured that we would have more stories to tell and put out if people knew it was an anonymous platform.
How is hosting a podcast platform different from meeting with administrators and sharing stories?
Julian Taylor: We’d always like to provide the students the option to remain anonymous.
Further, just reading out quotes or typing stories is never going to be as powerful as sharing voices. Our goal is to have the communication be as direct as possible, and in a podcast format, teachers can hear these students’ voices directly.
The podcast also means that teachers from any school can listen whenever. It’s a lot more accessible and widespread in dissemination than holding a meeting and allowing teachers to join, should they choose to. If the podcast is always there for them, they have no excuse for being disconnected with the struggles of their disadvantaged students. Our current platform also means that we can scale it and upload more stories as they come to us.
What might students be experiencing that teachers and administrators may not be aware of?
Rekiyah Bobbitt: There are a lot of things that students have been experiencing that teachers may not be aware of, especially given the stress, pressure, and restrictions due to COVID- 19.
For students, these could consist of: numerous problems in an unsafe home environment, a depleted healthy mental state, dramatic increase in stress levels, working more hours to support their families, not having access to school supplies, food insecurity, their parents getting laid off, not having a place to focus while attending school and doing homework, having to be left at home unsupervised, having to look after younger siblings, etc. The list goes on.
There are so many different real life situations that some students experience everyday. Students also might not feel comfortable communicating personal information directly to teachers and staff, so that’s why having an anonymous podcast platform is very significant.
What kind of stories have already been shared on your podcast?
Walker Robinson: Many students have shared stories of the effects the past five months have had on them personally. For some, this time has increased anxieties and feelings of sadness or depression; some others have had more time to do relaxing things during quarantine.
There is also a feeling of isolation created from the lack of daily interaction. The current quarantine situation has had a wide range of effects on the mental health of students. Due to COVID-19, parents are often not at home, leaving students and their siblings home unattended. Some students of color have felt like they had to keep their distance from society because they feel their community does not have their back. Students have also voiced concerns with their online school format - how it is difficult to manage and get their work done and not procrastinate under the current system. These stories are important to hear, and by continuing to share them, this podcast can help foster change.
Representation is the foundation of liberal democracy. How does your media platform directly increase representation of marginalized groups?
Navia Mosely: We want to promote our group in as many ways as possible. Posting on social media helps a lot with putting us out there: most of the students that we want to be heard communicate through social media, so why not make it easier for them to contact us and be updated?
Julian Taylor: At Carrboro High, and most other schools, I assume, student government does not represent the student body well, even though it is also one of the only student groups that has open lines of communication with our administration. Student government is almost entirely white, but our school is far more diverse than that. Campaigning for school president, treasurer, etc., is a time-consuming process, and often amounts to a popularity contest - it’s rarely a priority for disadvantaged students who may have an abundance of personal responsibilities to deal with in their home life.
The Black & Brown Student Coalition podcast was created for these students. There aren’t any other clear outlets that allow them to be heard by their teachers while remaining anonymous. If anyone has a problem that they need direct help with, they can always go to a teacher or counselor, but the podcast allows teachers to understand the scope of what many students may encounter or deal with daily.
How can we listen to and keep up with your podcast?
Rekiyah Bobbitt: We understand that students have busy schedules, so we try to plan ahead and collect as many contacts as possible. With the start of the school year, it can be difficult getting students to participate. Still, we hope to keep making podcasts throughout the year, and we post on our instagram twice a week. You can access the podcast on our soundcloud.