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DIVERSITY TASK FORCE
DRIVEN BY DIFFERENCE School establishes new organizations that help celebrate, grow diversity Elena Vincenty | Staff Reporter
Eight minutes and 46 seconds pass as silence emanates throughout the crowd in honor of the death of George Floyd. Thousands of Americans protest racial tensions and demand justice for the lives lost, including in cities like Jacksonville.
Bishop Kenny’s administration published a letter on June 5 addressing the school’s stance against racism. Various discussions and ideas began in an attempt to find ways to improve racial inclusivity at BK.
In light of these discussions, Principal Orlando formed the BK Task Force on Diversity, a group of individuals appointed to represent “diverse voices and thoughts,” Orlando stated in the letter, and to help advise the school on racially sensitive topics.
The Task Force mission is to ensure the inclusion of all students, and, according to the school’s website, “to open wide our hearts and answer an enduring call to love.” It will focus on multiple goals: reviewing school policies and procedures, enhancing the school’s ability for conversations on racial equality and diversity training for the entire staff.
Task Force Chairperson Latasha Garrison, class of 1990, is an attorney who wanted to
CHAIRPERSON LATASHA GARRISON
be able to give back to the BK community.
Garrison has her own ideas to help diversify BK, but she began with a survey sent to stakeholders, collecting information on how the Task Force should move forward.
“This is an important topic for all of us, it’s not a topic just for the staff,” Garrison said. “It’s one [topic] that we all need to search our hearts and souls for as Jesus Christ would want us to; to figure out and make an impact and make a change. We see that there has been a social unrest and it cannot be ignored.”
Garrison would like to make sure diverse voices are heard and seen, voices like the namesake of the school’s performing arts center, Carla Harris, class of 1980, who is a singer, investment banker and executive.
“[The diverse voices could] help us in opening the minds and hearts of people who may not see this as an important issue,” Garrison said. “We definitely need to make sure that people understand how important this is.”
Foremost, Garrison would like the Task Force to have open communication with the students, and the first step in opening conversations and communication was the creation of the Diversity Student Union.
Junior Winston Peele, the Union’s president, is also on the Task Force. He wanted a group for people who are passionate about diversity and a space to be themselves.
“I want to make them feel comfortable for who they are,” Peele said. “They should not be discriminated [against] just because of their race … you can’t change your race. They [should feel that they] could make changes or make improvements in their own little community.”
One initiative that the Union would like to do is working in the community. The Student Union has 82 members currently. They are scheduling to work with the Clara White Mission, which is a non-profit organization for homeless or low-income, exoffenders and veterans to get back on their feet.
Members are also working with White Harvest Farms Youth Institute to help clear and clean up 14-and-a-half acres of land for the Clara White Group.
Not only is the Student
Union working within the community, but they also want to host an international bake sale to introduce BK students to different cultures through food.
“I want this group to just be themselves and be ready for the real world, [to be] citizens of this great world and not discriminate [against] anyone for who they are,” Peele said. He wants the Union to invite speakers to come in that understand some of the struggles of racism, as well as educate people on how diverse BK already is.
Peele would like the Union to continue recruiting members. Anyone can join by contacting Peele or any Student Union officers and attend a meeting.
“The students that we have are very passionate for the diversity that we have at BK, and they want to be part of that change to continue the diversity there,” Peele said.
