The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)
Local teens start the conversation
Forum brings together local, state and federal officials with region’s youth
PHILADELPHIA » Students across the greater Philadelphia area participated in a virtual forum Friday morning to take a stand against racism and discuss a path forward to accomplishing change.
“I just want to make sure that when the history books are written, I’m on the right side of that, and the right side of that is making sure ... people can have justice in the world,” said Kramoh Mansalay, a student at Academy Park High School in Sharon Hill.
PCCY’s Teen Town Hall: Race and Racism, was broadcast on Zoom and streamed live on Facebook.
It was sponsored by the Public Citizens for Children and Youth. The event opened with a Youtube video showcasing the Chester Children’s Chorus’ powerful rendition of “I Still Can’t Breathe.” The panel discussion included teens, moderators as well as state and federal lawmakers.
“We have a moment here in American history that we’re living through that is unlike any moment of its kind at least in the last 50 years,” said U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA). “It’s a moral moment, and each of you is part of this, and each of you can contribute to it.”
U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-4th Dist., recalled 6-year-old Gianna Floyd saying that her “daddy
changed the world,” referring to the Memorial Day death of George Floyd while a Minneapolis police officer held a knee to his neck for nearly nine minutes. The video of Floyd gasping for breath has sparked racial protests around the world.
“I think her daddy did change the world because we’re all talking about it. Whatever the color of our skin, whatever place we came from, whatever our religion, we’re recognizing in this country we are struggling with systemic racism,” she said. “I think George Floyd is going to change the world.”
Floyd’s death has prompted a dialogue about racial injustice, speakers acknowledged.
“Racism is not only systemic, it is generational,” said Harry Cotter, a student at Ridley High School in Folsom.
Kelly Meinert, a student at Central Bucks High School East in Doylestown, admitted to ending friendships over this very topic.
“It can be a hard conversation to have, but if it’s a hard conversation to have it’s probably a conversation worth having,” Meinert said.
Others, like fellow Ridley High School student Kayla Cocci, have dealt with these issues firsthand.
“I am a product of the love that we lack in today’s society. My skin color is the outcome of the unity between white and black love. I have also been put in an awful position by my own brothers and sisters,” Cocci said in a statement released by PCCY following the virtual forum.
“I watch mortified with the reminder that my black brother could be Trayvon Martin, I cry with tears of frustration that my white grandparents who have raised me stare at their own race with anger, and with fear of the evil that they could do to women and men who look like their granddaughter and grandson,” she continued. “My skin is one color, but my heart is divided because of society.”
Alexis Bamford, a 2020 graduate of North Penn High School, used her time to ask a question to a local leader: Val Arkoosh, chairwoman of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners.
“What is the most common pushback or opposition you encounter when trying to implement changes related to cultural sensitivity or diversity, and how do you overcome that?” Bamford asked.
Arkoosh replied she received dissent from some based on fear, and urged continued actions to further notions of education, empathy and overall cultural sensitivity.
“Those are the things that we have to really promote because there is no question that our communities are so much stronger because of our diversity, and we just have to keep promoting that, standing up for it and defending it,” Arkoosh said.
Thirteen-year-old Gabe Peay attends school within the Norristown Area School District. He posed a striking question to panelists: “Why are police killing unarmed black men and getting away with it?”
State Rep. Jordan Harris, D-186th Dist. said there needs to be revamping of legislative language involving force.
“So we need to change the way we do our laws in Pennsylvania to actually address use of force, which is the amount of force a person can apply when they’re trying to arrest a person,” Harris said. “We also need to address the types of force that a person can use when they’re trying to arrest a person.”
Arkoosh acknowledged the “inherent structural racism” in society.
“I think there is just inherent structural racism and bias that so many white people carry around, and that can translate to having a much more aggressive response to a person of color than a white person by the police,” Arkoosh said.
Paris Thompson, a student at Springfield Township High School in Erdenheim, also raised concerns about transparency within area police departments.
“I was researching my township police department and … I realized that Pennsylvania doesn’t reveal the disciplinary records on the police officers, and I feel like I’d be a lot more comfortable in my township or just in general if things like this were released,” Thompson said.
Nearly three weeks after Floyd’s death, protesters across the country have called for widespread police reform.
Arkoosh added that Montgomery County has mobile task forces dedicated to dealing with issues involving mental health in homelessness. These professionals can be called in lieu of law enforcement for certain crisis situations.
“Those teams are prepared and trained to de-escalate and work with individuals who are not criminals. They just need some help,” Arkoosh said, referencing Peay’s initial question. “And so we hope that by doing some of those things we can eliminate what you’re talking about, which is brutal violence to particularly black men, who are almost always unarmed.”
Dean emphasized the importance of allocating financial resources for a number of underfunded areas including addiction, mental health and education.
“We have to go away from police officers as warriors and back to what they should be, which is guardians,” Dean said. Harris agreed.
“So with regard to our schools, I’m one that believes that we don’t need more armed police officers in schools,” Harris said. “What we need is more social workers in our schools, we need ... more folks who live in our communities to be in our schools. …We cannot criminalize childhood activities and childhood behavior.”
Additionally, U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans (D-03) noted that change starts with having these conversations with different people.
“When we talk about policies … you need other people to raise challenges about racial discrimination other than African-Americans. It can’t be that all of a sudden only African-Americans see it that way. It has to be [that] others see it that way,” Evans said.
“Is that person ‘woke’ about what is happening in the world today? And if that person is not woke, you can educate them,” he continued.
Casey noted that H.R. 7120: The Justice in Policing Act of 2020 was introduced in Congress last week. The sweeping piece of legislation deals with “a wide range of policies and issues regarding policing practices and law enforcement accountability.”
Elected officials including Dean said that legislative actions are just one piece of the puzzle.
“It’s not just dealing with policing,” Dean said. “It is dealing with how we spend our money… In addition to modernizing and reimagining how policing should be done, we have to invest in our communities.
“We have to invest in education, making sure it is equitable. We have to invest in housing, making sure it’s available, humane, safe and affordable,” she continued. “And we have to invest in jobs so that everybody has an equal shot at all of these opportunities.”
Tawanna Jones Morrison, a school psychologist and nonprofit founder, concluded the forum by expressing her gratitude to the students for their time, dedication and participation as younger generations continue to push for change.
“Some adults might not tell you this, but we are learning from you. You are leading the way,” Morrison said. “You identified the issues, and acted on them, and I encourage you to keep pushing, keep talking, keep marching toward the world that you want to live in.”