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Students hold their own 'diversity day' after school board voted to cancel the tradition

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

Students at Ohio high school take matters into their own hands.

In elementary school we had a day where everyone would bring a cultural dish, come dressed in their culture’s traditional garb and present to the class about where you came from. The day was always a mix of kids talking about their German, Italian or Polish traditions while the Black kids were left a bit uncomfortable because the link to our heritage had been broken. Sure we brought food that some of us looked up in the encyclopedia. You know, back before the days of the internet. I remember being slightly mortified when my mom suggested bringing cornbread or collard greens because I knew none of the other kids would be bringing southern staples that day.

While the school attempted to check off the box for diversity, it was not a well-thought-out plan and caused a bit of embarrassment and harm. So when a school works to get it right and use their diversity day to discuss social issues and include interactive activities, you want to see it succeed. Turpin High School in Anderson Township, Ohio, had a tradition of holding diversity day where they did just that. Students and staff talked about hard topics and participated in activities where students were required to opt in with a permission slip from their parents. But this year, the school board postponed the much-anticipated day less than 24 hours before the event was to take place and then canceled it altogether.

It was later revealed that the school board took issue with certain language, activities and content of Turpin's diversity day. One school board member, Sara Jonas, called diversity day offensive to Black families that she knows in the district and offered an alternative. Her solution? Share foods and music from different cultures instead of discussing social justice issues. The students at Turpin High were not interested in her suggestion and were upset that the event many students were looking forward to was canceled at the last minute.

The itinerary was changed to address the concerns raised but the school board didn’t budge on its decision and a protest broke out at the meeting, where parents joined students in chanting. The school board sent out a newsletter officially canceling the event, making the decision final despite the joint efforts to reinstate it.

Instead of accepting the fact that diversity day wasn’t going to happen, students decided to take the event into their own hands. Claire Mengel, a senior at Turpin High School, told WKRC Local 12, “I am scared to ask a teacher to go to the bathroom during a test, but I think there are some issues you have to take a stand on.”

Mengel went on to say, “If authority isn’t protecting your needs or listening to you, then they shouldn’t be in authority.” The students have planned to hold their own diversity day off campus on May 18 as well as hold a peaceful demonstration on the same day. These kids are hoping their efforts will bring about meaningful change and their community will be better for it.

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These German pilots stopped the deportation of over 200 asylum seekers on their flights.

Germany has become a focal point for the immigration debate in Europe.

The European nation has opened its doors to asylum-seekers and refugees looking for a safe haven. Recently, Chancellor Angela Merkel agreed to accept 10,000 U.N. refugees into the country; between January and July 2017, Germany reportedly accepted approximately 117,000 asylum seekers.

What happens to asylum seekers who are turned away? Unfortunately, if they appeal the decision regarding their rejected asylum applications and are denied, they risk deportation. According to Germany's Office of Immigration and Refugees, the country has rejected 210,000 asylum seekers.

But several German pilots have been preventing asylum seekers from being deported in a truly "Hail Mary" fashion.

Throughout all of 2017, these pilots refused to fly planes set to deport 222 Afghan asylum seekers. The stand down from these flights comes from a controversial European Union decision to designate Afghanistan as a "safe country of origin." The designation resulted in many Afghan nationals losing their asylum status.

Out of all the flights that refused to take off, 85 were operated by Lufthansa (or its subsidiary Eurowing). Most of these flights were scheduled to take off in Frankfurt and Düsseldorf, where, according to Quartz, the #WelcomeUnited campaign often holds their pro-refugee protests.

Photo by Daniel Leal-Olivias/AFP/Getty Images.

These pilots risk being punished with disciplinary measures for refusing to fly on moral grounds. However, it should be noted that some had other reasons for refusing to take off. For instance, they could cite "security reasons" for not flying a plane. "If [a pilot] has the impression that flight safety could be affected, he must refuse the transport of a passenger," Lufthansa spokesperson Michael Lamberty said in a statement to the German press.

Unlike the U.S., Germany's federal government is barred from conducting and enforcing deportation, meaning that deportation is the responsibility of the local and state governments. Therefore, these protests add more obstacles to the successful deportation of asylum seekers.

Pilots refusing to fly deportation flights are just one example of activists and airline companies pushing back against deportations.

In July, Swedish activist Elin Errson made headlines for live-streaming her refusal to sit down because an Afghan man on the flight was about to be deported.

"I want him to get off the plane because he is not safe in Afghanistan," Errson said in her live-stream. "I am trying to change my country's rules. I don't like them. It is not right to send people to hell."

In 2013, immigration activists chained themselves to courthouses to prevent jail sentences for undocumented immigrants. More recently, others have chained themselves to tires to physically block buses from carrying out deportations.

Airline companies are also taking part. For example, in June 2018, Virgin Atlantic Airlines announced they will no longer help deport immigrants. American Airlines, Frontier Airlines, and United Airlines have also publicly announced their refusal to deport immigrant children in response to President Trump's family separation policy. In addition to these, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, and Alaskan Airlines all have released public statements criticizing the U.S. immigration policy.

Let's hope other airlines take notice and join the good fight.

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This woman stood up to stop a deportation. This is human rights activism done right.

Elin Errson heard a man was being deported back to Afghanistan from Sweden. She wasn't going to let that happen.  

On July 23, Errson did the only thing she thought she could do: She bought a ticket for his flight and protested.

The 21-year-old Swede knew the pilot could not take off without all passengers seated. So she refused to sit down on the plane to halt the man's deportation, even if it meant facing fines or jail time. Errson live-streamed her protest.

Standing Up Against Deportation

Because an Afghan was supposed to be deported on a flight to Istanbul, activist Elin Ersson refused to sit down. What happens in the next minutes shakes everyone on board…

Posted by DW Stories on Tuesday, July 24, 2018

"I want him to get off the plane because he is not safe in Afghanistan," she said in her live-stream. "I am trying to change my country's rules. I don't like them. It is not right to send people to hell."

At first, other passengers and crew members were aggravated with her refusal to sit down. Some attempted to take her phone away, but she didn't let that deter her. She kept standing and kept live-streaming.

Other passengers joined her in protest after their initial hesitation. And soon enough, Errson and the asylum-seeker were removed from the plane, with passengers — and the world — applauding.

Errson's act of defiance illustrates just one of the many radical ways ordinary people can engage in human rights activism.

There's often this misconception that direct action with issues like immigration or international conflict requires a mass movement of people. But sometimes, you only need a handful of people — or even one person — to make a significant impact for good. Errson's plane protest is a great example.

In the past few years, we've seen more examples of smaller-scale direct actions against deportation proceedings. There's been an effective trend of activists blocking ICE buses filled with undocumented immigrants facing deportation.

In 2013, a group of activists chained themselves to the tires of a bus — but they didn't stop there. Some went to the courthouse and chained themselves to the entrance. Why? They wanted to prevent authorities from processing deportation orders and jail sentences for undocumented immigrants.

In June, another group of protesters fighting President Donald Trump's family separation policy attempted to block a bus full of migrant kids from crossing the border.

This summer, IfNotNow — a progressive Jewish American group — are asking Birthright Israel participants to speak up on during their tours and question the organization's erasure of Palestinians. One did so successfully. Some are even heading to airports to meet with Birthright Israel participants and give them educational materials about Israel's occupation of Palestine.

Now more than ever, it's imperative for people to take a stand.

Direct action might seem daunting. It's easier to go with the flow and ignore the harsh realities others face around us. Nobody wants to be uncomfortable, but sometimes discomfort is needed to bring about positive social change.

But Errson's words in her live-stream ring true: "What is more important, a life or your time?"

Sure, preventing a plane from taking off or blocking people from entering a courthouse can be an inconvenience for both activists and bystanders, but that shouldn't matter. In lot of these situations, like this one, it could be a matter of life or death for a vulnerable person.

It's up to each of us to decide which side we want to be on.

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Trump protests in the U.K. began with a massive women's march.

Once again, women are leading the way against Trump.

The protests over President Trump's visit to the U.K. generated a lot of attention; Trump himself said they made him feel "unwelcome." But it's about more than just giant "Trump baby" balloons.

The protests organized around his visit kicked off with a large-scale march organized by and focused on women. And it was a major success.

The Women's March on London started two hours before the "official" #DumpTrump protests began. Though they were primarily focused on women's issues, the organizers made a point of being inclusive across all identities. Afterward, they shared their "fantastic day of protest" and the support in creating change.

Nearly everywhere Trump goes, he’s facing major opposition — especially from women.

The protesters weren't just inclusive to those in their own country: Several people who marched held up signs emphasizing that while they are "anti-Trump," they are also "pro-America."

Photo by Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images.

And the Women's March organizers have been mindful to give thanks to those women in America who helped lead the way, writing on their site: "The U.S. election proved a catalyst for a grassroots movement of women to assert the positive values that the politics of fear denies."

Photo by Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images.

The marches aren't just about Trump as an individual: U.S. policy decisions can have a major impact on people across the globe. And Trump and his administration are continuously putting forth policies and making decisions that threaten the lives of people far and wide.

When women take to the streets in London to protest Trump, they are making their voices heard on a multitude of issues, at home and abroad.

Photo by Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images

Trump likes to brag about big crowds — and the London protest certainly was one.

In fact, it was massive, with some involved even delightfully saying it was bigger than Trump's own inauguration crowd.

Photo by Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images.

The world is watching and peacefully speaking out against Trump's policies both at home and across the world, with women once again leading the way.

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