Central York School District Student Activists

BY JJ SHEFFER | DIRECTOR, COMMUNITY PROGRAMS

Students at Central York School District have been lauded in national news for their activism in response to the school board putting a “freeze” on a list of books featuring characters of color and themes of antiracism and empathy.

The list, developed by the district’s diversity committee in the wake of George Floyd’s death and the unrest that followed, was meant to be a resource for educators and students looking for books on these themes. The school board banned the entire list in late 2020, until the board itself could review the books. The story made national news when they still hadn’t reviewed the list in September 2021 and opted to continue the ban.

While the book ban brought negative attention to York County, the heroes of the story became the students who staged daily protests before school and spoke out about it. They have appeared on CNN, NPR’s All Things Considered, spoke at a press conference organized by the PA Legislative Black Caucus at the Pennsylvania Capitol during Banned Books Week, and recently spoke on a Zoom call with Senator Bob Casey and Dr. Bernice King, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s daughter.

Prompted by the backlash here in the community and around the world, the school board voted to unfreeze the resource list. We checked in with students from the Central York Panther Anti-Racist Union (PARU) to ask what they learned from the experience.

Q: WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF FROM THIS EXPERIENCE?

A: “I am most proud of the fact that we have been able to make a change. I believe that throughout our work, we not only brought the community together, but we helped the school grow and improve to include more diversity and representation.” - RENEE ELLIS, GRADE 11

Q: WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM YOUR RECENT ACTIVISM? HOW WILL YOU APPLY WHAT YOU'VE LEARNED MOVING FORWARD?

A: “Something that we are constantly being told as young people is that our voices are irrelevant, unable to make a difference, and unable to be truly heard. This experience has taught us that our voices really do matter and we can make a difference. We hope speaking up and being heard across the world will help young people see that their voice really is important.” - OLIVIA PITUCH, GRADE 12