Dear Pacific Ridge: What Happened and Why We Need to Change

On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was brutally murdered by police officer Derek Chauvin in the streets of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The country raised an uproar, with grief, sadness, and anger. Amidst the pandemic, millions of people around the country took to the streets to protest in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. On June 2, the Pacific Ridge School Instagram page posted an update on the new innovation center developments. June 2 was a planned social media blackout day, where individuals were encouraged to post black photos, with the hashtag “#blackouttuesday”. The purpose of blackout Tuesday was to not only stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, but to share resources on how to get involved with fighting racial injustice. A whole week after Mr. Floyd’s murder, the school neglected to make any statement about the current climate on racial injustice and the Black Lives Matter movement. A school that preaches diversity and inclusion

remained silent on a day dedicated to raising awareness about racial injustice. Instead of using the Instagram page as a platform to raise awareness amongst the impressionable youth that attends Pacific Ridge, it was used to promote the school’s personal development. In response, a group of Pacific Ridge alumni started the slogan, “as an alumni/student, I see your silence”. It was a slogan to be commented on the post made by Pacific Ridge on June 2nd, to raise awareness about the school’s lack of a response to the current climate about racial injustice. In a panic, Pacific Ridge posted a statement regarding its students being encouraged to step up against injustice in our community. However, the statement did not have any mention of the Black Lives Matter movement and remained fairly ambiguous. Yet again, current students and alumni were not satisfied with the school’s efforts in raising awareness about Black Lives Matter. Students, alumni, and parents took to the comment section of the post, to call out the school on its poor efforts to battle racial injustice, not only within the small community but on a bigger scale. In 7th-grade SOCCOM class, Pacific Ridge students are taught about racial injustice, injustices involving the LGBTQ+ community, and how to be an ally. Unfortunately, the conversation does not continue after that.

On another Pacific Ridge platform, “The Flock” Instagram page, a post with the caption “Anti-racism is fly. Who will flock with us?” was released. This statement insinuated anti-racism is a trend and using the “school spirit” flock terminology was widely received as insensitive. In response to Pacific Ridge School’s lack of immediate response to racial injustice, an anonymous student created an Instagram page called “dearprs." The purpose of this page is to raise awareness about racism and injustice students experience on campus, through anonymously sharing personal accounts of instances. The student-run page became a platform for current students and alumni. Stories of racial injustice, religious injustice, and sexual harassment have been shared. The students of Pacific Ridge School are slowly becoming aware of the injustice students face on campus. The brutal murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, shocked Americans all over the country, and began a conversation about injustice in small communities, including Pacific Ridge School. The uproar created by police brutality and injustice will resonate through the Pacific Ridge community for many years to come.

BY: NEEKA MAJIDISHAD