CENTRAL STUDENTS ACKNOWLEDGE RACIAL BIAS

A group of Cape Girardeau teen-agers told school and community officials Thursday that racial biases exist within their school system mainly toward students who try to function outside of stereotypical roles.

A diverse group of seven junior high and high school students shared their views about racial relations within Cape Girardeau schools during a joint meeting with school district superintendent Dr. Dan Steska and members of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce Multicultural Relations Committee.

It was the first monthly meeting for students, the school district and community to explore diversity issues and to discuss solutions to problems. Subsequent meetings will be held the second Thursday of the month at the Board of Education office, 61 N. Clark.

Although prejudiced actions, statements or activities usually aren't targeted toward ethnic groups, students said they do face pressure to act and speak like others from their cultural background.

For example, black students are ridiculed if they are perceived to "talk white," and a white athlete could face pressure not to develop friendships with black teammates.

"I've been teased about it seriously, but I just kind of blew it off," said eighth-grade panel member Gabe Edwards, who has a long-standing friendship with a white classmate. "Sometimes it does get out of hand and you'll see people fighting or doing something because the pressure just gets to them."

Felicia Jenkins, president of the sophomore class, said, "I get teased all the time because people say I talk white. I think that's a shame that if you hang out with white kids or want to do well in school you're ostracized."

Students who attended neighborhood elementary schools with little diversity also said they found it difficult to understand other cultures when they came together at Louis J. Schultz School. They said students will benefit from coming together before they have firmly established friendship circles aligned largely along racial and economic lines.

The district plans to close Louis J. Schultz and open a fifth- and sixth-grade center in fall 2002 when a new high school is scheduled to open.

"I think we're going to see a big improvement there because they'll come together before those pre-teen years and before those preconceived notions are established," said Steska.

Steska was "pleasantly surprised" students invited friends from nonminority backgrounds to attend the first meeting. Principals at the junior high and high schools selected a group of minority students to speak candidly about their experiences with race relations in the school. To increase the variety of experiences, students were encouraged to bring a friend to the meetings.

Steska said the intracultural bias students mentioned also was a surprise, because in the past, adults have indicated the district had a problem with bias between ethnic groups.

Students said adults in the community likely think racial inequities or prejudices are more prevalent because they grew up watching the Civil Rights Movement and school desegregation.

Many things have changed in the past 40 or 50 years, students said, and today's students are more accepting of each other.

"Everybody's the same," said Jenkins, a panel member. "You can't let ignorance keep you from being friends."

Eighth-grader Bryce Willen, who was invited by Edwards to attend the meeting, said his parents have encouraged him "to make as many friends as possible," regardless of their race.

"My mom's awesome with that," Willen said. "When she invites the team over, she doesn't care who they are, she just makes them cookies and cooks and everything."

Nikki Stallion, co-chair of the chamber committee, said she was impressed by the students' openness and ability to express their experiences.

With continued open dialogue, the group may be able to "bridge the gap" separating cultural groups in the community and improve overall race relations locally, she said.

"We hear so much from their parents and never get to talk with the students and hear what they have to say," Stallion said. "Their parents weren't here, their teachers weren't here, and they spoke from their hearts."