Students Inspire at 51st People's World Black History Event

 

“Black Youth Leadership – Resistance 2.0 in Today's Freedom Struggle.” was the theme of this year's annual People's World Black History Month Arts and Writing Competition Grades 8 to 12.

The prompt quoted Civil Rights activist Ella Baker, “We Who Believe In Freedom Will Not Rest Until It's Won.” Students were asked to express in artwork, essay, poetry, rap or song:

• What can you do along with others in your school to promote equality?

• What can you do along with your friends to reject, and educate against, hate speech?

• Reflect on historical figures in the freedom struggle and victories that were won. How can you help continue the fight and work to change your community now?

Journey Rosa, grade 9, Sound School won first place for her poem The Color Line.

The Color Line

by Journey Rosa

“What happens when your skin is a question
That no one wants to answer?
When the world looks at you and demands,
Choose.
Choose who you are,
Choose what side of the line you stand on,
Choose where your loyalty lies—
As if I could split myself down the middle
And still be whole.

I am mixed.
My skin is a canvas of histories colliding,
Of worlds that weren’t meant to meet but did.
I am the child of two truths
That society calls a lie.
Too dark for one,
Too light for the other—
Forever straddling a line I never drew.

But I’m not alone.
There are others like me,
Others whose existence defies division.
Together, we choose to stand—not apart,
But as one.
We reject the lines they draw to divide us.
In our schools, we build bridges,
Speaking truths that challenge ignorance,
Creating spaces where no voice goes unheard.

With my friends, we fight hate speech with knowledge.
We teach that words can heal as much as they can harm.
We celebrate every story, every shade,
Because no one is less for being different.
In classrooms, we stand tall,
Calling out injustice when we see it,
Reminding everyone:
An injury to one is an injury to all.

We carry the torch lit by those before us.
Ella Baker, who believed in freedom’s urgency.
James Chaney, Andrew Goodman—
Young lives lost for a vision of equality.
They fought for a future where color was not a cage,
And now we fight to protect that dream.

We honor their victories,
From the sit-ins that desegregated lunch counters
To the marches that demanded the right to vote.
Their courage teaches us
That every step forward is a step worth taking,
That silence is not an option.

So here’s what I pledge:
I will not stand by when hatred is spoken.
I will speak up when bigotry tries to hide.
I will work with others to create a community
Where every face, every name,
Is met with respect, not judgment.

In my school, we will organize.
Clubs that celebrate diversity,
Events that open eyes and hearts.
We will remind each other that our strength
Lies in the bonds we build,
In the walls we tear down.

This fight is far from over.
The line still runs deep—
Across oceans, across borders, across generations.
But together, we will break it.
Not with hate, but with love.
Not with silence, but with voices raised in harmony.

So I ask you this:
When you see us,
When you see me,
What will you do?
Will you join us in this fight?
Will you take the pledge to stand in solidarity?

Because the line ends with us.
With those who refuse to let history repeat itself.
With those who believe that freedom
Belongs to everyone, not just a few.

We who believe in freedom will not rest,
Until every hand is held,
Every voice is heard,
And the line is gone.”