The Watauga Social Justice Initiative was founded during the 2020 school year following the Black Lives Matter protest on King Street. A group of seven high school students acknowledged an issue of social injustice that has become increasingly more evident in the Watauga community.
91.7% of Watauga County residents identify themselves as white on the most recent national census. Minority communities are minimal within Watauga county, and especially sparse within Watauga County Schools.
“Growing up it was pretty tough to be a student of color in Watauga. Xenophobia is far too prevalent in the halls of WHS,” says senior and WSJI founder Sofie Crump.
Minorities that attend Watauga High School have a small selection of resources to depend on when faced with social injustice. With the population of white students dominating the high school community, the founders of WSJI felt that an outlet for minorities was necessary.
“This club was started to serve as a safe space for students to share their stories of discrimination they have faced at Watauga,” says senior and WSJI founder Kathleen Gibson.
Club founders felt that injustice within the walls of Watauga is frequently overlooked or unacknowledged. The students leaders created WSJI to provide visibility for students of color. They felt that with the creation of WSJI students would be given a safe environment. This would be an opportunity for students to connect with each other and express themselves without the fear of judgment.
“A lot of students have told us how their experiences with hate and prejudice here at the high school have often been invalidated by other students and even teachers,” says Graham.
With instances of social injustice occurring even from adults, it was important to have a club and safe space to turn to.
“We all just wanted a way to make our school a much safer environment for students that are members of marginalized groups,” Crump adds.
Some members of the WSJI community do not fall into minority groups but remain in the group to be an ally. WSJI welcomes all people no matter their race, religion, views, or gender identity.
If you are interested in taking on the challenge of fighting social injustice within the Watauga county community check out their Instagram.
"There is a link in our Instagram bio (@wataugasocialjusticeinitiative) that students can use to fill out our sign-up form,” Crump includes.
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