During the month of February, people all over the United States celebrate Black History Month. At Chapman, Friends Against Racism (FAR) is helping students embrace representation, diversity, differences, and awareness as we honor notable African Americans and their accomplishments.

Many of you have probably seen the posters outside the cafeteria of notable African Americans from both the past and present. The students in FAR were able to choose who to put on the wall, and faculty adviser Leslie Boyd says that she feels putting the posters up has drawn more attention and awareness.

“We try to go for monumental figures and then past and present, women and men,” Boyd said. “I think it’s actually a better place than what we’ve done in the past because it seems like it’s drawing more attention. Right now, we have 12 past and present African Americans that we feel like have made an impact on  their culture and the world.”

FAR member and sophomore Emily Santiago believes that having the posters in such a noticeable spot will open more students’ eyes to the people being featured and really appreciate what they have accomplished.

“I think it will make them see the past and what they’ve done for us to be here now,” Santiago said. “It will probably open their eyes a little bit just to be like ‘Oh, this is cool, this is what happened then, this is what they did.’”

Along with historical figures like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Langston Hughes, and Ruby Bridges, FAR is showcasing Black Americans such as LeBron James and Stacey Abrams who are making a difference in the present day. 

Faculty adviser Steven Fusaro says that highlighting present-day African Americans is just as important as highlighting those from the past in order to help students feel more connected to the people impacting their lives.

“When I was young, you would see those people from way back in the day that didn’t have any connection to you in the world that you lived in,” Fusaro said.  “To me, it’s neat to see that there are people today making a difference and highlighting those.”

Faculty adviser Susan Hall takes it even further; she hopes that seeing people who are important in both Black history and American history will bring more awareness to their achievements, but that it will also inspire students to make a difference in their worlds too.

“This is our month to say, ‘Okay, these are important people in the history of African Americans, but in our own history as well, people who have brought awareness to everything and are making a difference,’” Hall said. “I think it just shows kids here, too, that they can make a difference, that you too could be a poster on the wall one day.”

Of course, FAR’s work extends beyond Black History Month to help all students embrace each other’s differences, but also become aware of their similarities. 

According to Fusaro, people are more alike than they realize, and FAR is helping the students of Chapman High School recognize both those differences and similarities. 

“The more you communicate, you realize that we’re so much more alike than we are different,” Fusaro said. “People want to make it divisive and make it this or that, when in reality, it’s all of us together, and (it’s important to) just be able to see the different sides and different perspectives and those kinds of things, different ways of viewing things and bring awareness to differences, highlight those, champion those, but also be able to champion the fact of how alike we are as people.”

Hall also emphasized the importance of recognizing diversity. She wants to help students realize that even though they live in an area that is not highly diverse, being able to celebrate diversity now will be extremely beneficial when they go into the world.

“You hear a lot about diversity, but when you look at our school, we’re really not that diverse, so I think it’s even harder for us to preach diversity,” Hall said. “But diversity is so important, and when you get out of Inman, South Carolina, you realize just how different the world is, so we’re trying to bring a little bit of that here, so when our kids go off to college or wherever, they realize, ‘Wow, this really is a world filled with all kinds of people, and all of them are beautiful.’”

FAR member and junior Kaley Jackson appreciates that even though FAR is small, they are mighty, and the work they are doing to raise awareness and celebrate differences and diversity can lead to deeper conversations among students.

“Though it’s a noticeably small group, and most students don’t know the name, it still starts a conversation,” Jackson said. “Having some sort of body that is able to come together and talk to each other about world events and what it means to advocate for each other can open up more conversations throughout the school.”

Boyd says that she is extremely proud of the students in FAR for their dedication to the club and the change they’ve already started to bring about.

If you want to join FAR and be a part of that change, Boyd said the group is always open to new members. 

“It’s student-driven, and I’m just thankful that we have a group of kids that are committed, even when it hasn’t been popular to be a part of it,” Boyd said. “They’ve been committed, they’ve opened up, they’ve shared their experiences, let down walls and barriers, so I just want to say that we’re open any time. It’s like an open door. If you want to be in it, come on.”