Don't be afraid to attend a Catholic School that does not have a large Black population. Take ownership of Catholic schools; they are for everyone.
Taking Ownership: A Student's Story
The school I attend is predominately white. In the sixth grade, I was the only African American student in my all girl class. Other than keeping up with excessive homework and making friends, keeping friends was my biggest challenge. I wanted so badly to leave and go to public school.
Every time I felt bad, however, there was always someone I could go to and discuss my feelings. I felt relieved that the person I adopted as my mentor at my school was African American like me. Talking to an adult who looked like me helped me to see the positive things in my school.
Returning to Catholic school in the seventh grade was great. I began working on getting the Martin Luther King (MLK) holiday celebrated as a day off at my school. The first thing I did was celebrate with my community instead of going to school on the MLK holiday. The attendance clerk ruled this as an unexcused absence and told me that I would get a zero for the day. My parents challenged the school policy and discussed it with the school's headmaster. I began to speak out on the importance of the MLK holiday in many of my classes, and after a few meetings with the headmaster, not only did I not get a zero for the day, the holiday was celebrated as a day off the next year.
Brie Merritt
My school listens and welcomes ideas on being more welcoming. I am learning so much about my Catholic faith and realize that I have so much to give to and receive from our Father in heaven. I am now in the ninth grade and am looking forward to returning to the same Catholic school after my summer break. I have many friends from many different ethnic backgrounds at my school. I study hard and appreciate all that receiving a Catholic education has done to make me who I am today. In my parish I am a youth leader, altar server, lector, and I sing in the youth choir. I appreciate the many sacrifices my family makes in order for me to receive a Catholic education.
