On Friday, January 8th, and Saturday, January 9th, 2021, ERASE Racism hosted our annual Long Island Leaders of Tomorrow conference for high school students across Long Island. The conference took place virtually this year. The conference had three main goals: 1) educate Long Island students about historic and ongoing structural racism on Long Island; 2) connect students across district lines, and 3) empower students to be racial justice advocates in their schools and communities.

Each day opened with an educational presentation by three of our Student Task Force members — Amritha, Leilah, and Emma. Amritha explained the development of race and racism and the different types of racism. Leilah then talked about how structural racism impacted Long Island’s development and the ongoing impacts of structural racism on housing discrimination issues. Emma concluded the presentation by drawing on some ERASE Racism research, demonstrating how structural racism functions to perpetuate school segregation on Long Island.

After the presentation, we joined smaller groups, each led by a Student Task Force member. In the sessions, we discussed the presentation — what surprised students, what didn’t, how it made them feel, etc.. Then, students did an activity called “Ready, Set, Action!” which asked them to brainstorm the hopes they had for their schools and communities and how they can bring those hopes to fruition. Student leaders led conversations that dealt with difficult topics, including creating a more inclusive culture in schools, incorporating discussions on race in all classrooms, and increased accountability in instances of racism. Some of the solutions students identified included:

  • Similar to restorative justice initiatives by educators, students indicated their interest in serving on disciplinary boards
  • Creating a committee with students who are dedicated to implementing changes
  • An assembly or presentations like this [conference] for all the students in a school
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Next, there was a Student Task Force Panel, during which current members of our Student Task Force answered questions about what the STF is, what they do as members of the STF, and how they embarked on their journey of student activism. The final fifteen minutes of this portion of the day were dedicated to Q&A from the audience. Students brought compelling questions to the table, including things like “Did you ever regret not speaking up when you had a chance? If so, how did you overcome this?”

The final activity of the day was one more short breakout session. In this activity, students were asked to reflect upon their hopes and dreams for their communities from the first part of the day. They were then asked to think about who might help them accomplish those hopes and dreams. Students drew a flow-chart from themselves to the people in positions of power who could ultimately see their hopes and dreams become a reality. The goal of this activity is to explain to students the journey from passionate person to active advocate.

In total, we had 301 participants, 25 of whom were educators, from 38 districts. As a result of the conference, we gained over 30 new members on our Student Task Force. Click here to view information about the event on our website.

Here is some of the feedback we received:

  • “I loved how prepared all the student leaders were. They offered so much advice. It was great to see students like myself creating real change in the world, which is often a rare sight to see. I felt so empowered at the end of the conference. I learned so much in this conference that I know would not have been addressed in a customary classroom.”
  • “The information was mostly presented and explained by students, and it was quite empowering and encouraging to learn that we have a voice, and there are many ways that we can bring about change.”
  • “[I liked] how inspiring and encouraging my breakout room peer facilitator was. She really helped us think and made me feel like I really can make a difference in my own school. She talked us through the process and motivated us to go for it.”

Check out our events page for more Student Programming, or click here to join our Student Task Force.

Here are some screenshots from the day: