Projects
Explore advocacy work and initiatives
Cultural Awareness Club
Anti-Racism Policy Reform Through Student Leadership
Islam Culture Project
Educational lecture series breaking down stereotypes and fostering understanding of Islamic culture and traditions.
Diversity Week
Week-long celebration of global cultures through food, performances, and cultural exchange activities.
Neurodiversity Week
Raising awareness and building inclusive practices for neurodivergent students through education and policy advocacy.
Anti-Racism Policy
Institutional policy reform securing mandatory training, curriculum review, and accountability mechanisms.
Confronting Institutional Racism
As President of the Cultural Awareness Club, I led efforts to transform our school from a space that tolerated racism to one that actively dismantled it. This wasn't about diversity celebrations—it was about policy reform, institutional accountability, and creating lasting structural change.
This is anti-oppression work because racism isn't just individual prejudice—it's embedded in institutional policies, curriculum choices, and cultural norms. Real change required challenging those systems directly.
Systems That Harm
Our school, like many institutions, had deep-rooted problems:
- •Microaggressions normalized - Students of color faced daily discrimination without institutional response
- •Eurocentric curriculum - History and literature taught from exclusively Western perspectives
- •No accountability mechanisms - Staff lacked training on cultural competency and anti-racism
- •Student voices silenced - No formal channels for policy input or institutional critique
Three-Part Strategy for Change
Policy Reform
Worked directly with administration to implement formal anti-racism policies, creating institutional accountability where none existed before.
Cultural Education
Organized events celebrating diverse cultures—from Islam Culture lectures to Shisa Nyama experiences—building empathy and breaking down stereotypes.
Staff Training
Implemented mandatory cultural competency training for all staff members, equipping educators with tools to recognize and address racism.
Concrete Policy Victories
Mandatory Anti-Racism Training
All staff now required to complete annual cultural competency and anti-racism training.
Inclusive Curriculum Review
Established committee to audit and diversify curriculum across all subjects.
Reporting Mechanisms
Created formal channels for students to report discrimination with guaranteed follow-up.
Cultural Representation Standards
School events and materials must reflect diverse perspectives and experiences.
Student Voice in Policy
Institutionalized student representation in policy decisions affecting school culture.
What I Learned
Institutions Don't Change Voluntarily
Schools won't suddenly become anti-racist on their own. Change requires organized student pressure, specific policy demands, and sustained advocacy. Being polite doesn't dismantle systems—being strategic does.
Policy Is Power
Written policies matter. They create accountability, set standards, and outlast individual administrators. Our five policy changes will affect students for years after we've graduated—that's structural change.
Education + Action = Change
Cultural events alone don't end racism. But paired with policy reform and institutional accountability, they create a comprehensive approach—changing hearts and systems simultaneously.
Institutional Racism Requires Institutional Solutions
This work showed me that anti-oppression isn't just about changing individuals. It's about changing the systems, policies, and structures that enable harm. That's where real, lasting change happens.