A new club titled Shades of South attempts to spread an important message about social issues and community.
The student lead club meets every other Tuesday in room 422 to discuss social issues, plan volunteer work, and bring the community together. These facts bring kids from all over South to this club.
“It’s super important for the world to accept everyone as they are with no barriers or exceptions, and I feel like Shades of South reflects that idea. So, I want to help and be a part of that as much as I can,” said Donivan Cranfield, junior, who joined the club recently.
Trinity Allen, junior, founded Shades of South. Allen’s ideas formed during her sophomore year, and they weren’t always as broad as they are now. Allen, spurred by racial and social issues in the US, originally planned to create a Black Student Union.
The National Center for Education’s 2015 statistics claim the dropout rates of minorities are higher than white students. Thus, Allen hoped to create a safe place for minority students where they could, “break past stereotypes and pursue being a better student and better person in general.”
“Our skin color does not reflect who we are,” said Kyah Joseph, junior, a club member.
Safe spaces encourage and assist people deal with problems in healthy ways by giving them support and belonging.
However, Allen said a club specifically for black students couldn’t form as Student Council and the school requires that clubs must accept all students of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds.
“So, I sort of settled on this idea [Shades of South], but the more I thought about it, the more I loved the idea. I realized that as long as I’m reaching my ultimate goal in the school and community, that’s all that matters,” Allen said.
Allen’s ultimate goal is strengthening relationships, finding unity, and educating the community. She believes these actions will create a positive, peaceful community.
“We also want to encourage being self aware, becoming a better student, and simply a better version of yourself,” Allen said.
Shades of South is sponsored by English teachers Amy Brown and Hannah Christie.
“Trinity Allen approached Ms. Christie, my cosponsor, and me about supervising the club. We listened to her ideas and the reasons she wanted to start it, and I felt honored that she wanted us to help her,” Brown said.