Imagine being one of the only Afro- Latinas in high school and having to hear someone defend white supremacists after storming the capital, well that was me. Having to defend my blackness is something I have to deal with every day and what a lot of other black students have to deal with . Schools should strive for racial diversity and build a more welcoming space for students of color. When a school has more diversity it eliminates space for students to be racist and more aware of how their actions affect society. Making sure schools have diverse settings helps expose students to new cultural and social groups which will help the kids later on the future in society.

“ 96 percent of major employers, according to the Century Foundation, say it is vital that employees are able to work with people from diverse backgrounds”.This is very important because now after school you're entering the real world where you may have to work with people who are not like you, who come from different backgrounds which could be a big adjustment for some. If you were to already implant racial diversity in all schools it will help for the future because you've already had experience and you are aware of what is to come.

Schools across America are becoming more and more diverse as more people from various cultures choose to raise their children in this country. “There are now 272 million immigrants around the world, all of whom impact economies, cultures, policy decisions, and daily interactions”. If schools purposefully try to be less diverse or do not center diversity in their community and curriculum, racism and discrimination will never disappear in our society. This will only cause the kids to not be open-minded to new ideas and experiences.

Sometimes schools and districts do not have any control over how diverse they become, or who moves into their town. However, teachers, principals, and superintendents can be mindful of treating all ethnicities equally. Speaking from my own experience, I hated when in school we would get to black history month and everyone would be overly nice to me or stick their fists up in solidarity yet I knew that wasn't something they would have done normally. I used to feel so awkward and embarrassed whenever we were talking about slavery and everyone in the room would just look at me. Schools need to start hiring teachers who are welcoming and willing to sit there and connect with their students so everyone feels like they have a safe space. This is very important because it will allow students to be able to have these hard discussions and get a better understanding of everyone and the world around them.