Baltimore Polytechnic Institute Student Says School Needs To Do More To Help Students Process Breonna Taylor's Death
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A student from Baltimore Polytechnic Institute took to social media to call out school administrators for not providing more spaces for students to talk about issues affecting the Black community.
In a lengthy Instagram video, tenth-grader Talayah Walker said only one of her seven teachers has opened a discussion in the classroom for students to express their feelings about the Breonna Taylor case.
Since a grand jury decided last week not to charge the officers involved in Taylor's shooting death earlier this year, another round of protests broke out nationwide, including in Baltimore.
One of the officers, Brett Hankison has been charged with wanton endangerment in the case but not directly connected to Taylor's death. He pleaded not guilty on Monday, CBS News reports.
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In a statement Monday, Baltimore City Schools said:
"City Schools is committed to honoring the voices of its students and creating safe spaces for them to express their thoughts and feelings. This is especially important now. Members of the district leadership team have reached out and spoken with Miss Walker to address her concerns. City Schools continues its work to fulfill the standards outlined in the Equity Policy."
Walker said she still feels students are being actively ignored by the administration.
"There are Black students fearing for their lives every day and they can't even go to school and talk about it. They can't even come on their Zoom class and say, 'Can we talk about this today because this is on my mind this is laying heavy on my heart?'" she said.
In a subsequent video, Walker said the doesn't believe the school is racist, adding she loves being a student there but wants leaders to be inclusive.