Students across all grades experienced two periods of interactive and presentational learning on the topic of hate crimes in the month of December, being that this is a topic that continues to grow in relevancy, day by day.
Administrators, mental health staff, and counselors organized these assemblies to promote awareness of the topic. This event was new to most students, seeing that most have experienced something similar to this only last year.
“We had said that we wanted to bring in someone to talk about a hate crime, so last year we had Detective Mosby come in and he talked to it from the perspective [of what is a hate crime]…So we got the police department’s view, then we got the district attorney’s view…they brought Joselo Lucero whos brother was a victim of hate crime who came in and brought a personal side to it,” said vice principal Matthew Keltos.
Administrators began this sequence of events, which were done on different days based on grade level, with a presentation from the District Attorney’s office by Attorney Vanessa Overland, continued with a real life experience from hate crime activist Joselo Lucero.
“I have many feelings, one of them is frustration when I think about how much hate exists in society. It’s hard not to be affected by the discrimination, prejudice, and division that so many people face,” said Lucero.
Tragically, on November 8, 2008, a Latino man named Marcelo Lucero was taking a stroll through his neighborhood in Patchogue, and was attacked by a group of high schoolers and tragically killed. This case took a toll on the Lucero family and people around Long Island, as well as the rest of the nation’s northeast area. Joselo Lucero, Marcelo’s brother, has experienced first hand what a hate crime is and how it can surround the family and community with hate and a feeling of sorrow.
“My brother’s death is not only about how he died, but also why he died – at the hands of those who couldn’t imagine that a person could be attacked and have their life taken just because they were different,” said Lucero.
While Lucero’s story was tragic and affected him, his family, and his community, it also is an important lesson to all around. Even in the face of hardship, Lucero continues to inspire people with his story, trying to help communities and people that face hate crimes daily.
“I share my personal story, even though it’s painful for me and my family, but I hope the students become aware of their actions and attitudes so that when they encounter someone different from them, they treat them with respect and accept them as they are […] whether it be a difference in religion, race, color, or beliefs,” said Lucero.
These presentations were heard and seen through the eyes of people that hear about these stories, but don’t necessarily have an influence by them.
“The part that was most impactful for me was listening to Joselo Lucero because I remember reading the story of what happened to his brother Marcelo, in the paper…but this one to me I feel like I was in another step closer to getting people to understand better,” said Keltos.
During the second period of the presentation day, students had team building activities with a counselor, school psychologist, or a member of the administration.
“I think that everyone benefited from listening to it, and the presenters were very inspirational […] I learned a lot about hate crimes that I didn’t know,” said junior Emma M.
Activities that took place in the separate rooms were different for each student. Depending on the professional with you, different team building activities helped to display the lesson.
“We did a game where we had to go into a big circle and we had to toss a string around, and every time somebody would toss it to somebody. Once you caught the yarn you had to say something [about] why you are a part of CHS, and a group you’re a part of,” said Emma.
Raising awareness for topics like these are essential for helping society grow. In the future, administration would like to take other commonly occurring situations and continue to host presentations on them. ◼️
