Best of 2020: High School Students of Color Record Open Letter

The summer of 2020 brought a lot of discussion about racial equity, social justice, and race in general – and those discussions didn’t skip the Park Cities.

In August, Shaye Wattson wrote about an open video letter created by Highland Park High School students of color about their experiences in the community.

“It’s very dehumanizing growing up here and feeling like you’re worth less than other people because of something out of our control,” rising senior Emilie Hong said. “To have these discussions and to have people finally feel like they’re not alone has been incredibly healing. It’s given me a lot of closure.”

People Newspapers marketing and digital production manager Imani Chet Lytle chose the story as one of her Best of 2020 picks.

“This article by Shaye Wattson and the message from the Highland Park student body made me tear up,” she said. “It demonstrates that the younger generation is aware and challenging the current injustice that we see in today’s society. It made me so hopeful for the future!”

Read the story here.

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