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The Official Student News Site of Parkway West High

Pathfinder

The Official Student News Site of Parkway West High

Pathfinder

The Official Student News Site of Parkway West High

Pathfinder

Oftentimes, African American students face misjudgment from their peers based on age-old stereotypes surrounding their race. Because of this recurring issue, many Black students have shared a common experience of stereotypes, such as assumptions of their character based on their skin color. “I'm Black [and] I live in the county. [People] automatically assume, ‘Oh, she doesn't live in the city; she's whitewashed with some color.’ I [also] have hearing aids, and [people] assume because I'm a part of the Hard of Hearing group, [I’m] not aggressive or hostile. [Instead, I’m] approachable, the token character,” sophomore Mya Jenkins said.

Understanding Our Character: Why dismantling misconceptions of African Americans is crucial for Black individuals

Samari Sanders and Esta Kamau August 24, 2023

Misunderstanding someone’s character allows people to misclassify them, whether with a positive or negative outlook. In African American history, the Black community has often been unaccepted in American...

The battle of ingratiating Black history into the mainstream has been arduous, especially with the media’s capitalization on villainizing Black history. Underneath this vilification lies a history that is abundant in culture and has impacted America more than it is typically credited with. “Representation is [a] really big [deal], and people want to do things that they can see themselves being represented in. I think that a lot of African Americans — and a lot of students in general — don’t know how rich the history of Black [people] is in America,” senior and Black Student Union president Lauren McLeod said.

The vilification of Black history is exactly why we need it

Elizabeth Franklin, A&E/Opinions Editor February 28, 2023

In August 2022, as part of a new law that banned "sexually explicit" content in schools, nearly 300 books were pulled off the shelves in Missouri. Across the nation, schools and districts everywhere went...

Anti-Black bigotry is prevalent on the internet, and online platforms are some of the most significant factors in perpetuating this anti-Black discrimination. For example, anonymity on the internet emboldens people to say racist things online that they would not typically say in person. “[People] can have fake names and say what they want because you don’t know them, and they know you don’t know them. They’ll say pretty hurtful things about African-Americans, and they’ll use a lot of vulgar language about [us]. I believe you’re more likely to hear racism online than anywhere else,” junior Nylah Thompson said.

Digital discrimination: Black voices — and the suppression thereof — in digital spaces

Elizabeth Franklin, A&E/Opinions Editor December 16, 2022

Turn on the television. Somewhere, sometime, a man stands at a podium, blood-red tie plastered against his sweat-soaked suit, his forehead red and clammy from exertion. He jabs his finger into the audience,...

According to the American Library Association, these are the top 10 most challenged books in the United States.

Banning to burning: book bans reveal a darker agenda

Mira Nalbandian, Managing Editor-in-Chief February 15, 2022

St. Louis area school districts have once again made local headlines. As Rockwood parents descended into states of madness over the inclusion of books such as “Stamped” in their children’s curriculum,...

History of racism and voter suppression in runoffs

History of racism and voter suppression in runoffs

Leah Schroeder January 13, 2021

Georgia has a long, complicated history of voter suppression and racism that have manifested into the modern-day runoff election. Dating back to the 19th century, Georgia aimed to manipulate voting laws...

The downside to racially diverse Emojis

Betsy Wait May 4, 2015
Remember when you had to press the colon and the parentheses key to type a smiley face into an email or text?
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The Official Student News Site of Parkway West High
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