Panelists discuss racial representation in Worcester County schools

The dialogue revolved around the need for change in the school system, as well as the speakers’ experiences in education and how their identity as Black individuals have shaped their careers.

The panelists, leaders in the Worcester County Public School System, were Community School Liaison Carlton Cartwright, Pocomoke algebra teacher La’Tier Evans, SDHS counselor Veronica Hayes, and Snow Hill High School counselor Ari Johnson. NEHS members Patrick Haines and Deliyah Holland moderated the conversation.

Kia Terlizzi said the honor society, of which she is founded the SDHS chapter, was the organization that supported the National Council of Teachers of English’s African American Read-In for Black History Month. However, past Buckingham Elementary School principal Terry Smith suggested the education topic for this year’s event.

“The students embraced the panel discussion, which I feel is what we need in the diverse atmosphere of political and social polarization,” Terlizzi said.

Haines began the panel with a question about “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George M. Johnson, a memoir detailing a Black man’s experiences with race and sexuality. The story was challenged by parents last year and removed from Wicomico County schools. The controversy spurred a more extensive conversation on book banning, as it is particularly prevalent on the Eastern Shore.

“There’s an old saying that if you don’t want a Black person to know something, put it in a book,” Johnson said. “This speaks to that. When you start to read, there’s an awakening, and once people gain knowledge, you can no longer exploit them.”

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