Shaker High School Senior Wins Award For Essay Discussing Racism

SHAKER HEIGHTS, OH - Confronting racism in everyday life, overt or subtle, is the focus of Shaker Heights High School senior Isabel Wang's award-winning essay. Wang was recognized by the Ohio Civil Rights Commission for her writing on the topic.

Wang was one of two winners of the 2017 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Art, Writing & Multimedia Contest at her grade level. Approximately 900 entries were submitted to the contest, with one or two winners selected for each grade level.

"With her winning essay, Isabel has made a significant contribution to one of our most important national dialogues," Shaker Heights High School Principal Jonathan Kuehnle said in an email to Patch. "This is not only a tremendous honor for Isabel, it's also a positive reflection on our school and our community."

Wang's essay details her first day at Shaker Heights High School. She says she was told that white students occupied the center of the cafeteria (the so-called cool area) and black students occupied the spaces around that. As an Asian-American, she was unsure of the dichotomy and her place in it.

Here's a selection of her essay:

“What are you? Where are you from?” Years ago, these seemingly innocent questions from both friends
and strangers provoked unseen contempt in me. I longed to retort, “I belong here, too!” but suppressed
my anger for peace. Our Shaker Heights community prided itself in its diversity, but this facade of cultural
understanding quickly became its greatest flaw. Shaker was the tragic hero of integration."

As the lunchroom divide worsened, I could no longer stand idly by. I knew, voice is power – whether
through the resonance of a forte in music, or through my forte of activism in leadership. I had previously
gained experience hosting discussions on discrimination and polarization through Student Group on Race Relations (SGORR), but rather than keeping the conversation broad and indirect, I yearned to more candidly address the evident and prevalent racism. I wanted to promote greater change in our community’s integration and advocate for more open discussion.

You can read her full essay here.

Wang will present her entry and accept her award at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Art, Writing & Multimedia Contest Award Ceremony on Thursday, March 2, in Columbus.

Photo from Shaker Heights School District