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Black students connect and advocate through new statewide group

A group of Black students from across the state holds its first virtual open house Friday. Members are inviting school leadership, community members and elected officials to learn what the Delaware Black Student Coalition is all about. 

The student-led group aims to lift up young Black leaders from middle school to college— and push for equity in Delaware’s schools.  

The Delaware Black Student Coalition was founded this year by seven Black girls, most of whom are presidents of their high school Black Student Unions. 

 

Tariah Hyland is one of the founding members and a senior at St. Georges Tech. She says the goal is to support students like herself, who until recently did not have a Black Student Union at her school. 

 

"As a Black student in this predominantly white space … I didn’t have a space where I could be around Black students and to celebrate my Blackness … and to just navigate that entire process of being a minority in the school,” she said. “So that’s why the coalition is so important to me, because I had that space there with so many amazing student leaders.”

Hyland says the group also advocates for specific changes to Delaware’s education system.

 

“We’re working with actually some state representatives on House Bill 198,” she said. “It’s primarily advocating for Black studies in the classroom and mandating it as a graduation requirement.”

State Rep. Sherae’a Moore (D-Middletown) acts as an advisor to the group. 

 

Students interested in getting involved can visit Delaware Black Student Coalition’s websiteto sign up. The group meets weekly.

 

Friday's open house is at 5 p.m. by Zoom. 

 

Sophia Schmidt is a Delaware native. She comes to Delaware Public Media from NPR’s Weekend Edition in Washington, DC, where she produced arts, politics, science and culture interviews. She previously wrote about education and environment for The Berkshire Eagle in Pittsfield, MA. She graduated from Williams College, where she studied environmental policy and biology, and covered environmental events and local renewable energy for the college paper.