GRAND RAPIDS TOWNSHIP, Mich. — For several days this week, a post regarding Forest Hills Northern High School and Black History Month Spirit Week has been going viral on social media, causing concern for some people.
Friday, principal Amena Moiz met with FOX 17 to explain the intent behind the week and where the message got muddled.
“The biggest misunderstanding and things that were taken out of context was because when I went ahead and advertised what we were doing for Spirit Week. I happened to put Black History Month as Spirit Week instead of Black Student Union as Spirit Week,” Moiz said.
She went on to explain that whenever an organization or club wants to schedule an event for the school, they have to first meet with her and the staff to discuss things, which they did. She then gives them feedback, and they meet again. Then she approves the events, which she did regarding spirit week, which was to begin Tuesday, February 21.
“So our students were the ones that kind of came up with the different ideas,” Moiz said. “They were looking at TikTok and different things to get inspiration in how to get our students engaged and involved during the week and that is how some of the themes were chosen.”
The themes are what caused concern for the people who reached out to FOX 17 about the week. They included: Jersey Day, Y2K Day (baggy clothes), Sunday’s Best, and Hoodie Day/Trayvon Martin Day.
Trayvon Martin was the 17-year-old who was shot and killed in February 2012 while wearing a hoodie.
“With Trayvon Martin Hoodie Day, our students feel a very deep connection to his story. He was their age and it’s to honor his life and his legacy that was left behind, and then also to gain some perspective,” Moiz said. “Many of our students of color have to think twice about what they’re wearing, where they’re going and how they’re going to be perceived. So, this was also bring some perspective around that while keeping in mind 'Hey, how do we get more kids involved? Everyone loves hoodies.' So, that was also the thinking behind that.”
Moiz said that two students from BSU went on the school’s broadcast and spoke of the significance of the days. And, in the wake of the post going viral, school officials sent a letter to families Friday morning giving context to the week.
“Student voice is extremely important to us and having them have some say in what happens in our building is very important, and allowing them to be able to do that, [and] allowing our students to be proud of who they are,” Moiz said. “And, again that lack of context and misunderstanding has led to where we are today.”
Moiz said that a student has resigned from BSU due to internal things going on in the group.
She added that the school hosts several spirit weeks throughout the year, including one for Black History Month. And, like last year, they’ll hold an assembly at the end of the month.
She said she had no apprehension about the week because it's all about the students. And, their goal was to be educational and engaging.
“We have a mantra here. It’s called Ubuntu and it means ‘I am because we are.’ And then the rest of the mantra is ‘We are one. We are Northern,” Moiz said. “So, we aspire to have when our students walk in through our doors be proud of who they are, be able to share their culture and heritage with the people around them and that would provide them a sense of belonging. That’s the essence of Ubuntu.”
