International Week: arguably the largest event of the school year. An over-the-top, full week affair to celebrate our school’s diversity. With a flag parade, a decadent buffet, and a sea of cultural clothing, it truly is a celebration of nations. Amidst the festivities, I quickly realized that some nations were not given equal treatment. African cultures were nowhere to be found amongst the live music performances or even at the buffet. The school prided itself on accepting every nation, yet this praise seemed highly disproportionate. Following this disappointment, a couple of my friends and I set out to create the African Student Union, our school’s first cultural union. We wanted to foster a sense of community among students of similar backgrounds and change the narrative of what Africa’s culture entails. With events such as potlucks, movie nights, guest speakers, and discussions on historical and current events we have fulfilled our mission of providing a space for African students to feel welcome and represented. However, on June 6th, 2020 our mission quickly expanded to include advocacy and activism. Following the recent reemergence of the Black Lives Matter movement, I, with my executive team, organized an online platform for students to voice their opinions and discuss possible responses to combat injustice within our community. Coincidentally, the day before, my school’s Instagram page had posted a message of solidarity and a vow to continue listening and learning. The students used the post as a forum to voice the racist and discriminatory instances they had experienced. By the end of the day there were over 500 comments. Due to our event already being scheduled, the school administrators used it as an opportunity to invite my team and I to relay the grievances and thoughts expressed by students. By the start of the school year, we had proposed a framework for both short and long-term solutions to the issues brought up by the student body. Thus, the student task force for equity, diversity, inclusion, and justice was formed. Though it was difficult at times, these monumental conversations with teachers and administrators led to a school wide call to action, inviting student representatives from all grades and clubs to collaborate on making a more welcoming atmosphere for students who once felt silenced or overlooked. This especially demonstrates my commitment to the community as well as my proactive character, as these two initiatives were among the first student-led organizations of their type at my school, through which I’ve learned that in order to move forward, we must be aware of the issues barring us from progression.