For many of us, the biggest problems in our lives are that AP Physics test coming up or that 20 dollar parking ticket you have that you say you definitely didn’t deserve. For some, though, there are bigger worries in life. The Students and Teachers Association for Racial Studies, or STARS, has recently focused on Dear Martin by Nic Stone, a novel that explores the bigger issues of racial discrimination and police brutality. 

STARS is a discussion-based club that is focused on the education and awareness of racial injustice. Its members include both faculty and students. Since the beginning of the club in response to the death of Michael Brown on Aug. 9, 2014, the group has discussed books, films such as When They See Us, and even the ABC sitcom Black-ish. The club is now starting Stone’s Dear Martin. 

“I did a lot of research online to find books that were on racial studies, that talk about racial issues that we can discuss,” explained junior Anthony Fahim. “I found Dear Martin, and I thought it was a great option.”

Dear Martin tells the story of a Black teenager named Justyce McAllister who attends a prep school not unlike our own and is on track for an Ivy League college. One night, when trying to get his drunk ex-girlfriend home safely, he is apprehended and arrested because he looks “suspicious.” In order to cope with his situation, Justyce begins to write letters to Martin Luther King Jr. describing himself and his circumstances.

“A lot of the things that occurred to the main character have been things we've seen in the news, and we just thought it was appropriate,” said senior Ismael Karim. “We thought it could relate to a lot of students here. I mean, it's about a boy who's about to transition into another environment that he's not used to.”

The book will be broken down into short sections on a weekly basis for individual reading. Then, the club meetings will be used for group discussion and conversation between students and faculty about important points from the book and how they relate to our society.

“A key part of (STARS) is faculty involvement,” said Karim. “It really bridges the gap between students and faculty, which I think is a critical part of talking about race.” 

Bridging this gap is a major step in building a more inclusive environment in our school. Even if it is just increasing one’s own individual awareness or personal education, any small step is important.

“When I go to these clubs, it's more of an empathy kind of thing,” said junior Alex Brinkman. “I kind of think that the people running the club should be those who actively experience injustice in their day-to-day lives and feel empowered to do something about it. Then I'm there to learn from them.”

There are a variety of options for diversity clubs at SLUH, not just STARS. Others include ACES, Ongoing Conversations, SLUH4GE, and more.

“I think a lot of students should join one of these diverse clubs,” said Fahim. “Whether it’s an ACES meeting, STARS, Anti-Racist Coalition, One World Club, or Ongoing Conversations. There’s just a lot of opportunities.”

“There’s quite a bit of overlap between the number of different diversity groups,” said STARS moderator Robert Garavaglia. “But overall the whole goal is to make it a grassroots effort that students lead and teachers participate with, and the students lead the discussion.”

The club will continue to progress through Dear Martin and meet in activity periods in M204 on Feb. 16 and 22, March 4 and 29, and April 19.