Dear Harriton Banner readers,

As students with a journalistic platform, we recognize our importance in shaping opinions and sharing various perspectives. We hold responsibility as a news publication to effectively address current issues and provide our readers with truthful journalism. While we cover a wide range of global and national stories, our focus has always pertained to the Harriton community, and we do not need to move beyond our district lines to observe issues of racial injustice.

Racism has plagued our country for hundreds of years, and while it may seem like these injustices are not omnipresent in the Lower Merion community, they undeniably exist. Whether in the form of discouragement from teachers or counselors, police profiling and targeting, or the alienation of black students in a room full of white faces, racial disparities in LMSD are real.

Over the past few months, along with national protests, we have seen students leading marches in our own neighborhoods—Bryn Mawr, Ardmore, and Bala Cynwyd to name a few. We stand in solidarity with these fights for racial equality and continue to grieve for George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and too many others who have been victims of racism and police brutality. 

At The Banner, we unequivocally believe that black lives matter. 

We understand that these words are empty without action; as leaders of the paper this year, we promise to take initiative and advocate for a school environment that values all students equally. 

Finally, we state this message to invite diverse student voices to contribute to this conversation throughout the school year. We are fully dedicated to presenting our readers with BIPOC perspectives— the stories of those who are often silenced or left unheard in our majority white community. With issues such as these, it is crucial that minorities are at the forefront, leading these important conversations. If you would like to contribute to the conversation of social justice in a productive and educational way, we gladly open our platform to you. Please email Ty Nagvajara ([email protected]) if you have questions or would like to submit to The Banner.

Sincerely,

Ty Nagvajara & Goldie Beck

Your 2020-21 Executive Editors