Drum Majors For Justice
Drum Majors for Justice is a youth service group dedicated to reconciling and resolving racial injustices in and around Wake County. We began as an elective or “service learning” group at Exploris Middle School in downtown Raleigh, and have worked on several projects concerning racial injustice in the county. We worked, and continue to work, closely with Mr. Joe Holt, a central figure in the initiative to integrate the Raleigh City Schools when he was a teenager. Although he was unsuccessful, his experiences and story have allowed him to mentor us as we grow.
Going to school just two blocks away from the Confederate monuments at the Capitol building, we frequently passed by them on our way around the city. In light of the recent protests against racial hatred and white supremacy, we were inspired to #takehatedown so that North Carolina can finally move towards reconciliation.
“Yes, If you want to say that I was a Drum Major, say that I was a Drum Major for Justice. Say that I was a Drum Major for Peace. I was a Drum Major for Righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter.”
Martin Luther King Jr. (“The Drum Major Instinct” Sermon 1968)
Our work also enabled us to apply to Design for Change (DFC). DFC is an organization that empowers young innovators and activists to take on a project and change something for the better. Our application gave us the ability to attend the first-ever Design For Change Children’s Global Summit which took place in Rome. We presented three of our projects there alongside youth from all over the world.
Why We, Personally, Are A Part of This Project:
“It’s disgusting to see ‘Our Confederate Dead’ and know the history behind it. There is no justice. If a black person walks downtown I don’t want our state to be defined by that.”
Sophia Norris, South Garner High School Class of 2022
“The Confederate Monuments represent a lot of social injustice. It is something made up of racial discrimination that we need to know as a part of NC History, but it is not something we need to see every day.”
“If I was a black woman, walking downtown with my children, it would really upset me and it is not something children need to see.”
Minnah Gaballah, Leesville Road High School Class of 2023
“The Confederate Monuments are a symbol of hatred and they represent our state badly.”
Cooper Beebe, Athens Drive High School Class of 2024
“It leaves a lingering message of hate, and I don’t think that should be downtown. That is why they should be taken down.”
Jo Morales, Broughton High School Class of 2023
“The first time Joe Holt met with us he said every time he sees this monument it says, ‘I hate you, Joe Holt.’ The monuments are not just holding up big ideas of racial hatred, but they are personal attacks toward my classmates, neighbors, and friends.”
Lily Kane, Broughton High School Class of 2023
“I think that Confederate Monuments represent hatred and discrimination, and memorializing that not only brings attention to past racial hatred but affects any person of color who walks into Raleigh and sees that.”
Azaria Anderson, Research Triangle High School Class of 2022
“Asher [my brother] and I are Jewish. That monument is the equivalent of having a swastika on our capital grounds. It represents pure hatred and white supremacy.”
Lev Cohen, Sanderson High School Class of 2021
“It’s showing that North Carolina still either supports racism and slavery, or we’re ignorant enough to not know the history. That’s not how North Carolina should be viewed.”
Brooke Pohlman, Athens Drive High School Class of 2023
“Many people want their history to be remembered and memorialized, but when that history leaves others feeling hated, it’s not fair to have statues in public areas provoking that hate.”
Ethan Harris, Research Triangle High School Class of 2022