(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Students walked out of classes Friday afternoon at Niles West High School to protest what they say is a persistent culture of racism.
In a recent incident, minority students said some of their classmates made racist comments during a mask demonstration at the Skokie campus.
Sophomore Nadiya Ahmed said she was in the hallway last Thursday when some of her peers used racial slurs and made monkey sounds. She compared it to what the Little Rock Nine faced when they attended an all-white school.
“They heard all kinds of racial slurs, nasty names and everything you can imagine. This was almost 70 years ago. Instead of moving forward, we are stuck,” she said.
Briyanna Manzanares Etinenne said she and other students have felt this way for a while, and it’s particularly hateful during Black History Month.
Londyn Lavallais, a senior and president of the Black Student Union, called on the district to address the problem.
In an email, Niles West Principal Karen Ritter conceded there is a problem. She said racist behavior happens regularly, and her administration is working on a “restorative healing.”
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