![Incoming Student Union President junior Aki Bejamin and other SU candidates sitting on stage while waiting to give their speeches during the May 18 SU Debate. Aki said he plans to “burn [the SU] all down and start anew.”](https://thhsclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/IMG_9600-e1782439128607-1200x1131.jpg)
Reports tonight of lethal shootings in Georgia have increased student concerns about the growing violence against the Asian American community. As we wait to hear more, it is important to not only acknowledge but directly respond to these concerns.
Conversations about racial injustice have pervaded society over the past year and the Townsend Harris administration has rightly attempted to foster environments where students can feel comfortable voicing their feelings and concerns.
For over a month, students have been processing the growing reports of Asian Americans facing racially charged attacks at an alarming rate. As The Classic reported two weeks ago, these incidents have left our student body feeling increasingly fearful and unsettled.
It is now past time for our school to speak out about what is happening to Asian Americans in this city and this country and to hold conversations that educate and contextualize these violent and traumatic events.
