Frederick Douglass: A Man Who Changed History

                                                                        by Diana Stewart

Frederick Douglass positively influenced history by dedicating his life to abolishing slavery and ending segregation.  Douglass wrote several autobiographies, books, and articles about his life as a slave. His writings influenced the abolishment of slavery.  

   Douglass went to New York and published a newspaper called The North Star, which developed its name from when escaped slaves would follow the North Star to freedom.  He expressed the importance of civil rights and how slavery should be abolished. Douglass was also an outspoken supporter of women’s rights.  

   Frederick Douglass was persistent in his goal of having slavery abolished. He used his writings and his leadership qualities to achieve this outcome.

My Personal Connection to A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie’s, “Jungle”

By Destiny Bernard

On February 14, 2016, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, a young rapper from the Bronx, released a single from his album, Artist, called “Jungle”. The lyrics of this song speak to me personally because of its unique lyrics that coincide with my life and things I’ve experienced. The song has a great catchy beat that is made up of drums, piano, and claps. The beat gives me a nostalgic feel that causes me to reflect on my life.

The lyrics, “This is what that jungle do, You been plottin wasn’t you” is reflective of growing up in a crazy neighborhood where people do you wrong everyday. Betrayal usually turns people into monsters because betrayal usually comes from the people closest to them. It makes people think they should have never trusted anyone. The follow up lyrics, “I should’ve never messed with you” take the listener way back to the story of Caesar getting stabbed in the back with the words “et tu Brute?” which translates to “even you Brutus?” meaning “and even you would betray me? ”. The next lines “Yeah I started in the back had to skip the line though” refers to coming up from poverty and failure and persevering over obstacles. As the song continues you hear him say “People throw you in the shade cause they wanna shine tho people throw me in the grave in a Ferragamo”.  A Ferragamo is a popular, high end, expensive belt that is mostly in fashion with males of this generation. The lyric means that people will try to wrong you because they only care about their own success and they only want to see you attain success when it’s too late and you’re already gone. The next lyric, “Man I can’t believe they killed my bro Quado it was so deep I had to say that with my eyes closed,”  hit me very hard personally because I am 17 years old and have already many friends and it shouldn’t be that way.

The next lines, that touch a tender spot are “This is all I ever wanted why would I let you take it from me” because it refers to finally being successful and reaching your goals yet having people in your life try to take your spot, but you won’t let them.  I have seen this happen often in life;  unfortunately, not many people want to see you doing well.

This song can relate to many of the youth of 2017 that are growing up in areas known to be unprosperous. These areas are known as communities that are well enough for people to live. People who live in these areas can survive and make a living, but there is no money left-over for luxury items or other wants. Many people only have money to fulfill their needs.

Respect for All Week

                                           By Stacy Sosa and Destiny Bernard

Respect means to be kind and loving. The definition of respect is a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something drawn out by their abilities, qualities, or achievements. Respect is very important. It is important because it shows a maturity level where people understand that having respect for others creates situations where love and friendships and peace become attainable in a world where bullying, war, hate, racism, and sexism are very real.The Department of Education would like for  children to understand the importance of respecting one another. Therefore, each February the DOE designates one week as Respect for All Week. Although the idea for implementing

Respect for All in New York City schools began after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the first annual Respect for All Week didn’t begin until the 2010-2011 school year.  The DOE’s goal for Respect For All is to promote respect for diversity and to combat harassment, discrimination and bullying.  “The goal of this work is to ensure that every NYC school provides a learning environment where all children feel safe, valued and respected.” (NYC Department of Education website)  

  NYC schools began their 2017 recognition of Respect for All on Friday, February 10 on “National No One Eats Alone Day”.  Every public school in NYC has different ways to celebrate respect.  

   Port Richmond High School celebrated Respect for all Week by performing daily acts of kindness, attending a “Worth It” assembly, and by creating a Raiders’ Respect Wall.  The “Worth It” assembly reminded students how to respect themselves and each other by making choices that are “Worth it”.  A walk passed the Raiders’ Respect Wall alerts the passersby to what respect means to the students of Port Richmond High School.  

   Students throughout Port Richmond High School have different perspectives on the meaning of respect. Some of the sentiments on the wall are “Never lose sight of what’s important in life...you”.  “Be Yourself and don’t change for anybody, no matter the consequences.” Students who didn’t write on the wall also expressed what respect means to them. “ I never thought about what respect means,” said Jared, a sophomore student.   “Respect means to treat others the way they treat me,” said sophomore student, Davon.  “Respect means to be more self conscious about our actions and think about the actual right things to do. To respect yourself is to be self conscious, and at the same time to have self confidence. I respect others by not judging people who I don't personally know. I feel like we should respect people for what they believe in, as we will get the same respect,” said a senior, Angela. Respect for All Week is over, but many students of Port Richmond High School will continue to treat others with kindness and respect.