When the Black Lives Matter movement swept the U.S. in the early summer months, students everywhere felt called to action. For many, the nationwide wave of public outcry against racism was the first time they’d felt able to speak their truth and create change in their communities.
For the students leading Diversify Our Narrative Carpinteria , a grassroots initiative that seeks to implement diverse and anti-racist texts in Carpinteria Unified School District (CUSD) curriculum, it felt like the first step toward mending some longstanding problems with racism among students and a lack of adequate cultural representation in academic material. Spearheaded by 2017 Carp High graduate Sophia Nakasone and soon-to-be seniors Laura Flores and Isa Alarcon, Diversify Our Narrative Carpinteria has gained momentum and support from students, parents, and educators.
The original Diversify Our Narrative campaign was founded by two Stanford students in June 2020, with the goal of encouraging students nationwide to create local groups to mobilize their school boards. With an ever-growing leadership team and a list of progressive demands for the CUSD school board, the Carpinteria branch has taken on the challenge and is insistent on fighting for the change they believe students deserve.