Twenty-four students from Lowell High School in Massachusetts set out to understand the meaning of diversity and equity in America. They wrote Defining Diversity, a book of essays, charting a concise journey through a century and a half of seminal moments in American history. The students’ hope is to help peers across the country understand key ideas, federal laws, constitutional amendments, and Supreme Court decisions that have shaped our society. Defining Diversity has special resonance—Lowell High was the first integrated high school in the U.S.—open to all from its founding in the 1830s. Today, it is one of the most diverse in the nation with students from sixty-six countries across five continents. Defining Diversity has been shared with schools in all fifty states. Teacher Jessica Lander, author of Powerful Partnerships and Driving Backwards, will be accompanied by her students Carla Duran, Monineth Hang, Jackson Kokeh, Onotse Omoyeni, Sam Ramsden, and Stephane Silva. The student authors will speak about writing the book and their ideas about engaging young people in conversations about diversity and equity. Lecturer, documentary filmmaker, and diversity champion Teja Arboleda will host this inspiring session about engaging young people in our democracy.
