By Min Park and Noy Alon
News Reporters
As Newton South’s annual One School One Book event came to a close on September 25, Jabari Asim, this year’s keynote speaker, left the building impressed with the passion with which the Newton South community discussed complex issues surrounding this year’s summer reading book, Wes Moore’s The Other Wes Moore: One Name Two Fates.
The Other Wes Moore captures the story of two African-Americans, both named Wes Moore and both raised in Baltimore. Despite growing up under similar circumstances, one Wes Moore becomes a successful Rhodes Scholar while the other is imprisoned for killing a police officer.
This year’s One School One Book event examined the ideas about race and fate addressed in The Other Wes Moore while engaging students and community members in discussions regarding race issues in Newton and the United States as a whole.
In giving his speech, Asim sought to inspire students at Newton South to think critically about racial and social injustice in the United States.
“I hope to challenge the master narrative, including myths and stereotypes that present an inaccurate picture of black life and aspirations,” Asim said.
Instead of trying to encourage each individual to take the same course of action, Asim notes that his goal is first and foremost to rally people to action in their own unique ways.
“The great historian Lerone Bennett Jr. suggested that it’s not important that all Americans do the same thing,” he said. “It’s more important that we all do something.”
In writing his speech, Asim deliberately included anecdotes that served to both motivate the audience and further his argument.
“I’m hopeful that students who were informed and inspired by words will be moved to effect meaningful change, starting with their own community of Newton,” he said.
After the morning assembly, Asim described how he saw a strong level of commitment from a wide breadth of Newton school and community members, citing conversations he had with the soccer coach, a part-time aide, and Newton Superintendent David Fleishman.
“Clearly, ‘One School’ meant the whole school, from the principal to the entire student body,” Asim said.
Asim also took note of the many interesting questions that students posed in their panel discussions following the assembly.
Asim feels that the discussions that the Newton South community was engaged in throughout the event were critical to giving students a voice on issues regarding race.
“I do think that the more opportunities students have to express themselves on the chosen topic, the better,” he said.
