Student To Hold Online Meeting To Promote Diversity And Inclusion

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA —Armaan Francisco Shivpuri, a junior at Mira Costa High School, recalls a time in seventh grade when a student came up to him and asked if he were Muslim. When he responded that he wasn't, the student told him, "you look like those terrorists, the ones from Isis."

The experience stayed with him and affected him so much, that he decided to do something positive around the idea of community and inclusion.

"I want to get the conversation started around the idea of unconscious bias and how we can remove it from our minds," Shivpuri told Patch.

Shivpuri says his Zoom town hall meeting, scheduled for Friday, May 7, from 6:30-8 p.m., will be a safe space for individuals to express their experiences and feelings related to their identity. It will support healthy and productive conversations related to stereotypes, prejudice, discrimination, and exclusion in the community, and support the MBUSD Inclusion Stand Up Commitment.

The enterprising 17-year-old says the concept for the town hall came about after he was given the opportunity to speak about his own experiences with racism at his church's youth group.

"I remember thinking that other kids with similar stories should have a platform on which to speak," he said. "They shouldn't feel they have to suppress their feelings."

At the beginning of his junior year, Shivpuri pitched his idea to several groups with which he became involved, including MBUSD's Equity, Diversity, Social Justice & Inclusion Committee. He soon gained the support of school board members Jason Boxer and Jen Fenton, and Pennekamp Elementary school teacher Anna Gralink.

Shivpuri says his concept is based on the Inclusion Stand Up Commitment, the district's pledge "to stand up against hate, prejudice, violence, and bullying and stand up for respect and inclusion."

With the support of the district in place, Shivpuri reached out to Mayor Pro Tem Hildy Stern who connected him with prominent speakers for the event, including Dr. Antony Lee, a UCLA professor of African American history.

"From there, I went on to assemble a team of local speakers who will discuss discrimination and kindness based on personal experiences," he said.

Shivpuri says the program will feature eight panelists/speakers interspersed with reflective moments —questions posed for the attendees to ponder.

At the end of the event, Shivpuri will present questions for all participants to address and discuss.

"I realize we can't solve the problem of racism in one session, but my goal is to get people thinking and talking. I want the attendees to consider the question: where do we go from here?"

To learn more and register for the event, go to www.mb-indivisible.org...