I am Niah Michel. I am a senior at Staples High School in Westport. I am emailing you on behalf of the black community of Staples High School and racial issues that occur at this high school.

We as a community feel as if we are nothing to this school. We are treated poorly from the rest of the students, and we are reminded everyday that we are not white. Not only does the black community feel like this but so does the Latino community of Staples.

We have expressed how we felt to many adults in the building but yet we haven’t had any answers. The district hired Stafford Thomas as our principal for the Images, meaning he was only really out there to show that Staples looks diverse.

Our school only has one colored male teacher, a colored female Social Studies concierge and black principal. The black people at Staples only make up 2%.

Although some black people live in Westport, we are always asked “if we live in Bridgeport,” “If this is our real hair,”” If we can give out the Ni**a or Ni**er” pass.

Several guidance counselors have told the Hispanics females at school “they couldn’t wear the same outfits as the white girls because we had too much to show.”

Not once this month has it been mentioned that it’s black history month over the morning announcements.

In the year of 2019, Principal D’Amico stripped away all our chairs and tables in the lobby so we wouldn’t sit there anymore.

We’ve tried every way to voice our opinions on how we are being treated at this school. Some of us feel like we’re being “held in prison for punishment.” No one listens to us and we want change.

Please help us voice our opinions and seek awareness to this situation.