Bronx students tackle discrimination
Teens start a passion project to discuss racism and gender inequality
BY JASON COHEN
After witnessing the violence
against George Floyd and
the Black Lives Matter movement,
three friends from the
south Bronx felt compelled to do
something meaningful.
Ursula Mensah, Xzeina Phillpotts
and Akudo Nora Duruajonuma,
all juniors at the Bronx
Health Sciences High School,
recently launched a youth program,
R.R.G., (Reality, Race Inequalities
and Gender Discrimination)
to create a safe space for
other youth to talk about certain
situations that go on around
the world.
“People tend to think that
teenagers don’t care about anything
else, all we do is be on social
media, which is not a complete
lie, but that’s not all we
care about,” Duruajonuma said.
“The project will also give us the
chance to talk about politics, the
leaders of our nation and how
they are helping the U.S. thrive
or sink to the ground. This passion
project will be a challenge
due to the circumstances but we
are willing to make it work and
see it to the end, as long as you
all are as well.”
According to Duruajonuma,
the teens initially wanted to
start a club that had the same
topic as this project at their
school. But a few weeks ago, the
grouped learned about the concept
of a passion project through
an ad and since then, chose to
start one of their own.
They came up with a
name and made Gmail and
Instagram accounts.
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“We didn’t want the idea or
willingness of speaking on the
things going on to include just a
school club,” Duruajonuma said.
“We wanted it to be bigger and
have some youth and teenagers
who might be willing to join. We
want to create an environment
where everyone is able to freely
discuss their opinions.”
The teens had never done
anything like this and said
they are pursuing it with open
eyes and no expectations. They
launched the program without
help from an adult, but they
hope it attracts fellow youth.
Mensah noted that often,
kids get in trouble after school
and head down the wrong path.
The hope is that project gives
some people an outlet to express
things they can’t at home or
with friends.
“We wanted to start our own
club,” she said. “We wanted to
include everyone. I wanted to
create a space where kids, instead
of hanging out with the
bad crowds, can come here
and talk about what’s going
on in life.”
Duruajonuma explained
the trio had experienced isolation
or the feeling of not being
wanted or appreciated for who
they are.
“We don’t know if we are the
ideal 4.0 GPA students that colleges
are after, but we have a
passion for getting teenagers together
in a safe space to speak
on any topic including racism,
hate towards the LGBTQ community,
gender discrimination
and many other topics that are
still not spoken about freely today,
especially in the education
system,” Duruajonuma said.
As the website just launched
in the beginning of September,
the girls are trying to get the
word out. So far only a few people
have signed up. It will meet
virtually due to COVID-19.
“If we keep going, we will attract
more teenagers,” Mensah
said. “We’re all nice people. We
will accept anyone.”
Akudo Nora Duruajonuma, started R.R.G. with her two friends Xzeina Phillpotts (c) and Ursula Mensah (r) Photos
courtesy of R.R.G.