2 students create first Black Empowerment post at Central High School – CBS Philly
PHILADEPHIA (CBS) — At Eyewitness News, we believe black history is American history. So for the rest of February, CBS3 will introduce you to the students and educators, families and friends who make the ordinary extraordinary.
We call them unsung heroes. These are the people whose impact and influence make a difference. A difference not only in their communities, but that impacts the entire region, one small victory at a time.
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On Friday morning, we introduce you to a pair of students at Central High School, who are founding members of a new black empowerment magazine.
“We were thinking about names realizing we wanted a black post,” Dahlia Tarver said.
The magazine titled, “Afrocentric” uplifts and empowers black students.
“I would go first and dismantle all the stereotypes about black women starting with the mom, the jezebel,” Tarver said.
“Angry Black Woman,” said Rakiyah Akins. “That one takes me.”
Akins and Tarver are close friends and are now the creators of the first student-run online publication dedicated to art, fashion, music and most importantly, the black voices of historic Central High School.
“Central’s reputation has always been like, ‘We’re 30, 30, 30,'” Akins said. “Thirty percent Asian, 30 percent white, 30 percent black, the most diverse school in town and yet we don’t see ourselves represented.”
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“We think black people deserve a space to represent themselves and we think there’s something missing here at Central, something that can be restored and created,” Tarver said.
It’s a bittersweet moment for Akins and Tarver because they’re seniors, but they say that even after they graduate, this magazine will go on for years to come.
“We hope we can leave something for the kids…other classmates,” Akins said. “We want to leave something for them so they can continue with this idea of loving themselves and each other.”
So far, they have about 20 freelancers and a growing number of non-Black Allied Student Writers contributing as contributors.
“They need to go in and research and educate themselves on these issues like microaggressions, the difference between safe spaces and gray spaces,” Tarver said. “Why is it not OK to say the n-word.”
One day, the band hopes to get the magazine to print. It will take around $5,000.
To date, they’ve raised just under $3,000. But they are determined to get there before they graduate.
“I don’t think people realize how important it is to see yourself in something, especially as a post,” Akins said.
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You can find more stories about Black History Month here.
