Roaring Fork High School recently hosted an anti-hate speech panel featuring a few representative voices from around the Valley. The event was the result of a student-led effort organized by the school’s Student Equity Council.
It was a resounding success, with the presenters sharing stories of their personal experiences as victims of hate speech. The impact of their words was palpable among the student audience.
This reporter had the opportunity to catch up with two of the speakers after the panel to get their thoughts.
“It was an honor to be included in this, I’ve never done anything like this before,” Rabbi Sima Oster of the Aspen Jewish Congregation told The Sopris Sun. “It gave me a lot to think about in advance coming into this, and hearing from each of the panelists just now gave me a lot to think about coming out of it. I would love to participate in something like this at any time.”
When asked the same question, Travis Wilson, a youth advocate at YouthZone, said, “I really enjoyed this! This was a lovely experience. I loved hearing all the diverse voices in our community, because the Roaring Fork Valley does have so much diversity.”
Wilson concluded by echoing Oster, “Absolutely I would do this again.”
