Malverne, Bay Shore, Centereach students win ERASE Racism essay contest

Students from Malverne, Bay Shore and Centereach high schools have been named winners of a local essay contest that focused on the importance of teaching children about racism in U.S. history.

The students — Javonni Green and Sabrina Ramharakh of Malverne High School, Rainer Pasca of Bay Shore High School and Amber McLeod of Centereach High School — were winners of the “Raise Your Voice” student essay contest coordinated by the Syosset nonprofit ERASE Racism.

They each received $500 college scholarships, which were made possible by SCOPE Educational Services in Smithtown, and were honored at the nonprofit’s annual benefit last month at the Garden City Hotel.

“Teachers must teach about the history of racism in the U.S. because it helps students understand the experiences and struggles faced during slavery and how we progressed or transitioned over time into a new community,” Green wrote in his winning piece.

The winning submissions incorporated topics ranging from the issue of making Black history a bigger part of school curricula to the significance of discussing issues and misunderstandings related to gender and sexuality.

Ramharakh’s essay told how she and her classmates fought successfully to rename a local street that was named after a Ku Klux Klan leader.  

By Michael R. Ebert

michael.ebert@newsday.com

Michael R. Ebert is an education researcher and has worked for Newsday in various capacities since 2003. He was part of an 11-person team named as 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalists for investigative coverage of the LIRR's platform safety issues.