One year later, Alief ISD classes commemorate George Floyd’s death
By: Fabiana Chaparro
Tags: Education, Diversity, George Floyd

Don Mason / Getty Images

HOUSTON, Texas — One of the most important facets of a teacher’s job is educating students on current events and how they fit in a modern world, and Krystal Williams, AP U.S. Government teacher at Alief Taylor High School, knows this well.

“We think about schools as being kind of a microcosm of society, but the diversity of Alief and the interactions these kids will have with other people — I just want them to be aware of themselves and their role in what they can do to make things better,” said Williams.

On the one-year anniversary of George Floyd’s death, Williams decided to open up her class to a discussion on his legacy and how students believed it has affected American society.

Floyd, 46, died on May 25 last year after former officer Derek Chauvin pinned him to the ground, kneeling on his neck for 9 1/2 minutes. Chauvin has since been convicted for murder charges and is faced sentencing on June 25.

“We were all impacted by the event in some way, shape or form,” said Williams. “It didn’t help that we were locked in, and so we just had all these frustrations and things that had to get out. I wanted to give them a platform where they could express how they felt.”

The class focused on going over the timeline of George Floyd’s death and the swell of activism that came after, from the removal of confederate statues around the country to Derek Chauvin’s conviction for murder.

“I feel like our classmates and teachers have an open mind and are willing to listen to what others have to say regarding an issue, like a political issue or a religious issue,” said student Anaelizeth Pineda.

Williams asked her students questions such as how they felt when they saw what happened to George Floyd, allowing students to not only remember the event, but to also speak on their emotions and fears tied to the incident.

Students also noted that this wasn’t just an isolated discussion — other classes and organizations in their school were opening up the floor to raise awareness and create more comprehensive knowledge on the racial issues plaguing the U.S. today.

“In English, our teacher didn’t directly say we were going to sit here and talk about it, but she gave us an article and had a discussion post about it where we could express ourselves. There was no right or wrong answer, so I think that helped,” said student Ke’Anna Lawson.

Williams concluded her class with a final question — what can students do to make things better in our society? Today’s students are, after all, the future of American society.

“They are uncomfortable conversations, but I think we need to have open conversations with people outside of our circles,” said Williams when addressing her students. “The main thing about Alief is that it is so diverse. You have gone to school with someone from almost every corner, so you guys have a different mindset or attitude of what society is like, and as you guys go into the world — that attitude, that mindset that you have — can make a huge impact on what happens and how things are different.”