Together We Can: Supporting Inclusion at Oil City High School

Thanks to a collaborative relationship with Together We Can Venango County, the partnership’s Commission to Dismantle Racism and Discrimination is supporting students and teachers at Oil City High School who are working to create a more inclusive community.

The Rev. Mark Elliston, vicar of Christ Church, Oil City, and Dr. Joseph Croskey, a longtime member of the congregation and advisor to Together We Can, both serve on the commission.

Together We Can President Barbara Rumore and board officers Kay-Gordon Brewster, Michelle Jones, Beverly Lawrence, and Denise Jones accept a check from the Rev. Mark Elliston

In late February, the commission donated about three dozen copies of “Just Mercy” by Equal Justice Initiative founder Bryan Stevenson to students in the school’s diversity clubs. The book, a memoir of Stevenson’s work to overturn wrongful convictions and end other systemically racist practices in the justice system, will also be used in social studies classes at the school. The gift was a timely one; in January, Elliston and many other partnership leaders traveled to Montgomery, Alabama, to visit the Equal Justice Initiative’s Legacy Museum and National Memorial for Peace and Justice and learn more about Stevenson’s work and legacy.

Diversity clubs, says Denise Jones, Together We Can’s vice president, provide “a safe space where students can discuss and learn about cultural differences without judgement.” Together We Can also supports restorative justice sessions at the school as an alternative to disciplinary action when racially motivated incidents occur.

The Commission to Dismantle Racism and Discrimination also recently donated $500 to Together We Can’s scholarship fund. The initiative, to which the Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania has contributed for several years, has awarded a number of scholarships to younger women of color, Elliston said. The awardees have also received mentoring from Together We Can members.

“Tying together the work of the Commission and Together We Can is especially significant in this rural, predominantly white area,” Elliston said.

Jones agrees. “It is imperative that we learn about black history and promote intellectual stimulation if we hope to create a more equitable and just society,” she wrote in a note of gratitude to Elliston and the Commission. “As the students navigate this journey and are empowered to make a difference in their school and community, we are excited to see their growth.”

photo: Together We Can President Barbara Rumore and board officers Kay-Gordon Brewster, Michelle Jones, Beverly Lawrence, and Denise Jones accept a check from the Rev. Mark Elliston.