While many after school clubs provide a learning experience for eager students, a new club at South Windsor High School is looking to do just that. The African American Culture Club specializes in helping students learn about different ethnicities around the world, which brings light to issues that may seem uncomfortable to share.

Jenieke Calloway, who is one of the founders of the club, specifically states that “Not every kid has the chance to share or is comfortable sharing, so we wanted to make sure they had a spotlight in a setting that they were well respected.” The club members have been nothing but polite and optimistic to everyone who shares their different viewpoints. As well as this, they are willing to look beyond their differences to come to an understanding on controversial issues surrounding racial injustices. Those discussed include stop and frisks, search and seizures, and even school searches on students. The topics discussed during each meeting have been a first for students, which may come as a surprise, as well because the club is also in its first year.

While this is the first year for the club, figuring out the agenda for each meeting has been a fun experience for club founders Calloway, Anastasia Assenso, and Sam Otchere. Talking about issues that matter to them and having a community there to talk to has been the most fun they have had in the club. Attracting new members for each meeting has been something they weren’t expecting and they enjoy the planning of each meeting to attract even more members. By running advertisements on the news and telling friends to give the club a chance, they have been able to help the club grow into a big community.

While it’s been hard work, the club has been a huge success so far this school year. Having a supportive environment to share uncomfortable stories and controversial topics is something hard to come by in today’s community. But the club has caught the interest of twenty-five to thirty students per meeting anyways. The students who attend each meeting are students who are open to discussing topics that others shy away from, and are willing to test their own beliefs. The meetings have exceeded the founders’ expectations already by the amount of students interested. Calloway, Assenso, and Otchere already have plans for a club field trip to learn even more about the history of different ethnicities. 

The goal in mind for the club, according to Ms. Clifford, is “feeling that people around them are being really supportive and interested to understand some of the issues that they’re bringing up.” While the issues brought up at each meeting are very important, they are also well received by an audience willing to listen. 

While it may seem like already the club has achieved its goal in just a few months, club founders of Calloway, Assenso, Otchere and advisor Ms. Clifford are hoping to get even more students involved for next year.