An Endorsement From Julia Harris

Julia Harris

Collingswood High School, Class of 2024

Oberlin College, Class of 2028

Growing up and attending school in Collingswood – especially my time at Garfield – was a very special time in my life, and one I look back on fondly. The effect that the diversity at Garfield had on myself and the rest of the student body cannot be understated and its value has only become more clear as I reflect upon our transitions into middle, high school, and now college.

It is so, so important to teach children about finding beauty in differences and being empathetic to those without the same opportunities, and to begin at a young age. It is a lesson that my Garfield classmates and I learned in our elementary school classrooms, whereas our peers at other more overwhelmingly white schools did not. Segregation has led to animosity and division in our middle and high schools.

Now more than ever, we have a simple fix to these problems: fully integrating our elementary schools. The current structure of our elementary schools damages the futures of our minority students and damages the culture of our schools and towns. There is no reason for our elementary schools to remain as segregated as they are. For the benefit of every student and every resident of Collingswood, Oaklyn, and Woodlynne, it is necessary to vote YES.