HomeMy WebLinkAbout4635-17 Commending and Honoring the 7th grade students of Navarre Intermediate Center RESOLUTION
No. 4635-17
Passed by the Common Council of the City of South Bend, Indiana
May 22, 20 17,
Attest: City Clerk
E
Attest President of Common Council
Presented by me to the Mayor of the City of South Bend, Indiana
May 23, 20 17.
City Clerk
Approved and signed by me 240 20!! .
Mayo'
sou•rn a
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RESOLUTION NO. 4635-17
A RESOLUTION OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH
BEND, INDIANA, PUBLICLY COMMENDING AND HONORING THE 7TH
GRADE STUDENTS OF NAVARRRE INTERMEDIATE CENTER ON A
SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN TO ADVANCE EQUALITY AND PROMOTE
HEALTHY FOOD OPTIONS FOR ALL STUDENTS IN THE SOUTH BEND
COMMUNITY SCHOOL CORPORATION
Qk"America lives its values of"justice for all" through the ongoing struggle for equality. For, not
long ago "Separate but equal" was the law in the United States and mandated that facilities and services
(such as housing,medical care,education,employment,and transportation)be segregated by race.However,
separate facilities provided to African Americans were rarely equal or did not exist at all; and
6ACmm, last week, we celebrated the 63`d anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education,
the landmark Supreme Court case which declared that separate public schools for black and white students
are unconstitutional, and yet we know that racism and discrimination still exist in American schools today;
and our challenge is to recognize, resist, and reform the subtle and sometimes not so subtle manifestations
of inequity; and
Ge z, the demographics of schools in South Bend show de facto segregation- students of color make up
69% of the South Bend Community School Corporation but 95% of the students at Navarre-national data
indicates that schools made up of mostly children of color operate with fewer resources limiting the students'
access to educational opportunities including healthy food choices in school lunches; and
6)6"like most children attending schools in low income neighborhoods,many Navarre students live in
a "food desert" where children don't have access to fresh produce and depend on healthy food choices
being offered at the schools;and
G Cpm, Navarre Intermediate 7`'grade students learned about peaceful protests in their study of the Civil
Rights Movement and were inspired to apply what they learned by taking action to advance equality in their
own lives. Recognizing that good nutrition is important for physical and mental development, they
organized to get a salad bar and a fruit bar,which were provided in other schools as part of the school lunch
options;and
6A,"A progress rarely comes without struggle, every student in 7th grade signed a petition, and for an
entire week,students brought their lunch or chose not to eat. When met with the resistance of bureaucracy
and red tape,students worked together—with the help of some of their teachers—to analyze and overcome
barriers; and
G*;Ya the Director of Food and Nutrition and the Superintendent of the South Bend School Corporation
contacted the students.The principal convened a Town Hall and ever so eloquently, five students,Kae Juan
Grimes, Chase Shabazz,Willietia Halbert,Trinity Robertson, and Tey'anna Lyons spoke out.
GfiCre, the school corporation granted their request by opening the salad bar for the entire school on April
13, 2017, and thanks to the perseverance and commitment of the 7`s grade students, all the children at
Navarre Intermediate Center now enjoy the benefit of fresh produce as part of their daily meal.
a, a. dyv, N,�oulli �'artd t-o-nazanal, a�
Section I. The Common Council of the City of South Bend, Indiana, publicly honors and
congratulates the Navarre Intermediate Center 7`'grade student body for a successful campaign to advance
equality and ensure that school lunches provide healthy food choices to all students throughout the South
Bend Community School Corporation. We look forward to these students being the leaders of tomorrow
to continue the fight for diversity&inclusion and to be a model for city leaders, educators,and all adults in
the City of South Bend.
Section II. This Resolution shall be in full force and effect to a d after ' s adoption by the
Council and approval by the Mayor.
Tim Scott, 15t is 'ct Oliver J. , 6 Dis 'ct
A�_
Rye ms Prest n,2nd District John Voorde,At Large
Randy Kelly,Jd District Gavin e c,At Large
Jo NiBroden,4th District Karen L.White,At Large
Dr. David Varner, 5th District Aladean DeRose,Interim Council Attorney
Attest: Approved this 22nd a f May,2016
K eemah N. Fowler, City Jerk Pete Butti ' ay f South Bend