Facing History School Graduation: Zanetta King, Valedictorian

Power reveals itself in many forms. It is the authority, the influence, and the possession of control.  Power is the ability, strength and capacity to do something.

I am honored to stand on this stage, as valedictorian, representing the first graduating class of 2009 and witnessing the power of every graduate in this room and the power of the community that has influenced us all. Everyone in this audience, from parents to extended families, to friends and peers, to our teachers and advisors has helped us to channel and use our power to dream endlessly, to discover, to learn, to confront our fears and to face the world outside of these doors.

This journey has not been easy for any of the seniors sitting in the audience. We have all struggled at some point to find our place and our path. Personally, as a ninth grader in Virginia, there was nothing I detested more than dragging myself to school each morning. I felt as if teachers expected me to fail, and there was nothing to gain from sitting behind my desk. As I result, I made poor grades and developed an even worse attitude. I was eventually kicked out for fighting, because it seemed negativity was the only way I could establish my presence.

Many people make the mistake of imprisoning themselves in their past, instead of using their history to shape and empower their future. I decided to use my negative experience at my old school to propel my desire to do better and be more involved at my new school. I remember my first day arriving at Facing History School. I had many mixed emotions-I was nervous, I was excited, I didn't know what to expect.

What I discovered were small classes infused with the arts so that we could engage with the academic material. We called teachers by their first names and they actually had time and energy to focus on each student. We all felt like we were part of a community. I was treated like an equal and as an important member of the school, whose voice counted and had an impact.

But I didn't understand the relevance of history in my life. I now see that it is through studying the Holocaust, the Rwandan genocide, South African apartheid, and other devastating episodes of human history that I have been able to learn the importance of standing up against abuses of power. The Facing History School has immersed me in a curriculum that focuses on the necessity of being an "upstander," of facing our own histories and participating in the improvement of humanity. Hearing stories of people who have lived through atrocities has inspired me to always act as an advocate for those who are forced to live in the shadows and without power.

As a teenager, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of issues that surround us. However, power is sometimes thinking and acting beyond your own understanding. Power is the decision to be an "upstander".

This summer, I worked with eleven of my peers, through the Urban Arts Partnership media lab, to create an original documentary called "In My Shoes" that gives voice to homeless youth living in New York City. As the Producer, I was able to combine all of my interests and skills to make a documentary about a vital cause. Now I am using my power to raise awareness and mobilize people to action on this issue.

Today we leave behind the lives we have had at Facing History School but I challenge each and every one of you to take what you have learned- to face history and to embrace your power as you disperse into the world. Facing History has given me the determination and drive to help other people. The word "upstander" and responsibility that comes with it, has been instilled in me and in all of you. When we choose to participate, we positively shape history. I plan on being a powerful voice and activist as I continue my education at Smith College.

I want to thank those people who have and continue to empower me and inspire me to make change: my parents who have diligently supported me for the past four years, my wonderful teachers who taught me to question, my Urban Arts Partnership mentors who that taught me to use art to develop my message and share it with others , my advisor, Marc, who taught me the importance of community commitment, and my most amazing principal Gillian, who reminds me, and every one of us, each and every day  to  "speak truth to power."

Seniors-- this is our day, this is our future, let's use our power and all that we have learned to make history.