Four months before the death of George Floyd brought the issues of police brutality and racial discrimination back to the forefront, South San Francisco Unified School District (SSFUSD) set out to reduce police interventions through a renewed focus on restorative justice practices aimed at keeping students in school.
Specifically, a group of 20 South San Francisco High School (SSFHS) students, who had previously received detention notices, spent 30 hours creating a mural that now hangs in the South San Francisco Municipal Services Building.
The project was a partnership between SSFHS and the Redwood City Parks and Arts Foundation (RWCPAF).
Guided by artist Joseph Demaree, the students worked together to create a mural over the course of 10 weeks that would later be presented to the South San Francisco city council as an example of restorative practices in action.
Restorative practices are an attempt to minimize punitive school disciplinary measures by improving relationships between students and school officials.
It's also why the school board passed a resolution on June 25 denouncing racism and reaffirming the district’s commitment to equity.
Many thanks to Joseph Demaree and RWCPAF’s Dylan Roberts, Suzanne Gayle, and Sheila Cepero.
Student Artists: Cassandra Guzman Rodriguez, Litzy Ceron Palomares, Eduardo Gutierrez, Eyannalyn Saiyad, Nikko Rauls, Maribel Joaquin Vazquez, Tommy Jimenez, Eduardo Perez, Jennifer Rioja, Josue Padilla, Melony Castro, Adrienne Janier, Vanessa Reyes