Dear students, staff and community members, Shawnee Mission East is a unique place with diverse stories throughout our school. With 1,654 students in our Columbia blue halls, there are 1,654 unique stories to tell. As a predominantly-white school, it’s important to share the stories of students and staff members who often don’t get to share theirs. That’s the goal of this special issue: highlight the stories of our classmates’ diverse cultures that aren’t told as often while unveiling issues of microaggressions and lack of cultural awareness. 16% of our student population, just 270 students, is minoritized. This issue of the Harbinger is dedicated to creating an open discussion about race, ethnicity and diversity at East — free from marginalization, stereotyping and prejudice. When we strip back these things, we get a more compassionate understanding of human experiences. Creating this special section presented its own unique challenges. We tried to include as many different di...