SHS students battle racism
Published on December 13th, 2000
STONEHAM, MA - On Dec. 5, 2000, Stoneham High School’s Peer Leaders joined more than 14,000 high school and middle school students from all over New England and around the world at the Fleet Center in Boston to participate in the seventh annual Team Harmony Event.
Team Harmony was started by the friendship between three men: Lenny Zakim, Reggie Lewis and Jon Jennings. These three men had a similar goal. The goal of team harmony is to rally students to galvanize them into standing up against hate, racism, violence and discrimination within their schools and communities.
Not only were people from all over New England present at the event, but there were satellite feeds so that students in Johannesburg, South Africa and Belfast, Northern Ireland were able to interact and participate in this year’s Team Harmony. The show started off with Irish step dancing and was followed by an African cultural dance, as well as the Boston High School City Wide Step Council Dance Group’s dance performance. Jon Jennings, one of the co-founders then spoke and so began the event.
This year’s Team Harmony was dedicated to the late co-founder Lenny Zakim who passed away only a few short weeks after last year’s Team Harmony event. Rabbi Mark Sokoll spoke of Mr. Zakim, one of the greatest men, whose name belonged with Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Ghandi, Mother Teresa and Nelson Mandela. Students from various schools, such as St. John’s School in Danvers spoke of Mr. Zakim. The last teenager to speak brought tears to our eyes. He wasn’t just a student, he was Josh Zakim, the son of Lenny Zakim. His speech was powerful and moving, and in the tradition of his father, 14,000 students all put their Team Harmony t-shirts on at the same time and made the pledge. The pledge was lead by a video of Lenny Zakim. And the words still ring in my ears:
"I will not stand idly by. One person can make a difference."
Nomar Garciaparra of the Boston Red Sox, and Angela Perez Baraqiuo made a guest appearance to present one of the International Team Harmony awards to Northern Ireland. When Baltasar of JAM’N 94.5 announced the next performance, Funkmaster Flex, the audience went wild. After the energizing performance, Richard Lapchick, an anti-apartheid activist, who is also known as "the racial conscience of sport," spoke of his own painful experiences and of the importance of promoting acceptance and diversity. Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Prince Cedza Dlamini walked onstage declaring that one important fact had been forgotten: he was "still single." Prince Dlamini’s presence showed both warmth and friendliness. Together, Richard Lapchick and Prince Cedza Dlamini presented South Africa with the other International Team Harmony Award.
Next Eliot and Barry Tatelman delighted the audience by hosting the next portion of the event. This was the Youth Interactive Discussion. The Urban Improv group performed a skit, and asked the few selected students, two of whom, Anthony Caracciolo and Bryan Last, were from Stoneham, to respond to the situation. Throughout the entire event Northern Ireland and South Africa interacted and asked as well as answered questions. Although he could not make it to the event, President Bill Clinton gave a speech and answered the questions from the people of Belfast and Johannesburg, as well as questions from Boston. Then the Founder’s award was presented to Hingham High School.
No Authority performed a few of their new songs, and stirred up the audience with their current single, "Can I Get Your Number." The event closed with Ball in the House performing and spectacular fireworks. Despite all the glamour of the event, there was an important lesson to be learned. As Josh Zakim said, we need to stand up. If one person stands up against racism, bigotry and hate, then someone else will be empowered to stand up, and then another and so forth. It all begins with one person. So often we have thought, well I’m only one person, what can I do, but the truth is, we can do so much.
"One person can make a difference. I will not stand idly by!"
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