DENVER — Monarch Montessori unveiled a new yurt on Thursday, a project made possible by the determination of four elementary students who faced down racism during their advocacy efforts.
At a May Denver City Council meeting, young students spoke and advocated for funding to add a yurt—a round, structured tent—to their school. The request took an ugly turn when an anonymous individual disrupted the virtual meeting with racial slurs directed at two of the students, both of whom are Black.
"They were saying some harsh stuff to me and Mallory, telling us to go back to Africa, telling us that we're just nothing," recalled Aniecia Carey, one of the students who spoke at the meeting. "I was just trying to speak for my school and advocate for them, and they messed up my whole speech. I felt so mad, but I can't hold grudges for the rest of my life. I gotta let it go."
The outpouring of support following the incident was swift and decisive. Denver City Councilmember Shontel Lewis, who was present at the meeting, expressed her commitment to ensuring the students' voices were heard and their efforts rewarded.
"We were disgusted originally about the behavior, and then it was like, at minimum, we're getting them this yurt," Lewis said. "This was an opportunity to ensure that they understood the power of their voices."
On Thursday, Lewis joined the school to unveil the new yurt, the structure the girls had advocated for months earlier. The yurt will serve primarily as a music classroom and serve as a space for younger children to learn.
Carey, a sixth grader, who no longer attends Monarch Montessori, said she fought for the yurt to benefit future students and to give back to the school that had given her so much. Reflecting on her experience, Carey acknowledged the emotional toll but also recognized the strength she gained from it.
"Stay true to yourself and be powerful, believe in yourself, because you can do anything," Carey advised. "I had to find that out, but now I know I can do anything, and so can you."
Lewis noted her gratitude that the students were resilient enough to grow from the experience rather than be diminished by it.
"She actually shared that this experience really shaped her into wanting to have that strong voice," Lewis said. "And I was terrified as a Black woman, as a mom to my own kiddos, that her experience and the experience of those kiddos in our chambers would have done the opposite."
Despite the challenges they faced, Carey and her fellow students took pride in standing up for themselves and their school.
The yurt will serve as a lasting symbol of their courage and the community's support.