By Cathy Kuhlmeier
So often, I’m asked: “Why did we (The Spectrum staff) push the issue over being censored rather than just let it go?”
Honestly, it’s quite simple: we believed that our story topics were relevant to our student body and, even more than that, we believed that sharing these stories might make a change for some of the students’ trajectories in life. We recognized the story topics wouldn’t apply to everyone, but if one person took the time to read it and it made a difference to them, then we did our job.
Friends, that’s what this “life” thing is all about – making a difference to others. Or at least it should be.
Now, making a difference to someone can be anything, not just a censorship case that landed at SCOTUS. What if making a difference started with a kind action, such as opening a door for someone, or simply saying hi? It didn’t cost you anything but a few seconds of your time, and you could have just made someone’s day by doing a simple, kind action. I challenge all of you reading this to slow down for a minute each day to try to be a difference maker. Be brave – YOU can do hard things!
I try to do just that each day in my personal and professional life. On the days I am fortunate enough to get to talk to others about my experiences with Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, I tell others I continue to fight the good fight because censorship is still happening to students all over the country. I hate to admit this because it makes me feel old, but it’s been 42 years since this journey began for me. It truly hurts my heart knowing the struggles the decision of this case has caused for others.
This really came full circle for me after my own son was censored during his junior year of high school. It made the fire within me burn a little hotter to keep up the fight.
To be honest, it would be easy to bow out and call it quits because life happens and we get busy, but that’s not who I am. When I am telling my story of “Hazelwood Untold” to students and watching how engaged they become with the story that’s not what is in the textbooks, it pushes me to continue to try to make a difference to others, hopefully inspiring others to be the change.
This past November, I was fortunate enough to travel to Nashville JEA with my daughter, Haley. She’s only heard me present once before, but she said she finally understands what the fight is all about now. She understands why I do it and why I will continue to do it. It warms this momma’s heart to know my kids “get it” and that they are proud of me for trying to make things better for others.
I say this all the time: I’m no one special for fighting back against the school district – I just happened to have an opportunity to do the right thing, and I took it. The Spectrum staff and I truly wanted to help the students of Hazelwood East. I’m very proud of the education they provided me because they are the ones who taught me I have rights in school.
This battle has shaped who I am to my core. I continue to fight to restore students’ rights through New Voices USA – a movement across the country to restore student journalist rights at the state level. Currently, 18 states have gotten it right, so obviously there is a lot more work to be done. If you want to be a changemaker, I would encourage you to seek out opportunities to become involved with this movement. Just remember: change can start with just one person who has a little bit of courage to stand up for what they believe in.
If you haven’t been to one of my presentations and are curious what “Hazelwood Untold” is all about compared to what is in the textbooks, schedule a session with me to get the whole story. It would be my honor to talk with you in a classroom setting, by phone or email, or even help out on projects. Please let me know how I can be of assistance.
I leave you with this: stand up and speak out. Be the change, make a difference.
Cathy Kuhlmeier Foundation 