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| History |
The Student Network for Inquiry and Dialogue (SNID) has its origins in the work of the Jim Hill Civil Rights/Civil Liberties (CRCL), which was established in the fall of 2005 by students and teachers who wanted to create a space in the building where students could speak freely after school about things they were prevented or dissuaded from discussing during the school day. From within this abstracted space–-dedicated to cultivating critical inquiry and intercommunity dialogue-–CRCL began to meet every Wednesday after school at Jim Hill.
Eventually the group began to narrow down the thoughts and issues that would define its commitment to inquiry and dialogue. A steady stream of concerns--local, regional, national, global--floated in and out of their focus. As the CRCL realized that they needed to start acting upon those concerns that kept returning, they began to bring speakers in from the community to lead them in a more informed discussion about something that piqued their interest, and from there expanded their focus into community involvement and social justice action.
By the summer of 2007, the Jim Hill CRCL had active participation from three area high schools--two public and one private--and had garnered awards from the Jackson Branch NAACP, the Mississippi ACLU, and the Jackson Public School Board. Most importantly, the organization
itself was transitioning into a self-sustaining entity with students running many of the day-to-day operations. It had become abundantly clear that the effects of a commitment within teachers and students to engage in a candid process of critical inquiry and open dialogue were deep and far-reaching. With the establishment of the Student Network for Inquiry and Dialogue, the work of the Jim Hill CRCL began to spread to other students and other communities throughout the Jackson Metro area and the state of Mississippi. |
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| Methods |
In general, engagement by the Jim Hill CRCL in a certain topic or issue follows a steady progression from information to action:
Initial Dialogue: a student or moderator brings up something of local, regional, or national concern. This typically includes a text or media segment to serve as a focal point for open discussion. A central intent of these dialogues is to consider and to challenge multiple viewpoints, and to reach out--if necessary--to voices and perspectives implied but not present.
Follow-up Research and/or a Speaker: if the initial dialogue cultivates enough interest, members enrich their perspectives by finding more text or media, or inviting a relevant community member or organization to help continue discussion in a future meeting.
Strategies for Community Action: if there is an event, organization, or service/activism opportunity connected to a recurring issue, members develop strategies and goals for further engagement.
Often, engagement in a particular topic does not get past initial dialogue. In fact, in a single month the CRCL may discuss issues as diverse as youth incarceration rates, sexual abuse & reproductive rights, mayorial campaigns, and hip-hop & mysogyny. If a topic does move into follow-up stages, it tends to be after it has resurfaced multiple times or after a particularly invigorating discussion. That being said, topics around which CRCL develops and enacts a strategy for community action are infrequent. However, if a topic can sustain multiple dialogues and conversations with community members and organizations, action around it is convincingly essential and the outcome usually powerful. |
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