SEEDS (Students Empowering Education for a Diverse Society) a club piloted last year by four seniors who  desired to create a dialogue in Grosse Pointe South on injustice and inequality, is returning once again.

As a facilitator in SEEDS, Jordan Hunter ’20 is passionate about making South more conscious of social justice issues

“Social justice is basically the process of making sure that everyone– regardless of their sexuality, their race, or their gender identity– can be treated like a human,” Hunter said.

Hunter strives to create a more inclusive society where more students feel represented at school and in the community.

“Grosse Pointe is such a secluded community and we really need to have these programs because a lot of people don’t understand that racism isn’t over because of the way we learn about it in history,” Hunter said.

Jordan Connally ’20 views SEEDS as a safe outlet for students of all identities to express themselves freely in a way they might not be able in a different environment.

“I’m just glad there is a now an open forum for people of different ethnicities, sexualities and genders to be open and honest and share their opinions because you can’t really do that at school in your classes,” Connally said.

Counselor and SEEDS advisor Nicholas Bernbeck hopes everyone, regardless if they view themselves as the “majority” race, participate in this club to gain a new perspective of the obstacles fellow students may face that they never realized before.

“It helps you develop a greater sense of understanding of how the world works,” Bernbeck said. “If we truly want things to be equitable, we need people in positions of power- regardless of if they are in the majority or minority- to be able to change laws to put a stop to systemic injustices and racism.”

Bernbeck knows students will leave the club with different lessons, but hopes for positive results when the students graduate.

“My main goal is that everyone who is a part of it learns about themselves and learns about their community,” Bernbeck said.

Students shouldn’t feel discouraged from joining the club because they might feel uncomfortable, according to Connally.

“I want people to know that we are not trying to force anything,” Connally said. “We just want you to understand so you are not ignorant to the fact that these things are going on right in front of you.”