Democracy Day: Upper School

Upper School’s Democracy Day was filled with special guests and group discussions. The day began in the Commons with History Department Chair Colin Douglas ’06 talking to the students about what to expect throughout the day and dispositions of democracy. His presentation included quotes from historical figures on what democracy might be and then shared three stories where he had the students put on their “story hats,” one for Lower School, one for Middle School and one for Upper School. Each story had a theme of democracy, including the fundamental principles (all humans are created equally, a government of explicitly limited powers and separation of those powers), three tenets (consent, majority rule and rule of law) and protective tools (citizenship, elections and discussions). 

After the introduction, students moved into the activity groups they chose two weeks ago. (They chose from 26 options, including The TikTok Ban Bill, led by multiple faculty and students; Women and Democracy: A Global Perspective, led by Dr. Carrie Currier, Associate Professor at TCU; Texas Politics in Motion, led by Dr. James Riddlesperger, Professor at TCU; City Challenge: Civic Leadership in Action, led by Jack Carvalho ’17, City of Fort Worth District Director and Cornell Woolridge ’96, Voter Registration Specialist for Texas Freedom Network; A Republic, If You Can Keep It, led by former FWCD History Teacher Bill Arnold ’86 and many more. Carvalho and Wollridge also had a voter registration table where eligible students and faculty and staff could register to vote. 

Following lunch, Upper School students, faculty and staff returned to the Commons for a Town Hall discussion with Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker and Deborah Peoples. The 45-minute student-led session provided an opportunity for students to put their democratic skills into practice and observe civil discourse in action. Some of the questions asked were about making Fort Worth litter free; the literacy crisis; if they could enact one policy, what it would be; and more. Parker’s and Peoples’s explanations shared insight on some things the students could do now and in the future to help the city of Fort Worth. To close out the day, the students thanked our guests and reflected on the day and what they learned about democracy.