Some things are better said than read.

That's why planners of the Sewickley Series at Sewickley Academy have invited a diverse group of speakers to campus. Each presentation is meant to express a sense of “otherness” to audiences. Hector Tobar spoke about his book concerning the 33 trapped Chilean miners and the Latin American culture in September, and Josh Sundquist, who lost a leg to cancer, addressed many of his abilities, including that of being a paralympic ski racer.

On Nov. 9, the documentary “I'm Not Racist … Am I?” will be shown as part of the series.

In the documentary, Catherine Wigginton Greene, Point Made Films director, helped to interview 12 students from New York City, who are the subjects of the film created to deconstruct racism. For a full year, the teens met on a regular basis to discuss their views about the topic.

“They had talked about race, but not about racism,” Greene said.

The project was designed to move conversations in that direction. She found these students to be curious and thoughtful with families who were interested in continuing the dialogue at home.

Greene, who had met with hundreds of teens, found a special sense of commitment among those selected and also a shared way they viewed the world. When the film was completed, she said many of them exhibited growth in their understanding and attitude about how racism has been institutionalized and unthinkingly accepted.

Some found their own voices; some developed new insights. Yet in their honesty, their comments can frustrate, enlighten and inspire.

“Adults tend to think that the next generation has this all figured out,” Greene said.

LaVern Burton, director of diversity and service learning at Sewickley Academy, sees the film as a way for viewers to discover how to begin discussions on the topic.

Those in the film and other series speakers present their topics and voice through an “authentic lens,” she said. Burton watched the documentary at a conference last year. She knew its presentation here would add to the academy's inclusion curriculum.

While lower- and middle-school students learn about character and ethics, those at the senior school take on larger challenges through a series of opt-in, student-led club initiatives. Through the Student Diversity Leadership Club, four to six students are formally trained each year to facilitate conversations with their classmates on the broader topics.

“This is thoughtful, intentional training,” Burton said. “This is their future.”

And it's the future Greene hopes to affect through the documentary.

“At first, (viewers) react from personal identity,” Greene said. “It may take a while to dig deeper.”

But from a place of discomfort, reactions change.

“Some think, ‘This is too big.' But once you build awareness, opportunities to make a difference will present themselves all the time.”

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