For the past two years, I’ve had the privilege of serving on the Fairfax County Student Human Rights Commission, and this year I’m returning as the Commission’s Historian. Even though the commission has been around for many years, it is still surprising how many students have never heard of the commission despite being the region’s first human rights commission made up entirely of high school students working in partnership with Fairfax County Public Schools.
The SHRC brings together two student representatives from each public high school in Fairfax County. Our mission is to promote dialogue on diversity among youth, build understanding and appreciation of differences, and expose students to human and civil rights law. Each year, we plan events, campaigns, and projects that connect these big ideas to real issues affecting people in our community.
One of our longest running and most meaningful projects is the Fair Housing Art Contest. Fair housing is more than just a legal phrase, it’s the basic idea that everyone deserves a fair chance to find a place to call home without being judged for who they are. Housing discrimination can occur when someone is renting, buying, selling, or trying to get a home loan. Additionally, under Fairfax County’s Fair Housing Act, it is illegal to discriminate in housing based on race, color, sex, religion, national origin, marital status, familial status, handicap or disability, elderliness, gender identity, or source of funds. For many families, these protections can be the difference between living in a safe, stable home and being shut out of certain neighborhoods and schools because of bias. That’s why our commission takes fair housing seriously and why we work so hard to spread awareness to other students about this issue.
This year, the contest is back for its 16th year with a new theme and invites students to think about what a “A Place to Call Home” means to them. Home can be about safety, comfort, family, culture, or community. At the same time, the theme asks us to consider what it means when someone is denied that feeling of home because of discrimination. The contest is open to any student in Fairfax County and you don’t have to be a serious artist or be in an advanced art class to participate. If you have a message or story you want to express visually you are welcome to enter the contest. The contest focuses on hand drawn artwork, which encourages students to really think through their ideas and put in the time and effort so no aritificial intelligence or computer generated artwork is allowed. There are also prizes for the contest, the first place winner will receive a $300 prize, and the second place winner will receive $200. The contest deadline is March 26.
The Fair Housing Art Contest isn’t just about pretty artwork or prize money, the SHRC and The Office of Human Rights and Equity Programs (OHREP) host this contest every year because it raises awareness. Many students don’t realize that housing discrimination still happens today or that there are laws designed to protect people from it. The contest also amplifies student voices because when students create artwork on issues like fair housing, they become part of the conversation and mission goal about human rights in our country.
