As the last bell of the day rings, Freshman Lane Phifer picks up his books, slings his backpack over his shoulder, and heads straight towards the first Equality Club meeting at Pittsburg High School.

Two years later, Phifer is now a junior stepping into the role of President of the club.

Spanish teacher Angela Pallares has been a sponsor for Equality Club for the past two years. Completely student-led, Equality Club has focused on discussions of women’s rights, LGBTQ+ societal problems, as well as racial equality. 

“They first started a discussion and they thought ‘you know what we have to do some community action or service,’” Pallares said. “’Let’s discuss it and then we [can] do something to help this topic in our community, school [and] city.’”

However, after last year’s senior leadership graduated, no one was willing to step into the leadership role that was left vacant. Equality Club had fallen apart; there were no meetings for the first semester of this school year.

With Equality Club missing in his weekly routine, Phifer says he often thought about the “safe space” it had provided him with. 

“I usually don’t [make] new year resolutions,” Phifer said. “But this year mine was to ‘stop talking and start doing.’”

With the start of the new school year, Phifer hopes to impact students with the same experience he had in the previous years. 

The first meeting will be held on Monday, Feb 3rd in Señora Pallares’ room. Equality Club will have meetings every other week. 

“I want everyone to leave all of their labels all of their statistics and stereotypes at the front door,” Phifer says. “To just see each other as an equal.”