UPDATE ON
LIVING OUR MISSION: ANTI-RACIST PROGRAMS & PRACTICES FEBRUARY 2021
DEAR BUCKLEY COMMUNITY, In our last update in December, I wrote about promises we made as an institution, as educators, as human beings. We promised to stamp out racism, hold one another accountable, and combat the terrible ignorance that, because of our privilege and despite our resources, still grips our community. We are still on the journey to becoming an anti-racist community, but as with many journeys, the road is neither easy nor smooth. The rewards of this journey are manifold. They come in hearing new insights from students who attended NAIS’s Student Diversity Leadership Conference, as they learn and grow. They come when a teacher who hadn’t before felt personally responsible for integrating DEI into their curriculum reaches out to the DEI Office for advice and wisdom. They happen when a parent shares that their child has taught them about white privilege and has insisted that their family participate in anti-racist protests. The rewards are palpable and ever-present. Yet the rigors of this journey are underscored when we still hear about incidents of hurtful race-related remarks, anywhere between tone-deaf and discriminatory, shared in a class, text, Snap, or DM. These are serious setbacks in the fight for equity, inclusion, and justice—for all of our community members, and most especially our Black and brown students, faculty, families, and alumni. I expect better from us. And so the road stretches out before us, each step essential to creating a culture of genuine belonging. It’s only when all of us live the work, that we, as members of a historically white institution, can say that we are stepping away from our past and creating a school community as we know it should be: equitable, inclusive, uplifting, and united.
THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE “I’m proud of the students and the work they have been leading in our clubs, symposia, personal service-based endeavors, and in Social Justice and IOI classes. They are asking great questions and I am always in awe of the work on social causes they continue to share and showcase. I believe students are going to be the ones to shift the culture for themselves.”
—Anthony Gaskins, Upper School DEI Coordinator
NEW AFFINITY GROUP A new student affinity group MENA was developed for those who identify as Middle Eastern and North African.
CURRICULAR IMPROVEMENTS Consultant Roderick Fludd has been hired to guide faculty in creating curriculum maps. Fludd has challenged teachers to assess curriculum through the lens of four domains: Identity, Diversity, Justice, and Action. Faculty will also answer these three questions as a way to begin addressing issues of equity and inclusion: 1. How do I consider the idea of fairness within my classroom? How do the students’ values inform that consideration? 2. When do student voices direct the curriculum in my class? How do I provide my students with a genuine sense of agency over their learning? 3. How do I amplify student voices in a meaningful and positive manner? Faculty K–12 seized the teachable moment created by the Capitol Insurrection on January 6; the inauguration of the first female, first Black, and first Asian American as Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris; and the incredible spoken word poem, “The Hill We Climb,” written and recited by Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman.
NEWSPAPER COVERAGE The Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice section of the newspaper, The Student Voice included many articles relating to various topics of racial injustice and celebrations of diverse voices. Click here to read the November 2020 issue and here to read the January 2021 issue.
COURSE ACCESS Departments have begun to evaluate the placement process for Honors and AP courses, working with consultant Fludd to ensure equity and explicitly eradicate any potential for systemic racism or white supremacy.
ASSEMBLIES Middle and Upper School students will attend an assembly on Friday, February 26 to discuss use of the N-word as reported on @BlackAtBuckley
BLACK HISTORY MONTH AT BUCKLEY In an effort to continue building upon Dr. King’s legacy of service to the community, the Office of DEI partnered with The Valley of Change to develop a daily calendar filled with action opportunities. Each day in February, Buckley students and their parents/guardians can simply click on an engagement recommendation on the Black History Month calendar that uplifts Black voices and furthers anti-racist learning. Our Middle/Upper School library is celebrating Black History Month with a list of Black women poets. Inspiration for the virtual exhibit came from Amanda Gorman, the first ever Youth Poet Laureate of the United States, who stunned the nation with her poetic gift at the inauguration of President Biden. With her inspiring words and brilliant delivery, Amanda solidified her place in the long line of incredible Black women poets who have used their voices to inspire, to enlighten, and to bring change. Assistant Middle and Upper School Librarian Stephanie Kaczkiewicz shared, “From the 1760s to today, Black women have used their voice in American publishing to advocate for change, to shed light on the darkest parts of our history, and to elevate the Black experience in the minds and hearts of the American public. The women on this list wrote in very different times and from very different situations, but each poet brings her own unique style to consistent messages of humanity, and the pressing need for equality. We hope that you will take the time to learn more about each of these amazing women!” Click here to check out the list!
SOCIAL JUSTICE SYMPOSIA Our Social Justice Symposia on Zoom this year have been a total success! Students, faculty, and staff collaborated on a wide range of topics, many of them student-led, some with outside speakers and guests. Another enriching two days of engagement for all Upper School students and teachers.
MIDDLE SCHOOL SYMPOSIA All fifth through eighth grade students attended two afternoons of Middle School Social Justice Symposia this time, entitled, “MLK in Action: Turning Ideas Into Action.” The program featured student-led presentations about the history and legacy of Dr. King, intersectionality between race and gender, Latino identity, and being resilient in the face of challenges.
UPPER SCHOOL SYMPOSIA Civil Discourse Along A Spectrum Building on conversations held in Buckley’s Philosophy & Ethics course, this session explored how we can talk to one another from both ends of the ideological spectrum, across races and identities, beyond the divisiveness in our current social and political climate. What Is The American Dream? What is the so-called American Dream? This symposium took an in-depth look at the concept of the American Dream and its relationship to BIPOC communities. An inspection of both vintage and modern-day depictions of the Dream in media depict a growing critique towards the ultraidealism and ignorance embedded within. News headlines and studies reveal what the concept of the Dream does not include a person’s race, ethnicity, immigration status, and family dynamic all inherently affect their socioeconomic status. The American Dream speaks to important concepts fundamentally ingrained into a history of American racism and reveals who controls the focus of national consciousness. The World Through Black Artists’ Perspectives How have Black artists, specifically musicians and dancers, expressed their emotion and identity during times of injustice? Using art produced during events from the Civil Rights movements through this past summer’s Black Lives Matter movement, outlets have been used by Black people as coping mechanisms to deal with oppression in America. This artistic analysis highlighted not only the pain expressed in these forms of art, but also the sense of empowerment and community that art provides the broader community. The FITE Against Bias In this symposium, the F.I.T.E. Club (Feminists Insisting on Total Equality) executive board aimed to address the unconscious bias against women by all genders both inside and outside of the classroom, the ways in which teachers often possess this unintentional bias towards female students, and how it affects women with various identifiers. The concepts of internalized misogyny and “mansplaining” were also addressed. Although these unconscious biases continue, our conversation extended to working towards removing these biases as much as possible and the ways in which change can prevail. COVID-19 & the Asian American Experience With the recent COVID-19 pandemic, statistics have shown that physical and verbal attacks towards Chinese and other East Asians have increased significantly. While the majority of these attacks and instances of discrimination have been mainly targeted towards East Asians, this symposium addressed how the recent pandemic has changed the lives of all Asian communities. Racism towards all Asians as well as misinformation about Asian communities have often been overlooked and normalized even long before the pandemic; these issues have long been ignored and have become even more prevalent today.
Understanding Anti Semitism Part II: Historical Trauma and Jewish Memory In Part II of this series, panelists discussed with the Buckley community the role of historical trauma and communal/ancestral memory in Jewish memory. Among other topics, we will discuss the role and importance of remembering the approximately 6 million European Jews murdered by the Nazis and their accomplices in the Shoah (Holocaust), amid the traumatic experience of mass murder, pogroms, and antisemitism of Ashkenazi Jewry. Approximately two-thirds of European Jews, about the same number of Jews living in the United States today, were murdered between 1939 and 1945, extinguishing much of a more than centuries-old Jewish life in Europe. Best Buddies – An Action Collaborative Everyone should have the opportunity to sit with a friend at lunch, utilize their skills, earn their own income, and feel confident to speak up for themselves and what they believe in. Best Buddies offered an inspirational and informative presentation and discussion on the benefits of including people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) on campus, in the community, and in the workplace. Best Buddies has forged the way in engaging people with IDD from elementary school to long-term employment, and they offered students tools for how to create and foster a more inclusive world, not only at school, but in life, and eventually the workplace. Staying Healthy Through Zoom Fatigue This symposium looked at the causes of decline for students in social and emotional health as a result of moving to remote learning. We will examine” Zoom fatigue,” social unrest, and the lack of social interaction that has led to a decrease in motivation and personal connection. Activities and coping skills were offered that students can incorporate into their daily lives.
RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION OF FACULTY Diversifying our faculty, staff, and administration across all identifiers remains a priority and an goal. As we embark on hiring season, we’ve ensured that we remain in active communication with search consultants who specialize in recruiting diverse candidates. We’ve also attended the SoCal Diversity Recruiting Fair at Harvard Westlake, searching for prospective faculty with diverse backgrounds and will post openings widely. We are pleased to have had a very strong and highly qualified applicant pool diverse in gender, orientation, race, ethnicity, and religion in our searches for our new director of enrollment management and Middle School head. Both new appointees identify as BIPOC.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT “From the outside and on-campus professional developments, books, podcasts, and conversations, to the active curricular restructuring that we’re seeing…I feel a sense of pride in what is happening.”
—Chuck Neddermeyer, assistant director of DEI
REFLECTIVE PRACTICE PODS Loosely based on the CATDC’s “accountability pods,” the DEI Office created these just for Buckley, so that faculty and staff K–12 could meet in small groups throughout the year and explore their own identities, educational histories, and practices. “In order to move the needle forward as a school, we need to create safe spaces. We need to move away from problem-solving to possibilities. What do we want our community to look like? These pods are a way to create opportunities, goals, and support networks.” —Sabine Abadou, Lower School DEI Coordinator
EXTERNAL WORKSHOPS “Understanding Microaggressions in the Age of Black@”: CATDC workshop focused on “on the ground” strategies for faculty and administrators to use to support Black students, including information about microaggressions and their impact, case studies, and conversations for educators to grapple with in small groups. “Equity as Excellence,” CATDC workshop in which educators received concrete tools, researchbased strategies, and guided practice to support diversity and equity work in their schools.
DEI FACULTY/STAFF DROP-INS February 3, 2021 and March 3, 2021 Faculty and Staff are invited to “drop in” and chat with the DEI Office once a month, to discuss any issues that have come up in their classes, with questions about how to handle an interaction, or to get feedback on anything DEI-related.
HEALING RACIAL TRAUMA The Community Healing Network, led by president and founder Enola Aird, will facilitate healing circles for Buckley’s Black students, parent/guardians, faculty, and alumni to work through racial trauma. The Community Healing Network focuses “exclusively on building the global grassroots movement for emotional emancipation—mobilizing Black people across the Diaspora to heal from, and end, the trauma caused by the most powerful weapon ever formed against us: the lie that we are inferior.” *Healing circles are designed only for those of African descent. If there’s interest, we will explore opportunities to expand healing circles for other groups within the Buckley community.
ANTI-BIAS REPORTING TOOL Buckley’s anti-bias reporting tool is in the works. Using our process for reporting harassment, discrimination and bullying as the foundation, we have been reseraching the anti-bias reporting tools used in other independent schools, universities and companies. We’ve researched websites, attended national webinars, and consulted with outside experts. Our goal is to find or design a tool that is accessible to students and also provides the school with sufficient information to conduct meaningful investigations.
ADMISSION OUTREACH The six students who attended SDLC will present to prospective families/students on “DEIJ and the Student Experience” (March 1) Members of the Board of Trustees DEI Committee have made personal phone calls to prospective families, highlighting the DEI program and Buckley’s commitment to all areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Ongoing relationship building with community organizations and prospective families.
ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT We have continued our engagement with alumni leaders committed to advancing DEI work at Buckley, and appreciate their efforts to engage a broader network of alumni in this aspect of the school’s work. Alumni were invited to Parents’ Association meeting, “DEIJ and the Student Experience” in January. Videos and resources for Black History Month were included in the latest alumni newsletter, the Griffin Insider.
PARENT/GUARDIAN EDUCATION The Parents’ Association, in collaboration with the DEI Office, organized an evening of parent education in which students who attended the NAIS Student Diversity Leadership Conference at the People of Color Conference (PoCC) which typically draws over 2,000 high school students and 6,000 educators, presented their learning to families. These same students also shared their learning with faculty and staff.
EDUCATION AND RESOURCES SENT OUT REGULARLY TO LOWER SCHOOL FAMILIES ON: Black History Month Lunar New Year Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service
BOARD OF TRUSTEE TRAINING At the annual CAIS Trustee/Head conference trustees heard from keynote speaker Shaun Harper, executive director of the USC Race and Equity Center about the necessity of schools taking strategic action to establish racial equity. Harper highlighted the importance of dismantling racism in the classroom and of providing racial literacy to faculty, staff, administrators, and all others in the school community. He recommended that in order to become an anti-racist community schools must enact a multidimensional strategy.
WEBSITE ADDITIONS DEI has moved out from under “Community” to its own main menu option. Underneath, content has been added and expanded to include Affinity Groups, Becoming an Anti-Racist Community, descriptions of Social Justice Symposia, and what to watch, read, and listen to for further edification. New student narratives added to the LGBTQ+ section on the Buckley website
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