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TEDx Speaker Dr. Derrick Gay Delves into Diversity
When history teachers Kathleen Minahan and Eric Sacco first heard Dr. Derrick Gay speak at the Global Education Leadership Symposium, they knew his inspirational message about building strong global communities and strength in diversity was the right fit for Cheshire Academy.
Their initiative, along with support and assistance from the Office of Academic Affairs, the Coordinator of Diversity and Inclusion, and the Office of Community Life, was the catalyst for Dr. Gay’s visit to Cheshire Academy, inaugurating a year of campus conversations on 21st-century global citizenship.
Gay, a world-renowned educator, consults with educational and philanthropic institutions about the impact of the United States’ changing demographics, global interconnectedness, and the subsequent skills needed in the future. A graduate of Oberlin Conservatory, Columbia University, and University of Pennsylvania, Gay is a linguist, a vocalist with an active career in opera and oratorio, and a facilitator in symposia addressing ways in which identity influences the social and academic experience of students.
Gay’s first stop on campus was Richardson Lecture Hall to conduct a Master Class for a capella students who prepared solo songs from a classical or show tune repertoire. Solos prepared by Yunjuan Luo ’19, Maggie Guarino-Trier ’18, Julia Rafferty ’18, Lexi Williamson ’18, Olivia Williamson ’20, and Nan Zhou ’19 ranged from Mozart to Gershwin and, although some of the singers admitted to feeling anxious at first, they all found Gay warm, fun and enthusiastically supportive throughout the class. Gay opened the Master Class by performing two classical songs, “Odel Mio Dolce Ardor,” and “Pieta Signore,” accompanied by CA music teacher Eunyoung DiGiacomo.
As an ardent linguist, fluent in five languages, Gay first worked on Italian pronunciation with the group, and later worked on sound production. Music teacher Nate Trier said, “We saw a truly remarkable transformation as Dr. Gay helped each student unlock a big vocal sound.” Further, Trier said that, “Dr. Gay helped one student change his tone and technique from bass to tenor and the student literally sounded like a different singer.”
The Master Class closed with Gay’s performance of the spiritual “Deep River” followed by “If I Loved You” from the musical Carousel, accompanied by Trier. Students left feeling inspired and “elevated” as one said. Gay has written that he “leverages music to promote peace and inclusion,” which everyone in the room celebrated.
The next morning, the student body and faculty joined Gay in the Gideon Welles Dining Commons for a deep-dive, interactive discussion examining identity, privilege, and diversity. Gay presented data on U.S. demographics and trends, global communication and politics, and interconnected politics. He said that 21st-century competencies, which stem from that data, include complex oral and written communication, leadership and teamwork, quantitative literacy, adaptability, initiative, and risk-taking.
Gay then posed a question to the group, “How do you identify yourself?” Followed by, “How does identity create an essential framework for 21st-century skills?” To deepen and broaden the understanding of identity, index cards were circulated, and audience members were asked to write 10 descriptive words that reveal personal identity such as race, gender, family, education, interests, and goals. In pairs, students shared their lists. One partner would ask, “Who are you?” followed by the description from his or her partner. The rounds were lightning fast, fun and informative. A second round followed with another ten descriptors. With each round, the audience’s sense of identity expanded from physical aspects to notions of identity which illustrated each person’s perspectives, opinions, convictions, communication style and much more.
Throughout this activity, Gay challenged everyone to understand that how they identify themselves which, “not only informs how others perceive us, and consequently how we experience life, but also will shape behavior and values.” The interactive activity was fueled by questions, comments and insights from the floor, as well as by the robust enthusiasm of faculty and student participants.
Gay’s daylong visit continued through a luncheon discussion for 25 student leaders in the Harwood Student Center. He encouraged the student leaders “to take active roles in decisionmaking processes throughout the school, to be courageous in raising questions, and to be informed and compassionate people connected to all people on every continent.”
An afternoon session for faculty addressed issues of social justice within institutions, exploring how educational intuitions can foster and encourage discussions about race, privilege, and power, and how these discussions will ultimately benefit CA students in a global future. Gay concluded by saying, “A school can create whatever culture it chooses. It is not the students who do that, but the adults.”
Sara Griesbach, Director of Residential Life, felt that Gay’s presentation set a perfect tone for the year. She said, “It sometimes is easy at CA to take diversity for granted since the community represents more than 30 countries, but we need to continually expand our understanding of what that means and the impact of understanding inclusion in our educational, social, and professional lives beyond Cheshire Academy.” The student response was equally positive. Senior class president Jemimah Frempong ’18, commented that Gay brought an important message to all students, and that she is encouraged at Cheshire Academy because “students are willing to go outside their comfort zones” on these issues. Julia Rafferty ’18 hopes there will be more events such as Gay’s visit, which opens dialogue about identity, inclusion and global issues.
- Derrick Gay
