UNIVERSE
A Call to Action O
n October 27, 2017, UHS’s Alumni Association sponsored the first event in a new series called “Runway Lecture.” Built neither for airplanes nor couture, this runway is made to give you, our audience, the fuel to “take off ” and participate in social justice in your professional life, as volunteers, and at home with family and friends. Held at the downtown Olympic Club, the business-day lunch gathering brought together nearly 100 alumni and current parents for a timely conversation about race and politics.
Our speaker was Professor Ian Haney López, who holds an endowed chair as the Earl Warren Professor of Public Law at the University of California, Berkeley and teaches in the areas of race and constitutional law. His most recent book, Dog Whistle Politics: How Coded Racial Appeals Have Reinvented Racism and Wrecked the Middle Class (Oxford, 2014), describes how for fifty years politicians have exploited racial pandering to build resentment toward government, fooling voters into supporting policies that favor the very wealthiest while hurting everyone else. Haney López
came to campus in November of 2016 immediately following the election to speak with students. He galvanized the student body and inspired students to speak up and protest policies they disagree with.
current climate of unbridled racism as politics-as-usual and part of the normal cycle between Democrats and Republicans, but instead to recognize it as an existential crisis that threatens democracy.
Haney López’s clear explanation of decades of insidious behavior is now seen as a prescient foretelling of the 2016 presidential election and a clarion call to action for those who find the analogy contemporary and relatable.
“There is a mistaken belief that racism only affects communities of color. The deep social divisions that bedevil our society don’t reflect the American people, they reflect a strategy among our politicians. What will happen to ‘us’ when social divisions are purposefully deepened, and anger is purposefully fueled and stoked? What will happen
Haney López appealed to the audience to stop seeing the
Coming together rests on us to have a shared vision
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UNIVERSE
Ian Haney López; TK Lakshman P’ 20, co-chair of the Parent Alliance for Community Equity and Julayne Virgil ’94, president of the UHS Alumni Association; Nicola Miner ’88, Jennifer Smorgon ’90; Aisha QueenJohnson ’89, Vendela Vida ’89; Ted Levinson ’90, Elizabeth Ü ’95, Scott Boutin; Dr. Beverly Yates, P ’21; Ayana Cuevas Curry ’93, Tom Malarky ’80; Rachel Becker ’13, Gabriela Aleman ’13. Photos by Brooke Anderson.
if the major social institutions that have bound us together are dismantled? This will hurt everyone. Recognizing this and fighting against it can be used to rebuild a government coalition of the size that will affect an election’s outcome and change how the country is run. We are a people united by a set of ideals, including equality, liberty, and freedom. We’ve been taught to
fear each other, when in fact other people in our society are our greatest allies.” Haney-Lopez’s newest project is called The Integrated Race and Class Narrative Project, and starts with the idea that coming together rests on us to have a shared vision about what has happened to the country. n
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Kate Garrett, Academic Dean Board Member The SMART Program Bay Area Providing low income students access to an exceptional education and the skills needed to thrive in college and in life.
Melissa Mirza, Instructor of English Founder Bay Area Middle Eastern Educators Challenging the dominant narrative the West has of the Middle East by promoting Middle Eastern curricula across grade levels and disciplines, and creating support structures for educators and students of Middle Eastern descent.
Jessica Bejarano, Instructor of Music Music Director and Conductor San Francisco Civic Symphony Dedicated to offering numerous opportunities for classical music lovers and amateur musicians.
Deundra Hundon, Summerbridge Director of Outreach & Family Relations Secretary Economic Development on Third San Francisco Supporting, strengthening and developing economic growth on the Third Street corridor in the Bayview-Hunters Point Community.
Andrew Williams, Instructor of Community Engagement Regional Co-Chair, Alumni Admissions Ambassador Program Harvard Graduate School of Education Cambridge Provides opportunities for HGSE applicants to connect with Alumni and Student Ambassadors to hear about the HGSE experience firsthand. Founder and Conference Committee Chair 2020 Conference Oakland Weeklong empowerment experience to help high school students develop the tools they need to build the world that they want to live in.
Aaron Mieszczanski, Director of Admissions SSAT Admission Leadership Council Enrollment Management Association Princeton Serving enrollment leaders by providing access to the best science, research, and training.
Susannah Martin, Instructor of Theatre Arts Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee Shotgun Players Berkeley A company of artists determined to create bold, relevant, affordable theatre that inspires and challenges audience and artist alike to re-examine our lives, our community, and the everchanging world around us.
Nicole Hunter, Librarian President Bay Area Independent School Librarians Making the library a central and indispensable academic force within the independent school.
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Rochelle Reodica, Director of Learning Services Faculty Mentor, Equity in Excellence Conference California Teacher Development Collaborative Professional development opportunity to understand the research and pedagogical practices that support equitable, diverse, and excellent K-12 schools.
Stanley Lau, Instructor of English Board Member Asian Educators Alliance San Francisco and New York AsEA is committed to identifying challenges that Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) teachers and staff face, discussing strategies to address these challenges, building mentoring structures, fostering networking, and sharing ways to support our AAPI families at our schools.
Jim Ketcham, Director of Athletics & Physical Education Finance Committee North Coast Section San Ramon Athletic body overseeing 160 high school athletic programs in the Bay Area and Northern California. The North Coast Section fosters, defines and preserves the role of athletics in secondary education. It is an organization committed to providing a wholesome environment in which educational athletics will thrive.
Scott Laughlin, Instructor of English and Department Chair Co-Founder and Associate Director DISQUIET Literary Program Portugal Aims to deepen mutual understanding among writers from North America and writers from Portugal
Julia Russell Eells, Head of School Board Member School Year Abroad Italy, Spain, France, China High school study abroad program for juniors and seniors. SYA guides students through a challenging curriculum focused on developing skills for successful engagement in an increasingly interdependent world. Central to the SYA experience is the adventure of understanding different languages, cultures and peoples.
Faculty Meeting
Unplugged
Many of our faculty lead and engage with the community beyond UHS, in fields that are directly related to their work at school. Volunteering for a mission-driven board drives professional development by cross-pollinating with peers and solving institutional challenges. UHS recognizes that we, too, benefit from our faculty members’ community engagement beyond the classroom, and thank these individuals for giving back.
Alex Lockett, Dean of Students Advisory Board Challege Success Brazil, Qatar, United States Providing families and schools with the practical, research-based tools they need to create a more balanced and academically fulfilling life for kids.
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