The Belfield Banter

Excerpts of Our Community’s John Lewis Reflection

Submitted by Students and Faculty

How is your own community asking you to change? What makes it hard socially and personally to get in ‘good trouble’?

“It can be hard to get into “good trouble” because people care about what others think of them.”

“It’s hard socially and personally to get into ‘good trouble’ because of fear. Fear of other people’s thoughts and the way others may interact with you or perceive you, if you get into ‘good trouble’.”

“There may be a sense of fear when trying to make good trouble. [There can be a] scary feeling of ‘am I doing the right thing, is this going to help or be seen?’ You would want someone else to step up first, but we should be the person to step up first.” artwork by Kalani Clark

A Few Favorite Books by Black Authors

by Lyra Stewart

Last month, I wrote recommendations for books that I had read recently and enjoyed, and since February is Black History Month, I’ve compiled some of my favorite and most anticipated titles by Black authors!

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

In The Vanishing Half, two twin girls, both lightskinned Black women, run away from home after experiencing trauma at sixteen. One marries a darkskinned Black man and has a child while the other lives her life passing as a white woman. The book follows their lives and how they differ from one another yet remain connected as the story explores identity, family, and race. I have read this book and really enjoyed it as it gave me new perspectives as we look at how the two women’s lives differ as it touches on important topics, but also has a beautiful story.

“Fear of being judged. Lack of knowledge. Fear of failure. Lack of courage.”

“It depends on what community you are in. The STAB community asks you to change - you can be the best version of yourself. But other communities might want you to change based on their beliefs and not yours. Sometimes, ‘good trouble’ is seen as just trouble. Furthermore, what is right might not be what is socially expected.”

What is a concrete action you can take to help make our community more inclusive?

“Little things like holding doors and saying hi in the halls go a long way. Starting a conversation with someone new or inviting others to a lunch table. These things go a long way and can change the culture of the school.”

“[An impactful action] doesn’t need to be something that sparks major change. It can be as simple as saying hi to others or introducing yourself to someone new. Inclusivity is about letting others know about who you are and that you know who others are.”

“Our community is asking us to change and make our school more inclusive. This can include students being more intentional with their actions and behaviors, broadening friendships, and going out of their way to educate themselves and talk about [important issues].”

“I can join a club dedicated to creating a more inclusive school like True Diversity. Our community needs to stand up for the injustice we see. Our school needs to push for education based on seeing all perspectives, which it mostly already does. We need to push for schools to stop banning books because education is vital to the creation of a better community for everyone.”

“I can help to make our community more inclusive by always inviting others to whatever I’m doing. I can invite people to do things/sit with them and I can make sure I do everything I can to make people feel included in whatever activity/club/class that I am doing.”

“Become a person who stands up for the groups that you are not a part of. When we show support for minority groups that are now a part of ourselves, it shows that we are in support of ending their struggles even if we do not face them ourselves. It shows compassion and in turn, creates a more inclusive community.”

“Address the words you hear from others - language matters, folks get too comfortable with slang and slurs. There’s love in our community but we forget that sometimes.”

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

Such a Fun Age tells the story of a 25-year-old Black woman named Emira, who works as a babysitter to a young white girl. She is then accused of being a kidnapper when she takes the child to the supermarket, and the book continues to follow the events and emotions of Emira after the false accusation. I have not read this book, but it is on my list and I hope to read it soon!

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

In The Hate U Give, sixteen-year-old Starr Carter feels in between two worlds as she lives in a lower-income Black neighborhood, but goes to a predominantly white preparatory school. After a party, she witnesses a police officer fatally shoot her childhood best friend, Khalil, causing her world(s) to shatter as she transforms her trauma and grief into activism. I really enjoyed this book when I read it in middle school. It is a very emotional read as it’s about a girl similar to my age, and the story is filled with grief, but it’s an incredibly important and beautifully told story. The book is also very inspirational as Starr takes action to celebrate her late friend.

Alex-Zan and the Charlottesville 12

by Jack Dozier

Community Forums at the Upper School are often a time where students hear words of wisdom and inspirational stories. The forty minutes allotted on Wednesdays, whether taking the form of remarks from business experts and local historians, previews of student productions, or student presentations, are always valuable and educational. As part of the Saints Black Student Union programming for Black History Month (of which this issue of The Belfield Banter is included), Charles Alexander, better known by the sobriquet Alex-Zan, visited the Upper School to talk about kindness, perspective, and his life story.