COMMUNITY
CORNER Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Taft
REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION OF TAFT PAPYRUS, MARCH 4, 2022
A Home Away from Home: Student Alliances —LEYLA ZHAKSYBEK ’23, Staff Writer
Student alliances are a core movement not only to learn about but to embrace different cultures, ethnicities, and demographics at Taft. Alliances are a celebration of Taft’s diversity that allow other students to enjoy this unique aspect of life at Taft. b Black Alliance
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Taft Bulletin / SPRING 2022
ILLUSTRATION BY FRANZI/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
Black Alliance is a student organization devoted to facilitating conversations about race in a predominantly white institution and creating systemic change. Created after the murder of George Floyd in the summer of 2020, the Black Alliance was originally focused on starting conversations, but has since moved toward fostering change through working with administrators and also delivering lessons to students directly through I-Block. They have also recently hosted events on Tuesday nights highlighting Black creators through short films. One of the main focuses of the alliance is speaking out about issues related to Black communities. Unlike affinity groups, Black Alliance is open to everyone. The board reflects this aspect, as it is not only made up of Black students but also white and Hispanic students, reflecting the sentiment that everyone is encouraged to participate whether or not they identify as Black.
