MEET PEARL

PASSIONS: DANCE, EDUCATION COLLEGE: TUFTS UNIVERSITY

As a senior at Taft, Pearl completed an independent tutorial in dance exploring the life of Civil Rights pioneer Pearl Primus. A dancer, choreographer, and anthropologist, Primus used dance to resist civil injustice and advocate for change in the 1960s. As part of her tutorial, Pearl choreographed her own protest piece. She also performed a solo from Primus’s 1945 repertoire piece, Strange Fruit, based on the poem by Lewis Allan.

“Movement is communication— in figuring out movements you are figuring out how best to convey a message,” says Pearl, whose independent tutorial allowed her to speak volumes through dance.

“At the beginning of my Taft career, I was very hesitant to talk about some of the racial and cultural issues our country faces, which are reflected in issues many schools face. By educating myself about those issues, educating myself on how to talk about uncomfortable topics, and advising others on how to live their best life, I have been able to help myself and the community. I would say that is the most important thing I will take away from my Taft education: learning how to better myself while bettering the community around me.”

Learn more about the programs and initiatives that support Taft’s commitment to diversity and inclusion at www.taftschool.org/dei

Maria Hinojosa

Maria Hinojosa is a Latina trailblazer. Her storied career includes reporting for PBS, CBS, WNBC, CNN, NPR, and anchoring the Emmy Award winning talk show from WGBH Maria Hinojosa: One-on-One. Hinojosa was the first Latina to anchor a PBS FRONTLINE report. She is the author of two books and has won numerous awards, including four Emmys, a Pulitzer Prize, the John Chancellor Award, the Studs Terkel Community Media Award, two Robert F. Kennedy Awards, the Edward R. Murrow Award from the Overseas Press Club, and the Ruben Salazar Lifetime Achievement Award from the NAHJ. None of it came easy for a Latina woman; all of it taught her the importance of using her voice and platform to call attention to injustice. “The beauty of activism is that you are chipping away at achieving justice and humanity,” Hinojosa told Taft students. “You are the ones who are going to have to chip away. Our privilege has to light a fire of responsibility.”