Pomfret Mosaic has taught me a lot of things and opened my mind to new thoughts about what is the real meaning of diversity. I have learned how to have courageous conversations with people from different races and that I should talk with the “I” perspective not being afraid of saying the wrong thing. My favorite part about this project was putting together all the information received from the survey. My partners and I were in charge of putting together the different holiday traditions that the Pomfret community celebrates. We decided to make a video with all the interviews we did to many of the Pomfret students, faculty and staff. This made me realize that Pomfret gathers so many different people from many different countries and cultures having our own and unique mosaic of diversity.
The first step to solving issues in our community that we all think about and are aware of is voicing them. One of my favorite things about the Pomfret Mosaic project is the deep conversation we had about Pomfret’s strengths and weaknesses in our three areas of focus for creating a more inclusive community. These three areas were passion, practice, and persistence. During these conversations, everyone in the group courageously implemented the community norms we adopted from SDLC. We were all leaning into discomfort, speaking from the “I” perspective, and most importantly, listening and processing information before speaking. Because of the way we were able to handle the conversation with maturity, it was a success, and many issues, some that we all are blatantly aware of, as well as others that aren’t as obvious, were identified, and resolutions were proposed. As the entire Pomfret community becomes aware of these community norms we learned, and implements them into all them into all our conversations and meetings, we will be able to have the courageous conversations about race and minorities that we need to have in order to make Pomfret a more inclusive community.
From this project, I have fixed my perspective on everyone. Coming into this project, I was not sure what to expect, but I am glad I joined. Through the conversations and activities we do, I have gained a huge amount on the touchy subject of race and diversity. What does it mean to be diverse, or what do we mean as a school when we say we are part of a diverse community? By asking myself these questions, and by working with other students, we pulled together evidence to support our statement of what it means to be a diverse community.
It’s amazing. Nearly 1,400 students, freshman through PGs, all having insightful, thoughtful, honest conversation about cultural identifiers—race/ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, religion, family structure, gender, and ability. The caliber of conversation is mind-blowing; I never would have thought that a group of teenagers could—or would—dig so deep and be so honest about their beliefs and their life experiences. While I can’t repeat any of the discussion that occurred, suffice it to say that our generation, should it exercise it’s beliefs, will change the world. The clear frustration with prejudice and injustice leaves only the possibility of monumental change if we choose to put our words into action. Guest or Host? by Tim Richards, Head of SchoolGood evening, and welcome to the first chapel service of the school year. At this time of great optimism and hope, we gather tonight to take our first community-wide step into Pomfret School’s 120th year, a year that I expect to be the very best in our history. It is my hope that each one of you come into tonight’s service and these opening days with your own sense of enthusiasm, energy, and lofty aspirations for yourselves and for the school community. Each one of us begins the year with our own story and with our own concerns about how the year will go. Be positive and good things will come.
In Mountains Beyond Mountains, a book I believe you all read this summer, Dr. Paul Farmer says “Equity is the only acceptable goal.” With these words as a backdrop, I want to ask for your attention for a few minutes as I talk about an opportunity we all have to play a meaningful role in making this school and the world a better place. 55 years ago last week, and exactly five years to the day before Martin Luther King Jr. would lead the March on Washington, a 14 year old African-American named Emmett Till was brutally murdered by two men in Mississippi, allegedly in response to Till whistling at a white woman. The murder and subsequent trial drew national attention to the issue of race and civil rights in our country. There were widely divergent opinions about this case; some believed that the killing was entirely justified; others saw it as a horrifying act that revealed the very worst in a culture that was still not ready for equality of rights for all citizens. Historians agree that young Emmett Till’s death was a function of his race; he was unwanted, untrusted, considered substandard, and ultimately unaccepted. In short, he was excluded. In the time since Till’s death, some progress has been made in terms of equality, not only at Pomfret, but in the world beyond. Our school has accepted girls, students of color, international students, people of different sexual orientations, and an increasingly diverse range of students in terms of socio-economic status, religious backgrounds, and academic ability. In the world beyond Pomfret, our country has witnessed steady progress with respect to social justice, at least on the legal front, in the form of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the American with Disabilities Act of 1990. Same-sex marriage is now legal in 13 states, and we have twice elected an African American to our highest position of leadership. We have seen progress on the gender equity front as well, as more women have gained access to leadership positions in government, education, business, and industry. But much work still needs to be done. Our nation saw itself divided once again along racial lines this summer following the not-guilty verdict handed down to George Zimmerman in the Trayvon Martin murder case. I want to be very careful of suggesting that the Emmet Till case is an accurate historical antecedent to the Martin case; I don’t believe that it’s either fair or correct to call these cases historical parallels- the fact patterns are simply too different. But both of these tragic cases involved the violent deaths of young black males, and both unquestionably involved race, explicitly in Emmet Till’s death, perhaps less overtly in Trayvon Martin’s. It is worth noting that a Pew research poll conducted after the verdict showed that 78% of African Americans believed the Martin case raised important issues about race that we must address, whereas only 28% of whites felt the same. Furthermore, the poll showed that 81% of blacks, but just 27% of whites, felt that Zimmerman should be charged with violating Martin’s civil rights. These are important discrepancies. Mark Twain said there were three kinds of lies: “Lies, damn lies, and statistics.” But Twain was an avid advocate for the abolition of slavery and for the women’s suffrage movement, and I think he would have seen real relevance in these numbers. We may never know whether or not race was a motive in Martin’s killing; George Zimmerman will likely take that to his grave. But these statistics tell us that a racial divide continues to separate our country, and I’m afraid that race is not the only divider that remains. The celebrated poet Maya Angelou said “In diversity there is beauty and strength.” I am fortunate to be working at Pomfret at a time when diversity is recognized and embraced as a strength. The spectrum of individual difference sitting in this chapel tonight is one of the things I most prize about this school. I hope you feel the same way. I spent some time this summer thinking about what best describes healthy school cultures, and the words respectful, compassionate, supportive, resilient, curious, and kind all came to mind. I believe at Pomfret that we strive to help students- and faculty- acquire and live by these traits. But tonight I want to emphasize a word that is just as important as any other, and the word is “inclusive.” At a conference I attended on diversity this summer with Mr. Davis, Mrs. Eaton, and Ms. Kobus, I was challenged to think of a time when I had been excluded. I struggled to recall a situation when I had felt truly left out, and it occurred to me that for much of my life I have taken for granted the notion being included, and that was eye-opening. I have rarely felt out of place, or anything other than privileged. I have experienced being a member of an under-represented group during trips to Asia, but even then I was treated as special as a function of being an American educator. Except during a fascinating and somewhat unnerving three day trip I took to North Korea in 2006, where it was clear that the hosts did not welcome my presence at all, I have never in my life felt unwanted, undervalued, or excluded. I am aware that this is not the case for everyone, even at Pomfret. I have come to know full well the privileges that come with being white, and even more so the advantages that come with being a well-educated white male. I stand up here tonight, conscious that others here may feel much less comfortable and included at Pomfret-and in society- than I do, and this troubles me. To borrow a phrase I heard recently, at Pomfret I am clearly a host, but some people here may experience Pomfret as guests. Inclusion means more than having a statistically diverse community or simply being present. Among other things, it means feeling proud, comfortable, confident, trusted, normal, and important. Two years ago we conducted a diversity audit here at Pomfret, and while the audit suggested that we are making important steps toward creating a culture of inclusivity, we are not there yet. Consider the following statements that students made during interviews conducted for the audit: One student said: “White people challenge us when we hang out with each other, but most of the white kids don’t want to hang out with us.” Another added: “It’s difficult to be yourself here. I’m suburban, middle-class. But many white kids have expectations of me to be some kind of stereotypical urban black person. They say to me, ‘why don’t you talk more black?’” A third stated: “There are dating issues here. Black girls have no social life. No one dates black girls, neither the white boys nor the black boys.” While these three statements refer exclusively to race, they call into question more broadly whether we are a fully inclusive community. We value difference here, but if you are a member of an under-represented group in society or at Pomfret, your experience will almost inevitably be different from those in positions of privilege. Answer (to yourselves) true or false to the following statements: 1. I can, if I wish, arrange to be in the company of people of my race, religion, or sexual orientation most of the time. 2. I can go shopping alone most of the time, pretty well assured that I will not be followed or harassed. 3. I can turn on the television or open to the front page of the paper and immediately see people of my race or religion widely represented. 4. I can go into a local supermarket and find the staple foods of my cultural traditions. 5. I can go into a local hairdresser’s shop and find someone who can cut my hair. 6. I can choose band-aids in “flesh” color and have them match my skin. 7. I can be pretty sure that if I ask to talk to “the person in charge”, I will be facing a person of my race and/ or gender. If you answered “true” to all of these statements, you are quite likely a person of privilege. If not, you may well know what it feels like to be excluded. There is more to privilege and inclusion than affirmative answers to these statements, but I hope you get my point. I raise this issue because I believe in the ideals of social justice, equity, and inclusivity, and these foundations of a healthy society are still lacking, even at Pomfret. I share part of my own cultural experience with you because we can only come together as a school community if we understand and can begin to empathize with others. The responsibility for moving our community from diverse to inclusive lies with each and every one of us, whether you are a person of privilege or a person who has been excluded in the past. You simply cannot be passive in this effort. I want to make sure that we all feel that Pomfret is OUR school; not just the school we attend, or where we work, but OUR school. We all have the right to feel like we are hosts at this school, comfortable and included in every sense of the word. Nobody in this Chapel tonight should feel like a guest at Pomfret. We will not agree on everything. Diversity of thought and opinion is inevitable and invaluable. But when our opinions differ, I hope and expect that we will disagree with compassion, respect, and grace. This will not always be easy, but we must all make it a priority. Former Chaplain at Yale University and long-time peace activist William Sloane Coffin Jr. once said “Diversity may be the hardest thing for a society to live with, and perhaps the most dangerous thing for a society to be without.” How can we avoid the dangers that may lie in a dearth of true diversity? By moving from being a diverse community to an inclusive one, and inclusivity demands understanding. So value your own cultural heritage, know your cultural stories, and then intentionally strive to include those whose stories differ from yours. As one time Schwartz Visiting Fellow at Pomfret Wade Davis once said, “The world in which you were born is just one model of reality. Other cultures are not failed attempts at being YOU: they are unique manifestations of the human spirit.” So embrace others fully and take advantage of our differences. I would like to close with one of my favorite quotes from the brilliant Maya Angelou, one many of you may have heard before. She says “Diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color.” If we truly strive to include every color of thread in our community’s tapestry, whatever that aspect of diversity may be, if we all commit to doing our part to ensure that marginalization will not happen at Pomfret, we will be a more fully inclusive and more exceptional place. That is a worthy aspiration for us all. Thank you for listening. Let’s have a fantastic year. |
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