Equity and Inclusivity Initiatives Take Center Stage
The Rivers community has come together in a number of venues recently in an ongoing commitment to promote a culture of equity and inclusivity on the Rivers campus. While the messages may have varied, the intent of each initiative was to acknowledge and embrace both the differences and the similarities that define the Rivers community, while continuing to take a critical look at societal inequities and how we as a school might address these issues by having often-difficult discussions.
During the past month, three students— Louise Ambler ’18, Julia Homa ’18, and Khloe Katende ’18— gave a series of workshops for students and faculty as the culminating project for a youth leadership program called InItthat they have participated in for the past year.
InIt, a student diversity leadership program run by YWCA Boston, provides students with social justice education and training outside of the classroom, and supports their growth into socially responsible youth leaders. The program begins with a summer immersion session, and continues throughout the school year with monthly workshops on issues such as housing and criminal justice. As part of the program, each team of students must develop an action plan.
Ambler, Homa, and Katende chose to present a series of workshops to students and faculty on race, class, able-bodied-ness, and hetero normativity, with the goal of defining these various issues and examining how they are reflected on the Rivers campus. They led four lunchtime workshops open to all students, and were also invited to present their work in the Upper School’s Design for the Common Good class. In the workshop on class, for instance, they began by asking for definitions of different social class levels, then asked students to indicate their level of agreement or disagreement with a series of polarizing statements, and explain their opinions, opening a dialog for students to examine stereotypes in society. The three InIt members also joined a recent Critical Conversation meeting for faculty and staff, leading an open discussion focused on gender identity and deliberating ways to consciously create a more gender neutral environment for students.
On Friday, April 21 students organized an assembly for the annual Day of Silence—the largest student-led national day of action, during which students take a vow of silence to call attention to the silencing effect of anti-LGBT bullying and harassment in schools. Members of Rivers’ GSA (the Gender Sexuality Alliance) took turns reading statements that captured both the positive and negative experiences that students had shared on a recent survey. Students were asked to submit instances—positive or negative, experienced or observed—about gender and sexual identity acceptance or intolerance in the community. The survey elicited a wide range of responses, which were synthesized and presented in a balanced way by the GSA members. Following the assembly, students continued the discussion in their advisories about the culture of equity and inclusivity in the community.
Earlier in the year, Rivers’ GSA had reached out beyond our campus, hosting an inaugural meeting of GSA organizations from neighboring ISL schools. Since then, the various groups have extended invitations to each others’ programs, providing a welcome network for like-minded students in the area.
In addition to these discussions about equity and inclusivity, the Global Fair on April 23 brought the community together to celebrate Rivers’ diversity. More than 20 families and groups of students shared the cuisine and traditions of their native or adopted lands - represented countries included France, China, Japan, the Dominican Republic, Korea, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Nigeria, Israel, Vietnam, Germany, Malaysia, India, South Africa, Portugal, and Lebanon. Menu favorites ranged from pastelitos (beef patties) and pollo guisado (stewed chicken) to kielbasa, daikon salad with shrimp, kimchi (pickled cabbage), and dozens of other mouth-watering options.
Entertaining the crowd were Eric German and his orchestra, a Boston-based ensemble renowned for Latin music—their lively, swinging salsa beat had the audience tapping their feet with each number. Also entertaining the crowd was henna tattoo artist Shrenika who held court in the foyer to a long line of students.
Click here to view a gallery of photos from the Global Fair.
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