Stories

The news is filled with accounts of universities, corporations, and other organizations scaling back or eliminating their diversity programs. While the implementation of these programs and policies can be challenging, I find this retreat from DEIB work to be short-sighted and reactive. It is not surprising that members of our community have expressed concerns about these developments and wondered if they can filter into our school. Let me be clear: our school’s commitment to diversity is unwavering. 

This commitment is rooted in several important principles:

*In a school, diversity is primarily a tool for learning. When students engage with people who have different backgrounds, beliefs, and experiences, their thinking is stretched and assumptions challenged. This is called viewpoint diversity, and it happens far less frequently in a school that is not diverse.

*At the same time, to focus only on our differences is limiting. We must also understand and acknowledge the things that unite us as people and members of this school community. This stanza from the poem “Human Family” by Maya Angelou captures the sentiment:

I note the obvious differences

between each sort and type,

but we are more alike, my friends,

than we are unalike.

*Identity matters – our lineage is integral to our sense of self and often a source of pride. But each person is unique, and to assume that people who share certain characteristics think and act in the same way places people in restrictive and unfair boxes. 

Prep’s commitment to diversity is a vibrant, living part of our community. Simply look at who we are. See the flags in the gym that represent the many nations we come from. We are a multitude, which magnifies the power of our school and makes the experiences of our students even richer and more dynamic. 

The commitment to diversity at Prep finds life in many ways. From the DEIB committee of the board of trustees to training in implicit bias to a curriculum rich in multiple points of view, diversity at Prep is not just a buzzword or abstract concept. It reflects our mission and core values. As such, the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging will remain central to who we are and what we stand for as a school.