Director of Diversity Tete Cobblah, Chair of the Social Studies department John Sharon, Headmaster Jerry Ward, and English and Social Studies teacher/Diversity Associate Kofi Obeng presented a workshop at the National Association of Independent Schools’ People of Color Conference held in Tampa, Florida, earlier this month, the theme of which was “Art, Science, Soul, and the Equity Imperative.” The workshop, “Quilting our Stories,” addressed the question “In what ways can we use personal stories, difficult conversations, and institutional stories to quilt together a greater experience as a model for transformation, while honoring the historical culture and identity of a school?”
Workshop presenters shared their personal stories with participants: John talked about how his disability provided him with the opportunity to help educate the non-disabled about the interdependence of all people and he reflected on how he thinks empathy is something we are born with and the world has a way of chiseling it out of us. “As a teacher, I’m interested in chiseling it back in,” he said. Kofi recalled feeling like a cultural outsider from other African-Americans and the suburban community of Wellesley as he developed an awareness of his Ghanaian heritage and racial identity, and Jerry reflected on his Boston Irish Catholic childhood and how it influenced his worldview and subsequent work as a school leader.
“We all stressed the importance sharing such stories has on our communities, and how Fenn has created spaces for such interactions, including All School Meeting, the Faculty Diversity Institute, advisee groups, diversity comments, and other settings,” said Tete. Also attending the conference were Assistant Director of Diversity Jenn Youk See, Lower School teacher Kristen FitzGerald, and Director of Advancement Veronica Jorge-Curtis.
The group attended various workshops at the conference, including programs on supporting the academic and social success of African American males; what it is like to be a minority faculty member in one’s school; retaining teachers of color; implicit bias; financial aid; and the fluidity of gender, racial, and sexual identities of young people today. Kristin said that the identity workshop she attended inspired her to “become more aware of the choices I make in the language I use.” Jenn said the experience made her realize that “the digressions we sometimes take in class to talk about diversity with our students tend to be the classes our students remember most.”