As antiracism protests throughout the United States have swelled after the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and other Black Americans, private-independent school leaders are faced with communicating their reactions to these tragedies.
Some schools have remained silent. They have communicated no institutional position in face of the climate of unrest. However, most schools have released a letter or statement to their students, faculty, parents, and alumni. These schools have taken a verbal stand against racism while acknowledging that there is work to be done within their communities to create environments where all students and faculty feel safe and welcomed.
Sometimes, these letters were met with tepid and even angry responses from marginalized community members who felt that their school was merely giving lip service to antiracism efforts and the Black Lives Matter movement. Common refrains have included phrases such as, “This is what you’ve been saying for years, but where’s the action behind these words?”
The community response was especially negative toward schools that sent letters that focused on not offending anyone, attempting to appeal to all sides. The truth is that schools will always lose some families by taking a stand regarding their mission and core values. The question is—who are you willing to lose? Schools must take a clear stance that isn't wishy-washy.
In turn, Black@ accounts quickly sprouted throughout Instagram, providing a platform for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) to share stories of racist acts they have experienced in our schools. These accounts, which rapidly gained visibility and followers, have left many school leaders wondering how they should respond to the cacophony of voices of faculty, students, and alumni aching to be heard and acknowledged.
Listen and Understand
When someone is in pain, our first reaction may be to immediately help—often by offering words of encouragement or attempting to provide solutions. And as the late Stephen Covey said, “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.”
School leaders must commit to understanding—before reacting and replying. To begin the healing process, we must identify and then support those who have suffered from hateful speech and other racist acts.
The first action step is to listen to your community, withstanding the often overwhelming urge to offer platitudes or excuses, and acknowledge their experience without judgment. Acknowledge that you hear them and are dedicated to creating positive change. Period.
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Resist Defensiveness
As thousands of private-independent school students, alumni, and faculty have shared their stories through social media posts, emails, and conversations, some school leaders have reacted by deflecting blame to their predecessors. Or maybe they referenced a recently adopted diversity statement or a checklist of inclusion-focused activities that have been completed over the last few years.
Sometimes, school officials have contacted the parents of the students or alumni who have publicly shared their experiences and requested that they “keep these conversations in a private space.” Other schools have removed or “hidden” social media tags when posts are directed at them. Dismissing or attempting to quiet these claims because they are “decades-old” or anonymous will only affirm for those victimized what they have long believed—that their school is only interested in talking the talk, rather than walking the walk.
Rather than spin the conversation, leaders must listen to their constituents and acknowledge past and current issues in their schools, without offering excuses and providing an actionable path for the future.
Outline Your Action Steps
Perhaps the most critical part of your school’s response to the Black Lives Matter movement and Black@ Instagram accounts is to communicate an actionable plan. You must not only be clear about why you believe it’s essential for your community to focus on improving your BIPOC families’ experiences, but also be detailed about what actions you will take and when. In addition, the onus for action must not fall to your faculty, staff, and students of color. For the greatest impact, these efforts must heavily involve your white constituents. Examples include:
- Educating constituents by providing developmentally appropriate books, podcasts, and movie suggestions for students of all ages, faculty, staff, alumni, and parents.
- Preparing for facilitated conversations of summer reading assignments—for students and faculty—that explicitly support cultural competency when school reconvenes.
- Providing facilitative skill training for faculty and staff so they are better equipped to lead difficult but vital discussions about diversity, equity, and inclusion and handle unexpected situations or comments that may arise in class.
- Mandating that all faculty, staff, and Board members are to participate in antibias training.
- Organizing opportunities for listening, such as small-group virtual discussions for BIPOC and ally students, faculty and staff, parents, and alumni.
- Engaging with minority recruitment firms to diversify your faculty and staff body.
- Examining your curriculum at all levels to ensure it accurately represents the experiences and contributions of the BIPOC community.
- Ensuring that all constituents know how they may confidentially and safely report incidents of racism at your school.
When it comes to responding to the Black Lives Matter movement, Black@ Instagram accounts, and incidents of racism in private-independent schools, there are no quick fixes or easy answers. Rather, school leaders must devote both human and financial resources to first listening to and acknowledging the voices of their BIPOC constituents and then implementing action steps designed to create real, lasting change on their campuses and within their communities.
