Inclusivity is important for creating a unified and progressive community– something Hewitt strives for. On Thursday, April 14th, ACTION, Hewitt’s social justice and advocacy club, held its annual Diversity Day. Amie S.’16 and Teresa M.’16 are the co-heads of ACTION for the 2015-2016 year. The entire day is dedicated to exploring social issues regarding race, gender, sexuality, class, ability, religion and the intersection of these social identifiers through discussions and activities. By the end of the day, students were able to broaden their knowledge on social justice issues and understand the similarities and differences of students in Hewitt’s Upper School.

The day kicked off with the “privilege walk” in the gym. The purpose of the “privilege walk” is for students to recognize the advantages and disadvantages that they were born with. Amie read a list of circumstances that may either provide an individual with benefits or make an individual’s life harder. Everyone begins on the same line, but if a certain situation is a disadvantage and it pertains to a student, she steps back. On the other hand, if a certain situation allows a student to gain advantages, and it pertains to her, she steps forward. For instance, Amie asked the students to “take a step forward if you have easy access to a tutor” and to “take a step back if you have been catcalled”.

While no teachers or faculty members were present for the walk, this activity was still daunting to students due to the revealing nature. Teresa M. said, “I think Amie and I were on the same page about doing the privilege walk, however, there were some statements we were considering to be too personal or uncomfortable.” Naturally, students were caught off guard when Amie said, “Take a step back if you felt you could not answer these questions honestly.”

At the end of the activity, students were able to look around and see how near or far they were from their friends. Manzie A.‘18 said, “It was really eye-opening and interesting to see the different things people have to deal with in their life.”

Next, students went on to their discussion groups. Topics like Black Lives Matter vs. All Lives Matter, presidential elections, cultural appropriation, and microaggressions were explored in different groups. These group discussions were facilitated by student members of ACTION. Community norms were set in place at the beginning of the discussion to ensure a productive conversation in which everyone could contribute.

“I thought the discussions on social issues was really helpful to have,” said Gia D.‘19. “They were fun and I was able to understand these issues better.”

After the discussion groups, students were assigned to affinity groups based on the neighborhood they live in. These neighborhoods ranged from the Upper East Side to outside of New York City. When asked why these affinity groups were neighborhood-centric, Teresa explained, “In past years, affinity groups were typically centered around the eight main social identifiers. However, Amie and I wanted to expand the idea of diversity by demonstrating that multiple other factors of a person’s identity, such as where they live or their environment, can tell more about who they are and give greater insight into their ideals.”

In an effort to introduce the eighth graders to the nature of topics they will observe next year, they were invited to these affinity groups. Questions concerning gentrification, stereotypes, and how their neighborhood can complicate their school life were answered in these groups. In the Upper West Side affinity group, the students were talking and connecting on their own experiences or opinions. Although the eighth graders were a bit more reserved, the conversation was still very much alive.

To finish the day, the entire Upper School gathered in the gym to view a one-woman show called Random Acts by Renata Hinrichs. Based on Hinrichs’ own life, the show depicted a young, white girl growing up on the Southside of Chicago in 1960’s during the Civil Rights Movement. The play showed the perspective progressive white people had on the institution of racism in America.

The hard work ACTION club members put into executing the event paid off. It all went smoothly and evoked interesting discussions amongst students from different grades. Most importantly, the day united the students. Though the social differences between students were explored in the beginning of the day, by the end of it, all students seemed to have found some kind of common ground with others. It created a safer and more inclusive environment for all Hewitt girls.

As Vanessa H.‘18 said, “Hewitt has a kind of family environment to it. Diversity day managed to get everyone talking and bonding with each other.”

Leave a Reply