Photo: Firewall (2013) by Nigerian artist Odili Donald Odita
Words of the month: Indigenous Peoples' Day
Indigenous Peoples' Day is a celebration of the rich cultural heritage, resilience, and contributions of Indigenous communities across the globe. This observance, which will take place on Monday, October 9 this year, challenges the historical inaccuracies and injustices associated with Columbus Day. Instead of honoring Christopher Columbus, Indigenous Peoples' Day acknowledges the enduring traditions, languages, art, and wisdom of Native peoples. It's a day to reflect on the enduring struggles they have faced, from colonization to ongoing challenges, such as land rights and cultural preservation. Indigenous' Peoples Day fosters awareness, understanding, and solidarity, promoting a more inclusive and respectful world.
Welcome back!
We hope you had a wonderful summer and that the school year is off to a great start! Here in the DEIG Office, we are already in full swing with many events and opportunities showcasing belonging and community at BB&N.
We are celebrating Latine/Hispanic Heritage Month, which takes place every year from September 15 to October 15. These dates were chosen to encompass the independence days of several Latin American nations, including Mexico, Costa Rica, and Guatemala. The day is a tribute to the rich cultural contributions of Latine and Hispanic communities in the United States. It began as a week-long celebration in 1968, initiated by President Lyndon B. Johnson; the observance was later expanded to a month-long celebration by President Ronald Reagan in 1988. The month acknowledges the diversity, history, and impact of Latine and Hispanic Americans, fostering greater cultural appreciation and understanding.
Image: New York City Parks "Las Flores de mi País" exhibition. Photo by Malcolm Pinckney.
Latine/Hispanic Heritage Month Assembly
The Upper School will invite a speaker for each heritage month with the theme of "changemakers." For Latine/Hispanic Heritage Month, they invited Celina Barrios-Millner, Co-Vice President of the Office of Race and Equity Research at the Urban Institute. Ms. Barrios-Millner "served as senior advisor to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and as the city’s chief of equity and inclusion under Acting Mayor Kim Janey. In that role, Barrios-Millner was charged with embedding equity and racial justice into all city planning and operations and provided the equity guidance to ensure over $500 million in federal recovery funds were allocated to communities and sectors disproportionately affected by the pandemic."
Upper School Affinity, Alliance, and Interest Groups
The Upper School's Affinity, Alliance, and Interest Groups presented at the extracurricular fair. Pictured are Brothers Seeking Academic Excellence, Round Square, South Asian Students Association, Students Honoring All Differences and Embracing Similarities, Empower for Women of Color, Gender and Sexuality Alliance, Asian American Students Association, Amplifying Muslim Voices, Feminist Coalition, and Jewish Cultural Club.
Community Profiles
Health and Wellness Educators Claire Hermmann and Anastasia Kranz
How do you identify?
Claire: White queer nonbinary human Anastasia: White queer cis woman
What gets you up in the morning?
Claire: My first cup of tea, sitting in my comfy clothes, drinking my tea in silence Anastasia: Me too! The environment here is extremely supportive of new teachers and that really gets me through the day. I know I have so much support.
What brings you joy?
Claire: My dad sends me new books, weekly phone calls with friends, connecting with people, learning new things: especially working here, I learn something new every session. Anastasia: My partner and my dog, my friends, being surrounded by people that I love, traveling (even to new towns in MA)
What made you choose BB&N?
Claire: The people seemed very genuine. People used my pronouns throughout the process; they were taking it really seriously. I really appreciated that they valued student voices and had students be part of the interview process. Anastasia: Throughout my interview process, I was really drawn to the commitment to equitable hiring processes. I could see through their transparency that they were really dedicated to pursuing equity at this school, so I loved that. When I talked to staff at the Middle School, they were really just telling me how much they love working here; people feel a sense of joy being a part of this community.
What does DEIG mean to you?
Claire: I didn't learn about a lot of the stuff that we’re talking about — privilege, my own identity, how things intersect — until college, when I was 19 or 20. I could’ve used that education a lot earlier, talking about it in an open way, not as a taboo. It's so important to discuss other experiences, other perspectives, and be ready to have tough conversations. Anastasia: When people ask me why I want to do this work, I talk about the importance of how young people treat themselves and each other; we can’t create community without respect, without recognizing identity and diversity. We can’t talk about consent without talking power dynamics. We can’t talk about sexual health without gender identity. These things are so closely linked, and we need to do them justice. In my personal experience, education was so removed from conversations about DEI, which caused me and my peers harm. I want to be that bridge so that harm is not repeated for this generation.
DEIG Office Education Fellow, Avik Sarkar '19
How do you identify?
South Asian, queer/trans, child of immigrants, multilingual
What gets you up in the morning?
My large iced coffee from Dunkin'
What brings you joy?
My parents, my best friends, my dog, loud and fast music, my books
What made you choose BB&N?
I'm an alum! I was really excited by the opportunity to return to this wonderful community and see so many familiar faces.
What does DEIG mean to you?
DEIG means a serious commitment to uplifting the voices and experiences of students from historically marginalized backgrounds, especially Black, brown, queer, trans, femme, disabled, and low-income students. DEIG means centering racial, gender, sexual, and class justice both inside and outside the classroom — in all that we do.
Looking Ahead
From October 1 to 14, Upper School students will attend the Round Square conference in Kenya and Tanzania.
Rainbow Families, BB&N's community organization for LGBTQ+ families, is gathering on Sunday, October 15 at 1 pm.
The Middle School will hold its annual Day of Service and Community Engagement on Monday, October 16.
Inspirations
Read: On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, the debut novel by Vietnamese-American poet Ocean Vuong. Framed as a touching letter from a writer son to his illiterate mother, the book explores questions of race, sexuality, immigration, and identity.
Watch: The Watermelon Woman, a romantic comedy-drama by Cheryl Dunye — the first feature film directed by a Black lesbian woman. The film follows Cheryl working a day job in a video store while trying to make a film about Fae Richards, a Black actress from the 1930s.
Eat: Asmara, a family-run spot in Central Square serving Eritrean and Ethiopian meals shared and scooped up with injera bread.
DEIG it?
Questions, comments, thoughts, or feedback ? Email us at deig@bbns.org
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This month's newsletter was curated by Avik Sarkar, Education Fellow.