Affinity Group Kick Off Brochure

WHAT ARE AFFINITY GROUPS? Affinity Groups are spaces for students, who are members of a community based on specific identity traits, to connect over shared experiences, cultivate a sense of self and belonging, grow in their antiracism practice, and engage in collective empowerment and advocacy to co-create an inclusive & equitable school community.

VISION FOR 2022–23 AND BEYOND We hope to reimagine and re-ground Affinity Groups at Castilleja in a purpose of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and a commitment to Justice and Antiracism. In Affinity Groups, students will: 1) Purposefully reflect on their identities and experiences to co-create a safe space where they feel affirmed.

2) Collaborate with others to educate themselves and the community about intersectional equity issues.

3) Problem strategize as student leaders to advocate for systemic change and co-create an antiracist, inclusive, and equitable Castilleja for current and future students.

A GUIDING PHILOSOPHY FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING ANTIRACISM Castilleja teachers and students are striving to grow in our anti-racism practice, with attention to building an equitable community in the context of longstanding systemic injustice. This work requires continuous evaluation of our curriculum, pedagogy, and community practices. To do this learning, we must grapple with personally and intellectually challenging material in our classrooms and community. While we are committed to an iterative process of growth, establishing a set of guidelines and practices for our community is essential as we move through this important work.

This guiding philosophy will create space for rigorous, critical, historical and cultural learning, with special attention to our unique positionalities and perspectives. Furthermore, we value the relationships between students and teachers, who collaborate to create a culture of learning. As a learning community, Castilleja is committed to the interrogation and application of ideas, as well as student and faculty well-being, both inside and outside of the classroom. A tension may at times exist between these two commitments, especially considering the constant evolution of language, current events, and patterns of racialization and social inequities which may necessitate uncomfortable conversations and discussions. Communication between students and teachers remains central to forging a collaborative culture as we navigate these tensions; teachers welcome students’ feedback throughout the learning process.

WE COMMIT TO THESE PRACTICES: • We will not censor historical records and/or artistic works.

• We will engage with the histories, experiences, and expertise of marginalized people honestly and accurately, emphasizing resistance and resilience in the face of oppression.

• We will actively engage with words, images, concepts and events that challenge us to more deeply understand and disrupt systems of oppression and marginalization.

Towards True Solidarity CASTILLEJA SCHOOL DIVERSITY & INCLUSION STATEMENT: Each member of the Castilleja community is responsible for fostering an equitable, respectful, and just community. Together, we commit to learning from diverse voices and experiences, and we aspire to engage our differences with courage, honesty, intellectual curiosity, and respect. We believe this commitment to diversity and inclusion is essential to developing compassionate leaders.

AFFINITY GROUP KICK-OFF SPEAKER PANEL TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18 2:05–3:15 PM CHAPEL THEATER

SPEAKER BIO

SPEAKER BIO

SPEAKER BIO

DR. KIM TRAN follows a simple guide-post: be the person you needed when you were younger.

As a queer Vietnamese woman, she lives those principles through her work at the intersection of social protest, race and gender. In 2008, she helped build the LGBTQ YouthSpace, a queer and trans safe space for young people in Santa Clara County. In 2016, she led a racial healing process in Humboldt County in response to a Ku Klux Klan resurgence. In 2017, Kim was a core planner for Hai Ba Trung Organizing School, a racial justice incubator for Vietnamese Americans. Last year, Kim was an LGBTQ Pride Month Honoree, of the California LGBT Caucus.

Kim has been featured by NPR, the New York Times and Red Table Talk. Kim holds a PhD in Ethnic Studies from UC Berkeley. She is currently working on a book about solidarity in the Black Lives Matter era titled: Who We Could Be: Justice after Allyship.

MOHAMMED SORIANO-BILAL (he/him), MBA, is an accomplished Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) consultant, an educator, and a strategist.

Mohammed has spent the last 20 years using DEIB strategy to help Fortune 500 companies like Twitter, Whirlpool, and the Progressive Corporation remove blockages that stand in the way of impact and growth. As the Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging in UHR at Stanford University, Mohammed works on myriad DEIB efforts, including DEI communities of practice, learning & development, and retention. He also teaches two undergraduate courses on intergroup communication. Beyond his consulting and education work, he is an acclaimed poet and an award-winning producer of both music and film. One of the films he directed, “Towards Excellence,” explores diversity and equity at independent schools. Bilal, who attended and taught at independent schools himself, unravels power and privilege, race, gender and space in this powerful documentary and offers valuable insights for building inclusive school communities.

JESS MACFARLANE (she/her) is a racial equity consultant and facilitator. Her mission is to build literacy and promote action among those who are committed to racial equity but are unsure about next steps. As a white person, her specific purpose is to mobilize white people in the collective process of unlearning, skills-building, and purposeful action toward equity. Since 2015, Jess has partnered with dozens of schools and several school districts.

She conducts assessments of culture and policies and facilitates workshops with the aim of promoting belonging for all members of the school community. Jess is also an active member of SURJ - Showing Up for Racial Justice - an organizing group for white people. Jess’s career began as a researcher, in psychology, HIV prevention, and harm reduction. She holds an MPH from Columbia University and a BA in psychology and Spanish from Duke University.

PROGRAM AGENDA Introduction & Expectations Ms. Nguyen & Julie Sidana Purpose of Affinity Groups: DEIJ Framework Serafina Cortez Speaker Introductions Yasmine Haque Panel Discussion Serafina Cortez & Julie Sidana Audience Q & A Guiding Philosophy Zahra Rohaninejad DEI Leadership Council Lulu Gunadi and Araika Ramchandran Closing Ms. Nguyen Stay tuned for an email from Ms. Nguyen after the event with more details.

WHAT IS THE TASK FORCE? WHEN WILL THE DEILC BE ESTABLISHED?

Towards True Solidarity

WHAT IS THE DEI LEADERSHIP COUNCIL (DEILC)?

To provide a structure for our school’s Diversity & Inclusion mission and affinity group purpose to be realized, we will establish a Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Leadership Council (DEILC), composed of Affinity Group representatives and other student and adult leaders committed to DEI and justice.

The DEILC will serve as a body of leadership that will work in solidarity with one another to advocate for systemic change at Castilleja and beyond. As a leadership coalition and umbrella organization, the DEILC will coordinate with student affinity groups to identify and uplift equity issues affecting their communities and problem strategize with key stakeholders to fulfill Castilleja’s commitment to DEIJ.

In order for the DEILC to fulfill its purpose, it must be co-constructed in partnership with student leaders to authentically center and elevate student voice. Thus, in the year 2022-23, we will begin with the establishment of the DEILC Task Force, a working group where students will undergo leadership training to reflect on what it means to be an antiracist and DEIJ leader at Castilleja and beyond, while collaborating to determine the structure and function of the DEILC. The DEILC will start with student leaders passionate about furthering DEIJ initiatives on campus and call in adult leaders and stakeholders to create a coalition that will guide and hold Castilleja accountable in the integration of DEIJ and Antiracism into all aspects of the institution. The DEILC extends into a branch of student government adjacent to ASB and will establish a Diversity Officer position to serve as the liaison and bridge between the DEILC and ASB. The DEILC will officially launch in the 2023-24 school year.

Applications for the 2022–23 DEI Leadership Council Task Force are due Friday, October 28, at 5 PM