DEIJ at Wesley

As a black woman and a product of predominantly white institutions (PWIs), it was crucial to me and our family that we would find a school that supported our family’s values and experiences. As a child, my parents’ goals for me while at PWI’s were academic success and assimilation into the dominant culture. I did very well at learning and excelling academically and at times socially, but always lacked understanding of my identity as well as other identities, traditions, and cultures of non white, cisgendered peoples. As a parent of an incoming Kindergartner, it was crucial that her experience was different from mine, in that, assimilation at a PWI would never be the goal. Instead, my family looked for inclusion, celebration, diversity, a clear stance on social justice and human rights, and a place where she could feel that she truly belonged.

When I reflect on what Wesley got right this year, in regards to Social Justice and DEIJ work, I only have to pause and listen to my rising first grader’s take on life. For example, “did you know, an advocate is someone who stands up for what they believe in”? “Can you imagine that there was a time when black and white students couldn’t go to the same school. That’s not right!” She most recently shared with me something that made my heart thump a little quicker as it filled with pride and hope for our future. She passionately explained “that it doesn’t matter if you’re a boy, or girl, or both, or neither and if someone ever asks and you don’t want to share, just tell them you’re a person!” When asked why she felt this way, she simply said, “because it’s fair!” When our youngest of learners can explain without hesitance how to be just and right and fair in this world that continues to minimize, control, or devalue certain lives, then you know, we’ve got something special here!

This year, our nation and world was faced with numerous injustices and our social justice program responded to the instability with compassion, research based pedagogy, and inquiry. Lessons, projects, and presentations were student centered and curated by developmental appropriateness. Lower school facilitators used their scheduled social justice times to discuss a variety of topics covering the social justice framework; identity, diversity, justice and action. Oftentimes, teachers connected lessons to their social studies and social thinking curriculums about community, past, present and future. Upper elementary and middle school is where students are able to explore more complex and delicate topics as they cultivate the type of activist they aim to become.

Here are a few highlights from the year: • Our 7th graders dug deep into current events and discussed tough topics facing Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BI-

POC) such as systemic racism found in institutions, even in the policies or structure of our beloved Wesley School. • In advisory, 6th graders self selected and created a presentation on Asian American, Pacific Islander (AAPI) people that explored the history of hate toward AAPI people in

America. • 3rd graders discussed the multi facets of identity including gender and the gender spectrum. • Our youngest learners closed out the year with a march for various causes, many including environmental conservation and treating others with equity, compassion, and care. • Wesley School is now partnering with Critical Conversations • Faculty successfully presented our first annual Social

Justice Nights K-8. • Faculty participated in a workshop with anti-bias and anti-racist educator and writer Liz Kleinrock • Jordan Thierry, author of A Kids Book of Systemic Racism, joined us in dialogue during a Committee of Diversity and

Inclusivity (CODI) meeting and presented to grades 4-8

Gholdy Muhammad defines and emphasizes the need for criticality in our staff summer read, Cultivating Genius. “Criticality is related to seeing, naming, and interrogating the world to not only make sense of injustice, but also work toward social transformation. Thus, students need spaces to name and critique injustice to help them ultimately develop the agency to build a better world.” We at Wesley are tasked to create the spaces for students to think critically about the world in order to enact change that will benefit all.

Hopeful in our pursuits, LeLoni Bass • Parent to Nadia (1st Grade) 5/6th grade dean (lead), director of inclusive instruction