Talking about race relations, religion, class, or gender identity can be uncomfortable. Sometimes we don’t know what we don’t know. But having respectful and open conversations around diversity pushes us to see the world differently, to think about people and place and circumstance from new perspectives. How empowering, this opportunity for individual and collective growth.
We consider our diversity work of utmost importance at our school and in our world. At Lab, we are actively listening, talking, and working with more intention around our commitment to the span of issues that fall under the umbrella of diversity.
“We are in the right space to affect our students’ lives, and I don’t mean simply making them read black poetry or focus on topics we think are relevant. Having an open mind and being able to listen to and understand different people from different walks of life is probably the greatest gifts we can give our students.”
— Chidiki Jones-Whitley, Assistant Teacher - Performing Arts
We invite you to review our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Plan:
View our student and faculty Diversity Roundtable, videotaped following the National Association of Independent School’s People of Color and Student Diversity Leadership Conferences in 2017:
“The Student Diversity Leadership Conference was both eye opening and intense. So many differences welcomed, connections made, and lessons learned when it comes to diversity and inclusion. I made so many friends and really got time to explore my Identity overall. I never felt so alive in my life! Truly, at this conference, I was able to find myself! I now understand the importance of self-advocacy, I'm now not afraid to speak up on what I believe in. I can't even begin to explain how beneficial this conference was to me. I was extremely happy to be around others that can understand and relate to me, and I have now opened up more with a few of my peers!”
— Lab School Junior
“Belonging Time” provides our students with a foundational understanding of the intersections of a person’s identity. Within this understanding, students cultivate a respect for and admiration of the differences among people. “Belonging Time” ensures that each student leaves embracing the multiplicity and fluidity of identity while being instilled with an inviolable self-pride. For this work, we anchor ourselves in Learning for Justice’s Social Justice Standards. These Standards provide a common language and organizational structure we use to guide our identity development work.
With this foundation, students are better equipped to comprehend the injustices they learn about when studying global history and current events; they can grasp the profound inhumanity of racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, antisemitism, xenophobia etc. because they have become accustomed to honoring human differences.
During “Belonging Time,” students work with age-level definitions of: diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, self-love, and identity – elucidating identity in the markers of: age, physical ability, appearance, race, sexual orientation, gender, geographic location, family structure, ethnicity, religion, communication style and thinking style.
"This is a moral moment in our history. We must own the truth that black and brown people are not safe in our country and they are denied the opportunities promised to all Americans. The recent egregious deaths of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and George Floyd lay bare once again the reasons why. Our society built on white privilege has intentionally denied people of color pathways to education, prosperity, and safety, ignoring their enormous contributions to our country,” wrote Head of School Katherine Schantz in recent communications to The Lab School community.
