Image: Rabbits, Birds, and flowers: National Museum of Asian Art
Words of the month: Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year is a celebration of the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar calendar. It is the most important holiday in many Asian countries, such as South Korea and Vietnam, as well as in places with a significant overseas Chinese population, like the United States. While the official dates encompassing the holiday vary by culture, those celebrating it consider this time of year an occasion to celebrate and reunite with immediate and extended family.
In the Chinese zodiac, 2023 is the year of the rabbit. In the Vietnamese and Gurung (Central Nepal) zodiac, the cat replaces the rabbit. In the Malay zodiac, the mousedeer replaces the rabbit.
Bringing Back BB&N's MLK Brunch
On January 16th. our DEIG team held its 37th annual MLK Brunch -- our first time in person after a 3 year hiatus! Students, current and prospective families, as well as faculty and staff all joined together to celebrate and envision how we can work in service of Dr. King's Beloved Community.
Oneda Horne, our keynote speaker and the Boston Executive Director at Room to Grow, spoke about the role she and Room to Grow play in eliminating resource gaps for marginalized communities. The non-profit provides parents and caregivers with the resources they need to support the first three years of their child's life.
As we step into Black History Month at a time where we continue to fight for racial justice and Black lives, we invite you to advocate for policy change, and support Black organizers and organizations who have been at the forefront of creating systemic change.
Image: Oneda Horne's Keynote Speech
Highlights
Student Voices: Upper School Community Day
Community Day is just around the corner! On February 14th all Upper School students and faculty will have a day full of conversation and community building where we will meet as affinity, alliance, and interests groups, open up deep discussions on current topics, and think about how to continue making our school welcoming to all.
The day will open with a guest speaker Rob “ProBlak” Gibbs, a Roxbury native and visual artist and organizer. He uses graffiti as a form of self expression and has murals throughout Boston that show the culture and history of his community.
Fatmata Sesay '23 and Jaiden Douglin '25 two students leading the planning of Community Day along with arts teacher Nicole Stone, met with Rob Gibbs and showed him around campus as they planned a school wide art project that will be taking place that morning.
The Community Day planning committee, composed of students from all grades have also been doing great work to organize the schedule, discussion topics, and ensuring that who have been working extra hard to ensure that people feel seen, valued and have fun.
As a member of the committee Ford Legg '23 shared why it was important for him to lead this day:
"Being in my fourth year at BB&N, I see Community Day's value since it provides us with a platform to bond and discuss larger issues outside of the typical academic day. I lead Community Day because I have so much knowledge about the inner workings of the community that I can use to create activities that better serve us all." - Ford Legg '23
Ms. Stone, Mr. Cox, Ms. Leila Bailey-Stewars, Fatmata Sesay and Jaiden Douglin brainstorming with Rob 'ProBlak' Gibbs.
Faculty Profiles: PoCC
Towards the end of 2022 ten members of our faculty Marissa Clark, Karina Baum, Cayes Jarda, Ashley Correia, Talayah Hudson, Cris West, Tiffany Rice, Beth Brown, Maria Graciela Alcid, and Leila Bailey-Stewart attended the People of Color Conference in Antonio Texas. The theme was Reunited in Purpose: Elevating our Worth our Agency, & our Excellence.
Here are a few important takeaways from their experience:
"I had the privilege of attending a Master Class on How to Have Difficult Conversations using Visualization, which was mind-blowing. It was a humble reminder that even though I am an educator and can still learn so much more to hone my craft. Being surrounded by over 7800 BIPOC Educators was incredibly affirming handmade me feel united in purpose with educators from all over the world!" - Mx. Cayes D Jarda (US Learning Specialist)
"This year I was a little worried about what it would feel like to attend the NAIS PoCC in-person conference. I'm so glad that I was able to experience the conference again. With a record-breaking number of participants, I was still able to feel a great sense of connection and belonging. I enjoyed many of the sessions I attended. One of them walked through the history of Salsa dance. It was an incredible lesson about how solidarity between the Black and Puerto Rican communities created a beautiful form of creative expression. The keynote speakers were incredible. I learned a lot and was able to connect with some friends who I hadn't seen in a long time. I'm thankful that BB&N continues to prioritize this experience for BIPOC faculty and staff." - Leila Bailey-Stewart (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Global Education Officer)
"Attending this past POCC was such a grounding experience for me. I felt the strength in the presence of a large contingent of Filipino and Filipino American educators and administrators in Independent schools. I am so grateful for plenty of connections made and the opportunity for continued self-reflection, actualization and discovery." - Cris West (LS Beginners Homeroom)
“I leave PoCC with what feels like a boundless headspace - floor-less, ceiling-less, wall-less -expanse full of questions. My heart feels full to be able to bring my wholeself as a learner and educator and to learn in a powerful community of windows and mirrors in a way that challenges my practices and has a direct impact on my practice and work with students, peers, and parents/guardians. I care a lot about PoCC as a form of fire energy that holds the nucleus of what we do in DEIG and teaching and learning in the spotlight.” Maria Graciela Alcid (US DEIG Practitioner)
Maria Graciela also co-created/led three workshops at PoCC and was one of the affinity group hosts for AAPI space. Her workshops included: Basking in the Sun: The People and Power of Kapwa, Somewhere Over the Rainbow Where QTBIPOC Folks Fly: Exploring Expansive Queer and Trans Identities, and BTS: How the World’s Biggest Band is Changing the Landscape of Inclusion and Belonging
“For me PoCC is a place of safety and acceptance that is not easy to find in a predominantly white privileged school community. I need it yearly for my mental and spiritual health, in order to hold everyone in the light.” - Beth Brown (LS Substitute Coordinator/Morse Building Administrative Assistant)
Looking Ahead
- Friday 2/3 6-8:30pm, Upper School Commons: 4A's Lunar New Year Celebration
- Saturday 2/25 2-4pm, 46 Belmont: PBS Black History Month Celebration
Inspirations
Learn more about Lunar New Year Traditions by reading The Year of the Rabbit: An illustrated guide to Lunar New Year and be introduced to one of the many folktales associated with the holiday, like the myth of “Nian”. Take a few minutes to discover How Lunar New Year Is Celebrated Around Asia, or take a look at Redefining the ‘New’ in Lunar New Year to see how some younger Asian Americans are creating their own holiday traditions, putting a spin on lessons they learned growing up.
- Visit: 'The Embrace' a new monument in the Boston Common honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's legacy
- Watch: Marvel: The Hero Project - "Marvel's Hero Project" is an unscripted series that shares the positive impact several young, real-life heroes are making in their communities across the country. The inspiring young people have dedicated themselves to a variety of efforts, and Marvel is celebrating them as the superheroes they are, immortalized in their own comic books.
- Listen: A Revelatory Tour of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Forgotten Teachings, with Brandon Terry, The Ezra Klein Podcast from The New York Times.
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This month's newsletter was curated by Jade DuVal, DEIG Programs and Operations Coordinator and Education Fellow.