We are pleased to share with you a report on our commitment to becoming a more anti-racist, culturally aware school community. This work does not happen overnight. We will continue to keep you updated on our progress as new milestones are reached. We’d like to thank the Board of Trustees for their support, both spiritually and financially, to meet our collective goals. Our faculty and staff continue to work hard to ensure our students have the resources and support they need. A special thank you is in order to our students for sharing their stories through their lived experiences which is critical to becoming a better school.
A Message from the Director of the Center for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
State of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion for the 2021-22 School Year
The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion has been hard at work continuing to lead the community in accomplishing our strategic goals and focused initiatives of holding our community to a true environment of inclusion and antiracism. The entire adult community continued their individual work of identifying biases and acknowledging personal experiences around race and racism through training with the national company of Courageous Conversations. Meanwhile, students continued to be intellectually challenged in classes with a curriculum that increased representation of diverse voices while engaging meaningful research and fruitful conversations. Our journey also continued in the Eagle Update as our extended community was challenged to explore in various topics from neurodiversity to gender equity.
In the year to come, my goal is that we continue to remain vigilant in our efforts to actively demonstrate antiracism while recommitting ourselves to the care of all members of the community. That we continue to develop our knowledge and actively demonstrate our commitment to a community of equity by meeting the needs of every student and engaging in the importance of social justice issues. This year many initiatives were achieved while others are only beginning. -Dr. Ruth Evee P'18, '22
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Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Reaffirmed as Presidential & Institutional Priorities for 2021-22
In response to the urgency and importance of dignity and justice for all people, and our commitment to human excellence in living out our Jesuit ideals, BC High’s Board of Trustees and President Grace Cotter Regan P'12 approved the following goals as Faith and Justice Presidential Priorities for Fiscal Year 2022:
- To respond to the recommendations from the FY’21 Latham and Watkins Board Report.
- To execute year-two of Courageous Conversations with oversight of the school Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion plan as BC High continues to make the necessary changes to the culture and structures of the institution to make it a more just and welcome place for all people and build an anti-racism culture, in keeping with its Jesuit mission.
Board of Trustees Update on DEI
In June 2020, the Board of Trustees engaged Latham & Watkins, LLP to conduct a comprehensive, independent review of the issues raised through the Instagram account @blackatbchigh and, more broadly, review the climate at BC High around issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. With the review now complete, on behalf of the Board, we are pleased to share Latham's report with you (redacted to protect confidential information). The executive summary can be found here. The findings are summarized in four main areas of focus which we have been included in our Strategic Plan:
- Discipline
- Hiring Faculty of Color and Recruiting Students of Color
- The Role of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at BC High
- Professional Development and Classroom Training
The Board is to be commended for their leadership and guidance throughout the entire year-long review. We are also deeply grateful to those members of our community who courageously shared their lived experiences, stories, insights, and aspirations with the Latham team. With what we have learned, we will continue our work on being a more inclusive and just community.
The Mission & Identity Committee of the Board continues to work on many of the issues raised as part of the L&W report, particularly the role of Fr. John McElroy, SJ.
Director, DEI Reporting Structure, & Center team
To better reflect the School’s institutional commitment, the reporting structure of the Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion was elevated as of July 1, 2020. This role now reports directly to the President and Principal. Ruth Evee P'18, '22 holds this role and was excited to expand the team to include three additional members who are responsible for various aspects of furthering the mission of the Center. Katie McKiernan, Arrupe Math, focuses her work on curriculum development. Lizzy Corsetti, high school Math, is responsible for overseeing personal and professional development. Terrell Diggs, Assistant Director for Enrollment, focuses on student inclusivity and serves as a resource for all students, but particularly students of color.
As a team, they have selected a theme to center their work: Empowering Ourselves -- to be an anti-racist community, to uplift the voice of our students, to support the student experience, and to find power in our personal journeys of DEI -- being comfortable in our biases and acting against them and creating that safe space so we all bring our authentic selves to this community.
"The physical Center is providing a safe space that feels like home for the students and it is attracting a diverse group where lively conversation and laughter frequently fill the air. It’s nice to see them make it their space. The DEI team is busy doing amazing work reaching every component of the school and making great progress across every dimension. We are on our way to institutionalizing that desired culture of not just inclusion but belonging." - Dr. Ruth Evee P'18, '22
Center for DEI gets a new space!
As shared in our update earlier this year, the newly created space is a bustling gathering area for students to comfortably connect with their peers, helping each other with academics, having a courageous conversation, or just hanging out during a free period. Our young men are encouraged to share ideas as a diverse voice for the school and collaborate ways to make change.
Human Diversity is a gift that BC High strives to promote, affirm, and celebrate. As a Jesuit, Catholic school, we commit to justice, equity, and inclusion because they are essential to meaningful learning, personal growth, and loving relationships. -DEI Mission Statement
Engaging the Whole Community
All-School Read
Corcoran Living Library Lecture Series Presents: Jason Reynolds
On March 25, the BC High community was delighted to hear from our all-school-read speaker, Jason Reynolds. Following the event, he was able to interact on a deeper level with the S.O.A.R. students which was an enriching experience for all. Parents joined us in person and virtually as a way to continue their work on helping BC High strive to be an anti-racist and inclusive community.
We are grateful to the Corcoran Family for the opportunity to bring speakers and dynamic presenters to engage with our students, faculty, and staff.
For the 2022-23 school year, the All-School Read Committee chose Dragon Hoops, a graphic novel written by Gene Luen Yang for this year’s All-School Read.
The book tells the story of a Catholic high school’s basketball team and their journey to winning the state championship. We believe this book will appeal to both enthusiastic & reluctant readers alike.
The themes of defining one’s identity and the importance of taking risks, among others, are ones that will also be explored in mentor groups with the launch of the House System in the fall.
We hope you'll join us in reading this wonderful book this summer!
Engaging Students
One of the exciting new initiatives that the DEI team has embarked on is S.O.A.R.(Students Organized Against Racism), a new phase of our school’s partnership with Courageous Conversations. Student leaders receive training in the Courageous Conversation protocol and are preparing to be facilitators for student discussion groups. The students in S.O.A.R. will be of service to lead conversations with their peers around race and other sensitive topics while also learning more about DEI initiatives within the community. Students were then called upon to lead discussions in their classrooms and serve as guest speakers at freshmen retreats.
The Sojourn Project
The Sojourn Project
On March 25, six students and five adult members of the BC High Community left Morrissey Boulevard and traveled to Atlanta, GA to begin their journey traveling to key cities of the Civil Rights Movement through the Sojourn Project. The Sojourn Project is described as a “wholly unique, transformative academic, moving classroom immersion program, and a catalyst for humanity. Empowering young people’s voices and search for purpose. Through the lens and lessons of the Modern Civil Rights Movement, Sojourn’s living history Journeys – for middle and high school students – forge new pathways of understanding and awareness toward personal and civic responsibility.”
Together with students and adults from schools around the country, the group from BC High visited Atlanta, then traveled to Alabama, stopping in Birmingham, Montgomery, and Selma. They went onto Memphis, TN and finally, Little Rock, AK. Throughout their journey, they read, reflected, and studied in a remarkably intense way, the people, sites, and actions of those most critical to the movement.
Diversity Cabinet
Under the direction of Terrell Diggs, the Diversity Cabinet, which includes representation from all the affinity groups, meets regularly to discuss a variety of topics. Notably this year, they have hosted an open forum around slurs (in literature) and outside of the classroom (athletics, online, etc.) They also held forums on Fr. McElroy, SJ and his role in the Maryland Province during the mid 1800's. All Affinity groups continue to provide a safe space for students to celebrate and have open discussions regarding their inclusion at the school.
Members of the Diversity Cabinet organized a week long celebration to celebrate the diverse community at BC High. Throughout the entire week, the morning prayers highlighted members our affinity groups, as well as an eclectic selection of music after school, from reggae to Armenian music! Events included: a "Where Are You From" bulletin where students were encouraged to make note of where their ancestors may have come from; "Celebrating Cultures through the Arts" which welcomed students from Fontbonne Academy to our campus for an enriching afternoon of food, dance, and merriment from all different cultures.
A survey was given to the seniors, Class of 2022, focusing primarily on DEI during their time at BC High. The results will be compared to that of 2021 class and shared with the staff. We are eager to dive into the results to find ways to best support ALL our students.
For more detailed information on all of the affinity groups, visit our website www.bchigh.edu/diversity-equity-inclusion. A few highlights so far this year are listed below:“Student support has been a great outlet for our boys in various ways. The one I am most happy about is their ability to come into my office and share their truth. Student support out of the Center for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion has provided another resource for our boys to talk, relate, and find comfort." -Terrell Diggs, Assistant Director of Enrollment
Senior Class Gift
For this year’s Senior Class Gift, the Class of 2022 raised money for an art mural which depicted their experience at BC High. Over several weeks, local Boston artist, Jordan Barros, www.jordanbarrosart.com, was on campus painting a series of four large panels that encapsulated our identity as a school that is Jesuit, urban, and diverse. He was eager to engage with students and classes to hear their story, design the panels, and collaborate with students on the work. The panels are being hung in the Hunter-Fahey Commons this summer.
Jordan graduated from BC in 2019 and is now a full-time artist. His art was recently featured by the Boston Celtics as a part of the NBA’s Black Creator’s Network and CBS Boston.
Classroom Work
Our faculty continue to develop new and engaging ways to represent diverse opinions and perspectives. Whether it's science or social studies, they are bringing culturally relevant material and historical accuracy to the forefront of their teaching. Below are a just a few of the ways our faculty challenged the students this winter and spring.
"Colorism" by Andrew Calixte '23 is an example of a student project that allowed students to explore a personal topic and take action. For this particular project, students were asked "where do you see yourself in the work of “advocating and promoting policies” that reflect the inherent dignity of all in our community? Who are you? What are your gifts and talents? As we have discussed the presence of racism in our community, what are you most passionate about? How can you best demonstrate your knowledge of racism and your commitment to racial justice?" Click here to watch!
"In the social justice French cinema class, I chose four Black francophone famous people, set up a station during the long block with their biography, and had an activity relating to them. I chose Louisy Joseph, a Martiniquaise singer, Nicolas Batum, a French basketball player for the Clippers, Léopold Senghor, a politician and poet, and Richardson Viano, the first Haitian skier in the Olympics. They had an activity for each person (e.g. an article with comprehension questions, a video with comprehension questions, a lyrics fill-in-the-blank game, and a poem to read and then try to write their own version). Then, each student was asked to choose a Black francophone person so that for February and some of March, they began class with two short presentations on their chosen people." -- Shannon Atkeson, French
English Department Statement on Non-verbalization of the n-word
After departmental conversations and discussion at Academic Council, the English Department developed a statement on usage of derogatory and hurtful language. The statement reads:
"The BC High English Department supports the Jesuit mission and values of the school through critically studying literature, developing and refining students’ writing, and encouraging an appreciation for the beauty, subtlety, complexity, and power of language. From the Jesuit ideals of cura personalis (“care for the whole person”) as well as a commitment to doing justice, we strive to foster a loving class environment where all our students can learn at their best. We promote reading a diversity of voices in English class, mirroring the diversity of our world and our school community. To this end, we will sometimes read texts that present painful issues like racism, slavery, bigotry, and oppression, texts that force us to confront and scrutinize divisive and hurtful language. While we support understanding the history and complexity of racist language, we recognize the critical difference between studying a word and hearing it spoken by members of our school community. Therefore, as an expression of our values and mission, we, the BC High English Department, prohibit teachers and students from saying this most historically hurtful and venomous of words aloud in our classrooms, and commit ourselves to the ongoing work of creating more just, equitable, and inclusive English classrooms."
Arrupe Division Social Studies
- Eighth graders worked hard to investigate some of the most prominent African Americans in history. To share these stories, they created documentaries that highlighted the contributions and impact of African Americans on American culture and society. Influential African Americans included: Sidney Poitier, Stevie Wonder, Charles Drew, Hank Aaron, Crispus Attucks, Thurgood Marshall, Biggie Smalls, Benjamin O’Davis Jr., Louis Armstrong, Guion Bluford, Public Enemy, Willy O’Ree, and Nina Simone.
- Our seventh graders researched topics related to Native Americans and Indigenous People and prepared exhibits to engage participants in their findings. Research Question Examples:
In what ways have Indigenous People contributed to American democracy? What are Indian boarding schools? What happened at them? What role does sport play in the lives of Native Americans?
Students displayed their work and their peers in the Arrupe Division participated in the exhibits. The students created escape rooms, board games, and simulations for audience members that were remarkably well done!
-Eighth grade classes presented an interactive ‘Museum of Anti-Racism’ to the school community. Students worked really hard to prepare the exhibits, and were thrilled to have an audience with whom they shared their work.
Personal & Professional Development
As we look to engage our faculty and staff in creating a more equitable environment, Lizzy Corsetti has done great work to create personal and professional development opportunities for the community. As it relates directly to the Strategic Plan, Lizzy and Sue Glover, Manager of People and Culture, have attended specific human resources training on hiring practices and creating a structure of hiring and retaining faculty/staff of color. Further, Lizzy has met with every department chair and Academic Council to develop new practices and protocols for hiring a more diverse group of teachers in the coming years. She met with with school administrators and chairs to implement new hiring processes and protocols this past spring and hope it will diversify our staff in the ongoing hiring process.
Diversity Committee
The Diversity Committee, which is comprised of faculty and staff across all departments on campus, looked at what gender equality and equity means in our school with an all-male identifying population. They discussed and analyzed student feedback, performed interviews with staff, and administered a survey to staff. The goal is to reveal gaps where work is needed so that staff and students feel supported within the community. Further, we hope to build meaningful structure around gender equity policies and procedures. We're looking forward to sharing the progress of this work in the coming months.
Equity Leadership Team
A main focus for the year has been the development of the Equity Leadership Team (ELT). This group of nearly 30 faculty and staff met over the summer to begin their work and took part in extensive training with the Courageous Conversations protocols. They moderate small professional learning groups on relevant topics throughout the year and work to keep DEI a focus in and out of the classroom.
Our Work as a Community
Led by Katie McKiernan, easily accessible resources on myBCHigh for our students, faculty/staff, and families help initiate and progress conversations on a variety of topics. Further, faculty and staff have had the opportunity to engage in a number of conferences and events designed to help them grow personally and professionally.
- Faculty Affinity Groups (POC, LGBTQ+, and Black) have gathered to support each other and discuss ways BC High can be more inclusive to specific groups
- People of Color Conference was attended virtually by 10 faculty and staff members
- AISNE Diversity Conference was also attended virtually by 14 faculty and staff members. AISNE attendees came together to share their favorite workshops and takeaways from the conference
- Individual meetings with administrators who completed their Intercultural Development Inventory assessment tool. A new cohort of staff will begin their their process to think deeper about cultural differences and their personal journey towards adaptation.
• Joan Melville Institute - The Melville Institute is a prestigious annual K-12 curriculum development intensive for BC High faculty, and is also open to other select faculty from area Catholic schools. The 2021 Institute was devoted to training the ELT team and developing a year-long curriculum for the professional learning groups
- NAIS People of Color Conference
- AISNE Anti-Racism Conference
- AISNE Heads and DEI Cohorts
- Ongoing DEI Book Discussion Groups for Faculty & Staff with frequently updated resources widely available
Celebrating Black History and Women's History Month
Throughout February and March we celebrated Black History and Women's History. This year, our community participated in a fun activity to stay engaged. The BHWHM Bingo Board, designed by Greg Cooper '22, featured many of the ways faculty, staff, and students could get involved.
Community-wide Racial Equity Systemic Transformation – Courageous Conversation ™
BC High has continued in year-two of an ambitious multi-year partnership to foster continuous and sustainable culture change. Facilitated by Pacific Education Group, Courageous Conversation™ is the award-winning protocol for effectively engaging, sustaining, and deepening interracial dialogue. This effort requires a serious and substantive investment in time and resources, reflective of BC High’s commitment to racial equity and justice.
All new faculty and staff experienced a full day of Courageous Conversation training to ensure they are using the same protocols that the rest of the school has learned. Its important that the Courageous Conversation training becomes part of the onboarding process of new hires.
The program continues to engage all BC High constituencies, providing a framework to “transform beliefs, behaviors, and results so people of all races can achieve at their highest levels and live their most empowered and powerful lives.” Launching in September, 2020, the initial phase of this work has engaged School leaders in a series of 10 in-depth workshops to learn and prepare to teach and sustain the Courageous Conversation ™ protocol within the community. During the Spring semester, the program expanded to include the Board of Trustees and all faculty and staff. This year students, families and alumni, have engaged in this important work.