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St Albans for black students
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Anonymous
Is it really that simple? Report this -- and know that her son is likely to be exposed to even harsher and less open blowback? I realize it's not a certainty, but it's a possibility. He does have the right to thrive. But, sadly, often a constantly teetering balance has to be made between comfortable supportive places where we can grow and thrive vs navigating the halls where the purported best and brightest hone their/our skills and have access to opportunities. |
Anonymous
Parties evolve over time. Trump won the Republican nomination and the presidency. He is in fact a Republican. Now you need to decide, are you? |
Anonymous
| This is not about Trump, these issues where around before him. |
Anonymous
Does he have access? Having access is different from maintaining a presence. How can he have real access, in an environment where the faculty is now treating him with indifference and disdain. There are many great schools in this area; and he is talented. Place him in an institution that is worthy of the credit it will derive from his presence. He is entitled to RESPECT. Our children learn this through our actions, or the opposite from our inaction. His parent's concern should be whether the institution that she has entrusted to nurture her son's talents is in fact dismantling his sense of self worth. We are not talking about her son dealing with a few boys who indiscriminately use hate speech or shun her son. This would be troubling, but manageable. Her son has been a victim of physical abuse on the basis of his race. The PP has brought this to the attention of leadership and he and she are now being treated poorly. There are better ways to spend your money; and schools that will better serve your son. Don't be afraid to instill in him a sense of entitlement. There is nothing wrong with knowing your value. |
Anonymous
It is not about Trump. It is about race, which for some reason always brings us back to Trump. Hmmm?? Wonder why? |
Anonymous
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No one at STA has heard of this incident. No one.
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Anonymous
But but but someone says so on dcum!! |
Anonymous
You asked everyone? |
Anonymous
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Should consider seeing if your child can transfer. His friends from since Beauvoir will remain his friends even if he changes schools.
Think it would be toxic to keep him there. Contact schools like Sidwell or Maret, more racially diverse excellent schools. |
Anonymous
Lol. You’re hilarious. Just like no one heard of another Close school incident from a few years ago. The perpetrator from that situation remains and at least five kids left school. The Cathedral schools will protect their brand and not your family or black child. I recommend you contact the press and let them know. WaPo and other news outlets will do a good job of protecting your minor’s identity. I know they are interested in your story. Also, consider transferring. Your child’s mental health is not worth the abuse he is experiencing. It’s about time for the veil of darkness to come off. The only way for that to happen is to shine light on it. |
Anonymous
+1 |
Anonymous
Maybe PP could shine a light on the incident from a few years ago as well. If sunlight is a disinfectant (and it is), then we ought to be letting the sun come out on all of this. Maybe it's time for STA to clean house with some families. |
Anonymous
Yes, I asked everyone. Not a single person could relate to such incident. |
Anonymous
Well, clearly that's a lie. Ignoring the issue isn't going to make it magically go away and digging in your heels will only encourage people to pull back the veil. Here is an article written by a 2018 STA grad for a student publication while he was at STA. "From an outsider’s perspective, St. Albans seems to adhere to the stereotypes that go hand-in-hand with all-boys, private schools. We wear a blazer and tie everyday; the vast majority of us live in affluent, predominantly white neighborhoods; most of us go to colleges and universities that have a history of being for white men. In all fairness, however, St. Albans has improved its racial diversity since I began attending. In fourth grade, just four out of the forty-four students in my grade were black. Now, nine out of the seventy-eight are black—a number which more accurately represents the national average. Among the faculty, the lack of racial diversity is worrying. There are just eight teachers of color in the entire school. We speak profoundly about how important diversity is, but what is the school doing to promote it? Racial diversity among teachers does not appear to be changing any time soon. Of the six new faculty members being hired in the Upper School next year, one is Latino, and five are white. The lack of representation in the St. Albans administration trickles down into the way that students behave. I have heard students utter “n*****” far too often, and I have seen Snapchats of students mocking their racial features. A lack of racially diverse role-models fosters a lack of respect for people of color. Since I first told my classmates that I wanted a Black Student Union (BSU), they have mocked me heavily. Whenever I point out that something is racist, I receive a slew of sarcastic comments such as: “You should have a BSU for that.” A BSU is not a pity party for Black students to point out racism. It is meant to be a forward-thinking organization working in tandem with our school to promote racial diversity and to bring to light issues hampering the Black student experience. St. Albans is one of the only private schools in DC to not have a BSU. Sidwell, GDS, Maret, NCS, WIS, and others have a BSU. Why shouldn’t St. Albans? Many students don’t know this, but St. Albans used to be segregated. The black students would have classes in what would now equate to closets underneath the kitchen while the white students would be attending classes in the much nicer classrooms upstairs. In our history classes, especially US History, this should be a topic that we spend a great amount of time dealing with. As important as desegregation is, it is equally important to acknowledge that we still go to the same St. Albans that once would have forbidden I take a class with white people because I look a certain way. Not once have we discussed this in any class. In a predominantly white institution, both the school and the students need to work their best to preserve the black voice that is so often left out of the day-to-day conversation. The best way to do this is through the creation BSU. My greatest regret from my time here is that I didn’t push enough for the creation of a BSU. I hope that an underclassman reads this article and continues working to create a better environment for all students." |
Anonymous
That was an obvious joke, but PP above was dumb enough not to get it. St Albans is fortunate to have smarter parents. |