EDITORIAL
Photo Courtesy of Katherine G. ‘22, edited by Katie Z. ‘22
This school year has been eventful, but in February, a historical trail of happenings took place within the Bryn Mawr community. In February, BSU (Black Student Union) members received some news right after the Black History Month Convocation. Not knowing the severity of the news, members of BSU thought nothing of it. After a moment of congratulations, the energy in the room soon became somber. The news of the unexpected resignation of the beloved teacher, Ms. Adrienne Knight, broke the hearts of many BSU members. For most, Ms. Knight was their only source of representation in middle school, and she was an outlet for comfort.
The revelation behind Ms. Knight’s abrupt leave left students outraged. Ms. Knight was one of the many who fell victim to the harsh acts of racial discrimination embedded into the core of predominantly white institutions. According to alumna and ex-teacher at Bryn Mawr, Grace O’Keefe, she has witnessed on several occasions Ms. Knight being asked to take on leadership roles, but not being compensated while also facing microaggressions and racism.
In April, students organized a school-wide walkout across the tri schools for Ms. Knight and other Black voices silenced at Bryn Mawr. This was explained from the initial post from @blackatthetrischools, an Instagram page created to share Black stories, that was made to bring attention to the walkout. Black Student Union made posters during their meeting the week of the march. Other students made their own posters during passing periods on the day of. The walkout took place on April 16th at 11:30 a.m. during third period. Students from all the tri schools congregated at the Bryn Mawr-Gilman Bridge at 11:30. About 100 students turned out to march for what they believed was important. The walkout also gathered attention from outside of the tri schools with articles about it being written by Black Enterprise, WBAL TV 11, and The Baltimore Sun. The walkout was led by three student leaders., one of which being Makaeda W. ‘22. Though her leadership was not planned, her attendance always was: “I’m always up for speaking up for Black voices,” she says. Though Bryn Mawr is trying to become more inclusive, representation remains a prominent issue at a school with little to no Black teachers. The loss of Ms. Knight placed a heavy weight on the community.
“Many independent schools find themselves being asked this question: “where are the teachers of color?” For Bryn Mawr, this problem is visible through the lack of Black teachers. For young Black girls, seeing a teacher who looks like them in the classroom is vital for character building.”
Bryn Mawr’s official statement regarding the march reads: “We support our students using their bold voices for a better world and want to make sure [parents] have information about this event so that your family can make an informed decision regarding your child’s participation. As always, our preeminent concern is student safety and security, so please be aware that the walk-out and rally are not school-sponsored events. Although members of our faculty and staff may be in attendance, there will be no official supervision from Bryn Mawr.” During the march, most faculty were not in attendance, and they stood in wait at the bottom of the bridge directing traffic and making sure students were safe.
Many independent schools find themselves being asked this question: “where are the teachers of color?” For Bryn Mawr, this problem is visible through the lack of Black teachers. For young Black girls, seeing a teacher who looks like them in the classroom is vital for character building. According to Zawadi S. ‘22, who has attended Bryn Mawr since lower school, she has had little experience with Black faculty. It wasn’t until middle school that she began building relationships with Black adults within the Bryn Mawr community. Zawadi says, “I think representation is really important because it validates our experiences and our existence in independent schools.” Another Bryn Mawr student said, “Having a young Black teacher, who also attended a private predominantly white institution, allowed [Black students] and students of color to feel seen as full people.” in regards to the importance of Ms. Knight.
For Bryn Mawr, diversity planning is “in the works,” according to the administration. The mission statement for the new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Plan is: “The Bryn Mawr School is deeply committed to growing as a diverse, equitable, and inclusive learning community.” This action plan wants to ensure that the Bryn Mawr community represents the diversity of the real world and that all students can go to school without the fear of discrimination. An increase of awareness also needs to be promoted by “regularly assessing the school’s climate and culture through surveys and focus groups'' and adjusting the curriculum. This action plan has already seen some productivity this year, with students being sent a survey about the school’s climate and culture. There is more to the action plan, and hopefully, next year, there will be even more progress.
Though Bryn Mawr is taking steps to promote increased DEI, the injustices still faced cannot be overlooked. Some are hopeful with the work that Bryn Mawr is now taking part in to combat racism and discrimination, and the DEI plan is promising. Others believe that injustices left in Bryn Mawr’s path need to be addressed, analyzed, and learned from in order to move forward. However, as seen from the impact of the March for Ms. Knight, there are many that are dedicated to promoting equity in our tri school community.