Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is one of Holton's institutional priorities and one of the three pillars of the School's "Learn Well, Live Well, Lead Well" educational philosophy. Holton educators have worked hard in recent years to integrate DEI competencies into our curricula across campus, from helping students develop positive self-identity to teaching them to recognize systems of privilege and oppression and their personal and societal impacts. We are more committed than ever to this work, while also recognizing that we still have much work to do and much to learn. Below you can read the letters that Head of School Susanna A. Jones and Director of Diversity, Well-Being and Global Education Melissa Brown recently sent to the Holton Community regarding the peaceful protests erupting across the country following the murder of George Floyd. We recognize your children may be eager to process the current events with you or other trusted adults. While students may not be in class right now, we are dedicated to sharing resources to help you in these conversations. Just below are the original letters,we’ve included a list of resources that are not exhaustive but a good start and we will continue to update and add to it as additional resources become available.

A message from Susanna Jones, Head of School:

As a nation, we have been struggling for months with the impacts of the coronavirus. We know that the pandemic has had its greatest impact on our Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities. The disease itself has proved more deadly for these populations. The economic hardships caused by the shutdowns have also more severely affected populations already plagued by financial insecurity. We also recognize that we cannot separate the elevated level of suffering in those communities from centuries of racism. This week, distressingly, we have witnessed -- again -- another legacy of systemic racism: police violence, this time in the death of George Floyd while in police custody. This event followed the murders of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. All these victims were Black.

As a school, we condemn this violence and decry the terrible toll the virus is taking on so many communities of color. As we say in our Diversity Mission Statement, “each of us is responsible for fostering an equitable, respectful, and just community.” At this moment, each of us has an opportunity to take action. I applaud those of you who have already done so. All of us should begin by understanding how profoundly these events are affecting members of our community. Even if our Black students, faculty, and staff don’t appear to be hurting, they are.

Our classmates, colleagues, neighbors, and fellow citizens need our caring, support, and solidarity. I encourage you to reach out and check in with them.

As protests across the country erupt, we must come together to understand the anger and hurt of our Black classmates, colleagues, neighbors, and fellow citizens. As members of the Holton community and citizens of this country and the world, this is our chance to gain a deeper understanding of the circumstances that have brought us to this crisis and to work to create a more just and equitable society. Through action, we can build a better future.

A Message from Melissa Brown, Director of Diversity, Wellbeing, and Global Education:

I am without words as I write to you. My heart is broken by the suffering and death of our Black, Brown, and Indigenous brothers and sisters during this pandemic. As I watch the news and hold my husband and daughters close, I struggle to find a message of hope and resilience to send to you.

What your administrators and teachers want to say to you is that we acknowledge that the trauma of these last 10 weeks has fallen disproportionately on our Black, Brown, and Indigenous students and families. We are so sorry. We treasure you. We are here for you. We will listen to you.

We also must say that we acknowledge that structural racism is at the root of the disproportionate death rate in the Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities due to Covid-19 and the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and the countless other unarmed Black men and women who have lost their lives.

In the face of this and as a school that prepares young people to change the world, we also must say the following. We, as a community, commit to reflecting on the ways that we each participate and uphold systems of oppression while taking steps to actively dismantle them. In this way, we can collectively uplift and liberate all of our students and authentically live into our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Mission Statement.