Following the release of an open letter from Bromfield alumni in late June calling for a more antiracist curriculum in Harvard Public Schools, current students have taken the initiative to maintain efforts and awareness in the school community by leading Zoom discussions with their classmates and helping to organize events to promote community consciousness.
The letter, which was shared on various social media platforms, is addressed to School Superintendent Linda Dwight, the principals and associate principals of the Bromfield and Hildreth Elementary schools, and members of the School Committee. “Many forms of discrimination remain pervasive and destructive realities in our country, and they contradict the values we strive for in the Harvard community,” the letter states, and calls on the community to join together to promote social justice.
The letter was an effort led by about 30 alumni and was signed by many more, members of graduating classes dating back more than 10 years. Discussion of the letter stimulated controversy and sparked discussion about Advanced Placement courses, the inclusion of authors of color in the canon of books students read, the costs and benefits of an updated curriculum, and the efforts that have already been made to create a more progressive educational system. Now, a small group of Bromfield students has picked up the cause and is working to further the action that was stirred up earlier this summer by spreading awareness among their fellow classmates, parents, and the school administration.
Timur Sahin, a rising senior at Bromfield, got involved in the movement following the police killing of George Floyd, asking Bromfield Principal Scott Hoffman to address current events in the morning announcements. Another senior, Hannah Chiou, had reached out with a similar request and, while Hoffman didn’t think the announcements were the right platform for the message, he encouraged Sahin and Chiou to work together to promote awareness among their fellow students in other ways. Since then, they have been leading student efforts in support of racial justice and have been coordinating with authors of the open letter to try to reach more of the community.
Sahin and Chiou spoke about the issues with the freshmen class, and three rising sophomores, Asha Khurana, Sahara Suliman, and Annelise Anderson, joined their efforts. The group, with help from Hoffman, organized Zoom discussions in which students discussed topics including privilege, lack of diversity in Harvard, and social media as a tool for activism.Reaching out
According to Chiou, the group connected with alumni activists after hearing about the open letter on social media. “I saw many of my peers at Bromfield sharing the post about the open letter on Instagram and I just reached out … to those running the account because I thought our goals aligned well, and it would be effective to work with alumni to build support and a broader coalition,” she explained in an email. The group of five then began working on writing an addendum to the alumni open letter to provide a student perspective.
From the Zoom discussions, Sahin took away that students believe Bromfield is doing well addressing social justice issues compared to many other schools; however, there is a general recognition that there is more to be done. “A lot of them [students] expressed how Bromfield is probably doing a lot better at tackling these issues compared to other schools in the country, and I think, yes, we do a good job; we do talk about current events, we go over what’s going on and stuff like that, and we do read books by Black authors, but I feel like there could be room for improvement.”
Sahin said that some specific changes he would like to see in the school include a more diverse administration and faculty, a more diverse narrative in classes, and, generally, “an education more geared toward antiracism.” He said there is a need for more books by Black authors in the curriculum and a reframing of the way history courses are taught to include more about pre-colonization and Indigenous and Black figures in history.
Chiou echoed much of Sahin’s sentiment. “As with many schools, I think Bromfield really lacks a curriculum that covers the modern realities of racism and structural inequalities. U.S. history is taught in a way that brushes over the lasting effects of colonization, slavery, and racism in America, so it’s easy for students to get the idea that there’s not much of a problem anymore.” She wants students of color to feel represented in the curriculum and for all students to be exposed to diverse perspectives. “If students don’t even know what’s going on, then how can they be expected to care and want to make a change?”
Going public
Sahin said that both the open letter and the addendum will be presented at a public forum in late August that the student group, the alumni who wrote the letter, and the school administration are coordinating. He and Chiou have also discussed creating and circulating a survey asking about students’ experiences with racism at Bromfield. Chiou said that the results from this survey would likely be shared in the addendum, clarifying that “It is by no means our purpose to weaponize students’ experiences to push the school for action; rather, we just want the school to be aware that these are issues that are present, and use these experiences as a point to learn and grow from.”
Sahin said the process has been slow-moving but hopes the forum will be an opportunity to ensure the faculty and staff at Harvard public schools have all heard the message of the open letter and the addendum. Until then, he and Chiou are encouraging those interested in learning more, becoming involved, or looking to have questions answered to email them at
hpsopenforum@gmail.com, an account they have set up specifically for that purpose.
Alumni advocates and the school administration have also continued the efforts started this spring. According to Dwight, who is also a founder of the community-based diversity group Arm in Arm, the alumni are planning to attend the group’s August 12 meeting to discuss the best way to encourage non-alumni signatories to the open letter to join their efforts with those of Arm in Arm.
Dwight also said that the school district has continued to make antiracism a focus in professional development. When the state changed the school year requirement from 180 days to 170 days of classes, she said the administration took it as an opportunity to plan additional work in this area. “Part of our focus for those extra days is to continue the work of antiracism with the staff.”
Go to https://bit.ly/2DD50Ig
to see the June alumni letter.
