​

​

Lake Highland's New Course

​

When LH’s website went back up in the summer of 2020, LH leadership had replaced the words "Christian Values" with the Woke mantra of "Diversity Equity & Inclusion" in its self description ("About") section.  Moreover, LH parents could no longer see the weekly class content of LH’s curriculum because of the removal of Atlas weekly syllabus browser. However, LH parents could see, prominently displayed for the first time, that LH was, and still is, affiliated with an organization called the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). In fact, under the brand-new DEI section of the website LH leadership celebrated that it was sending our faculty to the NAIS’ People of Color Conference (PoCC) and our students (Grades 9 thru 12) to the NAIS’s Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) for “leadership training”. In addition, LH’s DEI Survey from the summer of 2020 was a survey created by the NAIS. (See LH’s Subtle but Significant Changes)  LINK  Furthermore, President Harms revealed in his January 4, 2021 information dump that LH is now defining its DEI mission according to the definitions of an “Inclusive School Community” formulated by NAIS affiliate the National Diversity Practitioner Institute (NDPI). NDPI’s founder, Rodney Glasgow, also founded the NAIS’s SDLC and 7 of NDPI’s 8 faculty are also faculty at NAIS’s PoCC and SDLC. (See Diversity Practitioners)  LINK  Like all such organizations pushing Woke CRT/CGT, NAIS and NDPI insist private schools create a DEI Director position with “senior administration” power over all curriculum and policy. So its important for every LH parent to know exactly what the NAIS is and what they teach our faculty and students at their PoCC and SDLC.

​

What we show below is that the NAIS PoCC and SDLC deliver Woke indoctrination, specifically designed to be absorbed by attendees and brought back and disseminated in their respective schools. They target children as young as 3 years old with their Woke ideology. NAIS PoCC “training” is verifiably racist, segregationist, and a blatant violation of LH’s mission statement, honor code and our embrace of MLK’s life and wisdom of a colorblind America. In a review of over 14 years of PoCC materials, no single seminar or workshop promotes, much less mentions, the idea of integration. Rather, all the content promotes resegregation of people based on race, racial identity and the Woke narrative of oppressor/oppressed power relationships between “People of Color” and “white people”.

​

Lake Highland's Lack of Transparency 

 

Interestingly, after LH parents questioned LH’s prominent celebration of its relationship with NAIS on its new website, LH decided to hide that relationship. On or around January 2022, LH leadership took down the link and removed all mention of the NAIS, the PoCC or the SDLC. However, President Harms confirmed in a January 17, 2022, email that LH is still affiliated with the NAIS and still sends faculty and students to “leadership training”. (See email between LH parent and President Harms dated January 17, 2022)  LINK

​

LH parents can, and need to, see for themselves what the NAIS PoCC and SDLC teach by reviewing the organization’s archives of past conference content. All of the material quoted below can be found there by going to https://pocc.nais.org/Program-Archive  and clicking on any specific year. Fortunately, some in the national media are beginning to shine a light on the NAIS as the leading source of Woke CRT/CGT dogma into private schools and as a clearinghouse for Woke networking, recruiting and employee placement across the country. (See below Media Revelations)  As a consequence of this media exposure, the NAIS is actively removing some of the indefensible content from its website, much like LH removed all mention of its embrace of NAIS from its website after LH parents asked the question, why is LH in any way affiliated with this organization? The following quotes are from randomly selected years: 2007, 2008, 2011, and 2019. But these class descriptions are representative of PoCC/SDLC content every year since 2007. In that year the conferences was “redesigned and refocused” towards Woke racial identity development and resegregation and away from the classically liberal, enlightened Judeo-Christian values and principles of colorblind integration.

 

A. Racial Resegregation not Colorblind Integration

​

In explaining its 2007 PoCC redesign of the PoCC/SDLC going forward (below), the NAIS explicitly acknowledges its segregationist agenda against one racial group and confirms that the Woke meaning of the term “inclusive” does not include white people. Also, by complaining that the “original purpose” of PoCC is NOT “a diversity conference” inclusive of white people, they unwittingly let slip how the classically liberal meaning of the word “diversity” is NOT the Woke meaning of that word. Here is proof that “inclusive” and “diversity” are Woke cross over words, purposefully chosen to appeal to non-Woke, but which have a radically different meaning and use to the Woke, as explained in detail by us in Understanding Woke-They share our Vocabulary but not our Dictionary. (See understanding Woke) LINK

 

2007 PoCC statement of Redesign Team

​

The need to redesign the conference was borne out of several driving forces:

​

• the “dilemma”—the ongoing issue of what to do about the ever-growing presence of white allies at a conference designed for people of color;

• the realization that the conference focus was shifting more and more toward a diversity conference and away from its original mission.

 

In response to these driving forces, the design group developed the following recommendations: to address the dilemma; to refocus the conference; to revamp the affinity group work; to align workshops/featured speakers; and to redesign the conference program.

​

Since 2007, the following statement, titled Which Affinity Group Should I Attend?, appears at the beginning of every year’s PoCC/SDLC program.

​

To preserve the safety and integrity of each Affinity Group space, you should attend only those sessions that correspond with the racial and ethnic identity to which you belong. Affinity Groups at PoCC are not spaces to learn about the racial or ethnic identity of others, including that of a child, spouse, or partner. Trying to attend an Affinity Group to which you do not belong is an intrusion and you will be asked to leave out of care and respect for the members' psychological safety and well-being.

​

Other, similar, seminar content over the years confirms the Woke meaning of the words “diversity” and “inclusion” means the rejection of MLK’s wisdom and exclusion of one racial identity group, white people.

 

2011 PoCC class titled There is No Such Thing as Colorblind! (Targeting preschoolers ages 3-6)

​

D-7 There Is No Such Thing as Colorblind! Room 123 Racial identity development starts earlier than you think. Examine how young children’s racial identity development can be successfully supported within the context of everyday classroom life, for children ages three through six. Learn ideas for age appropriate explicit curriculum, tools for responding to emergent situations, and suggestions for how to effectively invite parents into this important ongoing conversation

​

2019 PoCC workshop titled The White Elephant in the Room: Navigating the Reality of Whiteness at PoCC

​

Over a decade ago, NAIS declared that the "original purpose" of the PoCC was "providing people of color in our schools a sanctuary and a 'voice.'" Since then, the number of white people at the conference has been growing at an increasingly rapid rate, which raises the question of whether this original purpose has remained intact. While conversations about white people at the PoCC are ubiquitous among attendees who are people of color, the topic can still be difficult to discuss. This panel aims to address this fraught issue by exploring ways in which we can productively navigate the reality of white people at the PoCC.

​

2020 PoCC workshop titled Dear White People at PoCC; The Hidden Curriculum

​

There exists a discourse at PoCC as to whether people who identify as white should be at the conference. While this is still unresolved, it is important for white people who are currently at the 2020 PoCC to understand how their whiteness shows up at PoCC and the impact of whiteness in sessions, in the hallways, in the community, and in discussion groups. This workshop approaches the understanding that white people who have not interrogated their whiteness will cause harm at PoCC.

 

B. Woke Identity/Affinity Groups

​

PoCC/SDLC content heavily emphasizes the Woke knowledge principle, which claims that a true understanding of reality and the world is impossible. Rather knowledge is always channeled thru the lens of racial group identity. (See Understanding Woke)   LINK   Therefore, segregation into exclusionary racial Affinity Groups in order to discover orthodox racial identity is an accepted practice within the Woke meaning of inclusion and diversity. LH has adopted the PoCC’s concept of racial Affinity Groups and the exclusion of non-members. (See LH policy statement Why Affinity Groups?)   LINK   LH policy states:

​

The school should have a well-defined policy for establishing and supporting affinity groups. Some meetings will be closed, with only those who share a particular affinity invited to participate.

​

2008 PoCC Statement of Affinity Group Work at PoCC

​

Affinity group sessions are designed to help conference participants develop racial/ethnic identity. The qualitative difference between PoCC affinity group work and other aspects of the conference is that safety and trust must be fostered, expected, and assured by each member in order to explore shared racial/ethnic identity development. Led by a team of trained facilitators, the curriculum for this year’s affinity group work includes four sessions with opportunities to celebrate, share successes and challenges, participate in cross-cultural community dialogue, and engage in adult/student discussions based on racial/ ethnic and gender identity. The overarching vision for PoCC affinity group work includes: - Providing a safe environment where people who share a racial/ethnic identity can come together to build community, fellowship, and empowerment; -Facilitating opportunities for affirming, nurturing, and celebrating; and - Discussing issues related to racial/ethnic identity development.

​

2008 PoCC workshop titled Healthy Identity Development in Independent Schools

​

Using racial identity development models and interviews with people of color in independent schools, conference attendees will learn about stages of racial identity development as they evolve in our schools. We will then devise developmentally appropriate ways to support ourselves and others in our school communities through stages of identity development. The session will include an introduction to identity development models and a short film to explore the theory and realities of ethnic identity development in an independent school setting. We will conclude by discussing steps that can be taken to support those around us as they explore and incorporate their racial identities, while being mindful of where they are in their identity development processes. This fast-paced and interactive session will give attendees practical theory and ideas to take back to their schools.

​

2008 PoCC’s Segregated Affinity Group Sessions

​

Asian/Asian American Affinity Group Room 298–299 k Black African American Affinity Group La Nouvelle Orleans Ballroom k First Nation/Indigenous/Native American Affinity Group Room 283 k International, Non U.S. Citizen Affinity Group Room 282 k Latina-o/Hispanic American Affinity Group Room 271–273 k Multiracial American Affinity Group Room 275–277 k Pacific Islander/Pacific Islander American Affinity Group Room 284 k Middle Eastern American Affinity Group Room 285 k White/European American Affinity Group Room 260–262.

​

2019 PoCC Introductory Statement

​

The NAIS People of Color Conference is an important opportunity for educators at every level to embrace equity through a racial lens.

​

2019 PoCC class titled N!gga(er) in the Classroom, Hallway, Recess: Are We Becoming More Accepting of The Word?

​

Engage in activities to examine your personal and professional histories with N!gga(er), and explore pictures and feelings associated with the word. Explore the prominence of N!gga(er) in media, literature, and music and its impact on our youth. Learn to address internal racism and biases, and discover where they arise from and how they contribute to daily interactions and school culture. You will leave with ideas and skills to address inclusive language, policies, and practices, and you will develop plans for positive education leadership of the entire school community.

​

2019 PoCC class Titled Black Girl Experience in Predominantly White Independent Schools

​

Using the theories of critical race, black identity, and black feminism as a conceptual framework, this research explored the role of race/class/gender and parental support as contributing factors to the racial consciousness development of black girls in middle school. An analysis of the narratives of black girls revealed important factors that contributed to the development of a racial consciousness such as the absence of a black faculty advocate, the burden of microaggressions, and the tension to define what it means to be black. Additional findings showed that the participants' mothers emphasized nurturing black identity and friendships to help guide their daughters through critical racial experiences. Findings led to important recommendations to improve the educational experiences of black girls in predominantly white spaces.

​

2019 PoCC workshop titled Black Girl Magic: Working with White Women

​

This workshop will examine ways that the magical powers of black women can work with white women in order to co-create a space in our schools aimed at dismantling white supremacy and creating a more just society for all…

2019 PoCC workshop titled Who We Are: Racial and Ethnic Identity Development for Educators and Youth

How do we learn about our various group identities like African American, Asian, Native American, Latino, white, etc.?.

 

C.  Back to School: Targeting our 3-year-olds with Woke

​

It is undisputable that NAIS PoCC/SDLC is training faculty and students to return to their respective schools as Woke activists and to target our youngest children with Woke dogmas and doctrines. The clear objective is to radically transform private schools across the country.

​

2011 PoCC Class Titled There is No Such Thing as Colorblind!

​

Racial identity development starts earlier than you think. Examine how young children’s racial identity development can be successfully supported within the context of everyday classroom life, for children ages three through six. Learn ideas for age appropriate explicit curriculum, tools for responding to emergent situations, and suggestions for how to effectively invite parents into this important ongoing conversation.

​

2007 PoCC workshop titled Common Ground: Creating and Piloting a Race-Based Affinity Group in Lower School

​

By examining one school’s experience in developing race-based affinity groups in a lower school, participants will take away tools and evaluative questions that can be used to create and maintain existing affinity group programs.

​

2008 PoCC workshop titled Healthy Identity Development in Independent Schools

​

This fast-paced and interactive session will give attendees practical theory and ideas to take back to their schools.

​

2008 PoCC workshop titled Queering the Color Line: Designing Programs for LGBT Students of Color 

 

This session will focus on writing proposals, seeking speakers and trainers, creating curriculum, and implementing a year-long program dedicated to examining the intersections of race, class, ethnicity, religion, human rights, and politics using a gender and sexuality lens.

​

2011 PoCC workshop titled The Building of an Activist: Activism, Artivism, and Academics

​

How do we bring the stories and struggles of people of color into the classroom? How do we teach students to create stories of activism and social justice? How do we train students, especially students of color, to become activists through academics and technology? Discover the process of teaching activism and artivism, two distinct yet interrelated disciplines grounded in academics and media literacy. Learn how to honor the voices of people of color through a supportive classroom environment and the teaching of social justice with both academic rigor and creativity.

​

2011 PoCC workshop titled Personal Stories Transforming School Climate: A Speak Up! Toolkit

​

The Speak Up! Project is a student-driven effort to use personal stories about race and racism in independent schools across the country as a vehicle for institutional change. By using discussion questions, student art, relevant quotes, and an extensive resource/action section, the Speak Up! anthology is a tool for supporting faculty and administrators in difficult conversations about race, validating the experiences of students of color in independent schools, and providing students with the tools they need to take action to improve school climate. Explore this complex resource and exchange information with peers. Learn best practices from schools across the country and review a case study from Phillips Academy.

​

2011 PoCC workshop titled Building Blocks of Equity

 

Examples of Diversity in the Early Childhood Classroom:

• Get a roadmap for diversity and inclusion in even the youngest of classrooms.

• Hear how others have succeeded in a discussion with teachers and administrators who work with young children.

• We’ve all heard excuses for not including diversity learning in the classrooms of young children. Join us for examples of how to bring diversity and inclusion into our curriculum in ways that will dispute this theory.

​​

2011 PoCC class titled “That’s Not Fair!” Are Students Ever Too Young to Learn About Social Justice?

​

Hear about one teacher’s experience with predominately white parents, faculty, and administrators, when she changed a preschool curriculum to focus on social justice issues. Learn how the classroom environment was structured and how tools such as drama were used to teach social justice in early childhood. You’ll see a video of students performing a play about Rosa Parks that clearly demonstrates these students are not too young to learn about social justice.

​

2019 PoCC Announcing the Community Engagement Initiative (CEI)

​

The committee will also support schools to empower student affinity groups so that their students will develop advocacy skills and cultivate their capacity to be agents for change in their schools and communities.

​

2019 PoCC class titled Grading for Equity: How Traditional Grading Perpetuates Disparities, and What We Can Do About It

​

Dive deep into the history of our traditional grading practices, and recognize how our continued use of those practices undermines equity and perpetuates disparities. Learn specific grading practices that are more accurate, bias-resistant, and motivational.

​

2019 PoCC class titled Ideas to Action: Strategic Planning to Meet Your Equity and Inclusion Goals

​

Schools do strategic planning all the time, but too often either the equity and inclusion leader isn't at the table or equity and inclusion aren't mentioned in the plan. This session will provide some strategies for making sure that the school's strategic plan includes diversity, equity, and inclusion AND that the DEI leaders on campus have their own road map for how the work will get done. In this session, we will also discuss how to communicate effectively with different constituency groups and how to do the work even when not everyone is 100% on board.

​

2019 PoCC workshop titled Shining a Light! Illuminating Underrepresented Stories on the Elementary School Campus

​

This seminar will equip participants to go back to their schools with ideas to share with teachers, administrators, and their diversity committee, if they have one, about possible systemic approaches and specific projects to bring visibility to underrepresented groups.

​

2019 SDLC statement of Purpose

​

SDLC takes its place among the revered training grounds of young activists and influencers… Throughout the school year, students in independent schools work hard to educate their peers around issues of equity and justice. SDLC's faculty of adult educators and college activists (who are also SDLC alums!) are pleased to serve your student delegates over our three days together.

​

2019 PoCC workshop titled Disrupting the System From Within

​

What's the impact when we whitewash history? Hear how a few "progressive" educators got tired of kind, well-meaning teachers bringing racism into the classroom by perpetuating the oppressive pedagogy that continues to marginalize people of color. The story begins with Dr. Seuss and ends with rosé.

​

2019 PoCC workshop titled Self-Knowledge Is Power! A New Racial Literacy Toolkit for K–8 Students

​

A team of educators from Pollyanna, Inc., have created a comprehensive, innovative Racial Literacy Curriculum for grades K–8. It is designed to help students gain knowledge about race as it has been constructed in the U.S. The curriculum also supports students in acquiring an awareness of their own racial socialization and skills for engaging in productive conversations about race and racism. Available to schools without charge since spring 2019, the curriculum has been crafted for educators with a range of experience. This workshop will introduce the curriculum and review example lessons and core ideas. After taking this workshop, participants will better understand race as a social construct and feel more confident and inspired to incorporate race into their teaching.

​

2019 PoCC workshop titled Why Not Now? Exploring Race, Identity, and Differences in Early Childhood

 

Topics surrounding diversity are often overlooked in early childhood education. Research shows that children as young as six months are curious about the physical characteristics of self and others (skin color, hair texture, gender). But what happens when questions surrounding such subjects arise in school? It is essential to start these discussions at a young age. But how do we approach these complex topics? Explore abstract and concrete materials and activities designed to help open young minds. This interactive workshop will give you techniques to reach children with diverse needs.

 

2019 PoCC workshop titled Extending Affinity Groups to Lower School Students

​

This workshop will explore Katherine Delmar Burke's established and thriving affinity groups in the upper school and the transition of bringing affinity groups to the lower school students. At Burke's, we strive to have a community where everyone feels valued and heard and everyone holds a sense of belonging. To ensure that this happens for our students, we give students, beginning in third grade, the opportunity to participate in affinity and alliance groups (and incorporate identity units beginning in the kindergarten curriculum). These groups make room for students to explore their identities in safe environments while developing a sense of self and exploring how they fit into the larger community.

​

2019 PoCC workshop titled Growing Young Voices: Understanding Black Lives Matter for Teachers

​

This presentation is designed to immerse a racially diverse population of students and educators in social justice education. By asking students "Do black lives matter or do all lives matter?" we will expose them to the fallacies that exist in both media and cultural understanding, make connections between today's Black Lives Matter movement and the Civil Rights movement, and engage in social-emotional learning to support their development as young adults. We will help educators navigate the intricacies of teaching social justice issues to students of all ages. Using artwork, articles, and social media postings, we will demonstrate how to support the learning of students as we explore issues like unjust killings by police officers, discrimination, racism, and disenfranchisement.

​

D.  Woke Targets the STEM Fields

​

In recent years Woke has targeted STEM and STEAM (A for Arts) fields. This is in keeping with their knowledge principle which contends that even science is a “story” from white, male, European culture, and therefore biased and reflective of white supremacy and oppressive systemic white racism. (See Understanding Woke)   LINK

 

2019 PoCC class titled STEM Is Not Exempt: Anti-Racist STEM Education

​

STEM teachers can be and must be anti-racist educators. In this session we will explore this role, identifying challenges unique to our field and sharing examples of work we've done and the powerful response from our students. Through individual and small- and large-group reflection, attendees will have an opportunity to articulate what anti-racist STEM education can look like in their schools, identify concrete steps they can bring to their classrooms next week and beyond, and form community with other dedicated educators.

​

2019 PoCC workshop titled Did Wakanda Exist? Seeking Truth From Fiction: Uncovering the Origins of STEM in Ancient Africa

​

The history of science and math is dominated by ancient Greek and Roman mathematicians. Pythagoras, Ptolemy, Archimedes, and Euclid dominate modern studies. Their "innovations" are hailed today as cornerstones of STEM programs with students readily able to associate their names with theorems and inductive reasoning skills. But did they truly "invent" these ideas? Through our workshop, we will lead educators through ancient Africa, Asia, and Mesoamerica to uncover how deeply connected ancient people of color were to modern innovations in science and math. We believe that understanding this history can help students undo the damage created by centuries of trauma that led to the current notion that science and math were innovations of white men.

​

2019 PoCC workshop titled Equitable Content: Inquiry-Based Math That Teaches Social Justice

​

Upper school math can be used to illuminate equity gaps, highlight racial discrimination, and empower our students as change agents. So why are textbooks filled with applications like randomly drawing cards or isotope decay? As leaders in this work, we must create curricula that teach content through the paradigm of equity and social justice. Students deserve to see upper-level math as relevant to their lives and important to their communities. During this session, participants will see one way to teach content and social justice simultaneously: Stop-and-Frisk legality through conditional probability, car value depreciation through exponential decay, income taxes through systems of equations, etc. Teachers will receive reproducibles, teaching tips, hard lessons learned, and opportunities to apply new ideas in real-time through collaboration.

​

2019 PoCC workshop titled Equity in STEAM Education and Makerspaces

​

Attendees will learn the importance of creating environments that create equity in STEAM education and makerspaces. This workshop uses hands-on techniques and creates engaging lessons for students. This setting helps build capacity for skills on equity and inclusion. PoC have the lowest participation rate in STEAM in school and the workforce. From a social justice standpoint, teachers have the opportunity to change this injustice…

2019 PoCC workshop titled Incorporating Issues of Equity and Inclusion in Middle School Science

In science class, issues of equity, race, and inclusion are often set aside in favor of "just the facts." The curriculum can become an exhaustive list of vocabulary, with little grounding in the "real world." However, earth science, environmental science, and biology offer multiple touch points to address issues of social justice and ethics. Incorporating these topics into the curriculum opens the door for open ended discussions, student opinions, and opportunities for extension. This workshop offers examples of how to blend these issues into a middle school science curriculum, either as mini-lessons, comprehensive student activities, or enrichment projects that allow passionate students to dig deeper. Workshop participants will examine their own scope and sequence to find "low-hanging" ways to bring equity into their classrooms.

 

E.  False Woke Narratives

​

In 2019 the NAIS PoCC/SDLC event was titled 1619.EROFEBBEYOND. 2019. This is a reference to the thoroughly discredited New York Times’s 1619 Project. (See The 1619 Project: A Critique, P. Magness, American Institute for Economic Research 2020.)   The 1619 Project is a Woke narrative claiming that the United States was founded in 1619 when, allegedly, the first slaves arrived in Virginia, not in 1776 with the signing of the Declaration of Independence. (See 1619 Project in Translations from the Wokish)  LINK  The 1619 project claims the revolutionary war was fought to preserve slavery because the British wanted to end it in the colonies. The Woke authors of the 1619 Project deny that slavery is an original flaw in our otherwise morally aspirational founding; aspirations for which Americans later fought and died within our own country and globally thereafter. Rather, they claim that America is irredeemably immoral to this day because it was, and still is, founded economically (thru free market capitalism) and politically (thru systemic white racism) upon the institution of slavery. These claims have been thoroughly refuted by a host of leading historians and scholars as detailed in Phillip Magness’ book.  In fact, after initially resisting, the NYT acknowledged that the central thesis of its 1619 project was wrong. (p. 125).

​

Like the thoroughly discredited narrative issued by LH leadership in March 2021 claiming, without any evidence, that LH had racist origins (See LH’s Subtle but Significant Changes)   LINK   Woke revisionists routinely issue these false narratives in order to lay the groundwork for their demands for retributive redistribution (i.e., reparations, Ibram X. Kendi’s “anti-racist discrimination” against white people to achieve “racial equity”, etc.). Such is the purpose of the 1619 Project and its dissemination to faculty and students at the 2019 PoCC/SDLC.

​

2019 PoCC workshop titled How to Teach Slavery to Promote Resilience, Resistance, and Rising Up

​

Useful resources, practical approaches, and a conceptual framework will be shared with participants in order to build their capacity to teach the history and legacy of American slavery in a way that can empower rather than demoralize 9th–12th grade students. So often teachers are unaware, unprepared, or unable to grapple with the deeply painful reality of how American slavery has impacted American society. This workshop is designed to confront that painful reality and to mine it as a source of inspiration for social justice, equity, and inclusion. Immensely valuable for white teachers tasked with teaching slavery, this workshop is particularly powerful for teachers of African descent who play the all-important role of both educator of all and supporter of African-descended affinity groups. 

 

F.  Whiteness & White Privilege

​

2011 PoCC workshop titled Redefining the Role of White Educators in Multicultural Work Room

​

Often white educators lack clarity regarding their role in multicultural work. As the dominant racial group in our society, white educators experience both challenges and opportunities. Explore how whites can help build equitable, multicultural institutions. Look at obstacles that face white people as they approach topics of multiculturalism and race and explore effective strategies for discussing white identity formation and white privilege. Expect a greater understanding of the value of exploring white racial identity as educators and gain access to practical tools and resources to support effective multicultural work in your school.

​

2011 PoCC class titled Whiteness and Schooling

​

White participants: Challenge the racism around you, better understand how white privilege and racism operate in your school, and search for a way to strengthen your work for racial justice. Engage in anti-racist work developing skills to become actively engaged allies. We’ll meet in a safe, nonjudgemental space to explore our own prejudices and biases.

​

2019 PoCC workshop titled Invoking INVICTUS: Dealing With White Faces in Black Spaces

​

People of color feel acutely disrespected every day — discrimination sometimes felt as subtly microaggressive and, other times, as outright. Yet people of color have still found ways to provide sanctuary within a white supremacist society. Affinity spaces like fraternities, sororities, HBCUs, and PoCC allow people of color to "be themselves" unapologetically exclusive from the white gaze. The presence of familiar faces, or just simply other folks of color, brings a certain measure of comfort. How are these opportunities to free ourselves from the constraints, and individuals, that bind us jeopardized when white folks access these spaces? More importantly, how might we support people of color who push back in defense of the spaces they consider sacred?

 

2019 PoCC workshop titled "400 Years" Decentering Whiteness: Creating a Sustainable Community-Based History Pedagogy

 

This workshop will model a process of shifting dominant white normative thought in independent school history departments to be more representative of different cultural epistemologies historically based on community engagement. Through a process based on social justice, community activism, and a curriculum steeped in equitable practices, a holistic and balanced environment for both students and teachers is achievable. Four experienced educators will provide tools, strategies, and personal knowledge to help prioritize epistemologies that value ancestral knowledge, personal stories, and counternarratives of historically marginalized communities.

 

G.  White Allies & White Adversaries

​

2007 PoCC Welcome Message

​

PoCC will provide a curriculum for the White/EuropeanAmerican Affinity Group, including time to work on issues such as “What do we need to do as white allies? How do we support people of color issues in our schools?”

​

2007 PoCC workshop titled Got Adversaries? Get Allies!

​

In the independent school arena, the word “ally” is tossed around quite casually with the assumption that all who hear and employ it understand exactly what it means. Greenhill School will use panelists to engage participants in a dialogue about how to identify, utilize, and build the ranks of allies within our school communities. The purpose of this workshop is multifold. First, we will share how Greenhill School deconstructed the word and concept of “ally” and by default, the word “adversary.” Next, through a panel discussion, we will Friday December 5 18 explore the characteristics and qualities that are used to identify community members as allies. Finally, we will present participants with a framework for engaging in dialogue about this topic and will offer practical strategies for people to implement as they build and support “allyship” within their own school communities.

​

2019 PoCC class titled Ally Is a Verb: The Role of White Educators at PoCC and Beyond

​

This seminar will help white educators strengthen their competencies in supporting equity and justice initiatives in schools. Focusing on the importance of white affinity work and the development of accountable cross-racial partnerships, participants will examine how they can deepen their understanding of race and racism, whiteness, and the potential for transformative pedagogy by working with each other to develop their identities as anti-racist educators.

​

​

Deeper Dive

​

Additional research into NAIS PoCC/SDLC

Unmasking National Association of Independent Schools,    https://legalinsurrection.com/2022/02/project-launch-unmasking-national-association-of-independent-schools/

Books:  The 1619 Project: A Critique, P. Magness, American Institute for Economic Research 2020.