June 17, 2020

Dear Bolles Community,

As the @BlackAtBolles Instagram account and other social media forums have displayed, the Bolles community needs to do better, to be better and to make change. We have been listening, and we are fully committed to be a better Bolles. But most importantly, we are committed to act — now. Racism of any kind will not be tolerated in our community. As communities and organizations around the world are challenged to account for painful histories of systemic racism and inequities, schools in particular must work to ensure an environment of true equity and inclusion.

While we have already begun the important work of creating a more diverse, inclusive Bolles community through the establishment of significant strategies and programs, we are moving forward immediately with critical action:

First, we are having important conversations with alumni, parents and other members of our community to broaden our understanding of places Bolles falls short. Our process of listening, monitoring and convening for dialogue is ongoing and fundamental.
We will continue to follow the @BlackAtBolles Instagram account as we look for ways to take immediate action and implement change. We also will stay vigilant in our awareness of other social media accounts to best monitor the discussion and feedback.
We are making changes to the curriculum for the 2020-21 school year that will broaden cultural and racial competencies in all levels of Bolles study, including a recently added 20th and 21st Century Journeys in African American Literature class.
Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Twyla Ashman is assembling a diversity, equity and inclusion task force and two auxiliary groups — one with alumni and one with parents — to help identify strategies and tactics necessary to realize diversity and inclusion efforts in the School's five-year strategic plan, which was endorsed this May by the Bolles Board of Trustees. The groups include representatives from all four campuses, parents, faculty/staff, administrators and Trustees.
We will continue to focus on hiring more black and other people of color faculty members and seek ways to increase this effort in order to be more representative of our population.
We are expanding diversity and inclusion programming for faculty, students and parents in all grade levels and will promote community discussion once we are back on campus this fall.
We are raising additional funds and resources to support the educational experience of black students and people of color on campus.
We are planning additional convocations and workshops in the 2020-21 school year for faculty, staff and students to sharpen our collective cultural competencies.
We are reviewing all areas of School life, from disciplinary protocols to dorm life, to ensure we can make our community a safer, equitable and inclusive environment for students of all backgrounds.

We have said this once and it bears repeating: we know we have an important responsibility in the moment to act. We will continue to listen, but we are committed to a process of change. We hear you. We are aware of the inequities. We will act. Please join us as we work together to hold up our Bolles mission of pursuing excellence through courage, integrity and compassion.

Respectfully,

We invite you to review this list of resources to learn more about becoming antiracist, historical and modern-day racism and social justice. Contact us if you have suggestions for additional titles.

Books

White Fragility (Robin Diangelo)

How to be an Antiracist (Ibram X Kendi)

Whistling Vivaldi (Claude Steele)

Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria (Beverly Daniel Tatum)

I'm Still Here (Austin Channing Brown)

White Awake (Daniel Hill)

So You Want to Talk About Race (Ijeoma Oluo)

Why I No Longer Talk to White People about Race (Reni Eddo-Loge)

The Hate U Give (Angie Thomas)

Just Mercy (Brian Stevenson)

Documentaries

13th (Ava Duvernay)

Emanuel (Brian Ivie)

Movies

Just Mercy

The Hate U Give

When They See Us