Becoming an Anti-racist School

A collection of writings and remarks from members of the Exeter community. As more is shared with us, we will add it here.

Roxane Gay '92 gave a powerful keynote to Exeter’s 31st celebration of the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. on Jan. 18. Watch her remarks and an extended Q&A with students. As part of the Academy’s observance of MLK Day, students performed “UnSilenced,” which the program’s producers describe as a “social justice evening of art, poetry, music, and more.” Watch “UnSilenced.”

After canceling classes on Jan. 6, 2021, in the wake of events in Washington, Principal Rawson addressed assembly on Jan. 12: “The events of last week and the actions that we witnessed are absolutely abhorrent and contrary to everything we believe in at Exeter. ... The utter lawlessness, the pervasive images and expressions of white supremacy, and of hatred of Jews, and the violent attacks on fellow human beings that resulted in death – all this is shocking, utterly appalling, and very difficult to process or comprehend.” Read his statement.

In a New York Times piece titled “We’ve Seen the Ugly Truth About America,” Roxane Gay '92 writes about the insurrection at the Capitol in Washington. “On Wednesday, the world bore witness to white supremacy unchecked. I nearly choked on the bitter pill of what white people who no doubt condemned Black Lives Matter protesters as ‘thugs’ felt so entitled to do.” Gay will keynote Exeter's MLK Day.

Read The Exonian’s Since 1878, a multipart series on race at the Academy. The Exonian board notes: “The series does not provide a complete overview of racist events over the years in question. Additionally, research draws heavily from The Exonian’s archives, which present a biased depiction of racial dynamics at the Academy. Instead, the articles offer a portrait of The Exonian, the Academy and the nation, decade by decade, by highlighting pieces published in the paper.” The series includes an interview with Nikole-Hannah Jones, whose work on The New York Times 1619 Project inspired Since 1878.

Read an interview with Sherry Hernández, interim dean of Multicultural Affairs, who is working with the Office of Multicultural Affairs team to support international students, students of color and LGBTQ students who seek engagement and advocacy in their affinity and cultural spaces.

In her opinion piece in The Exonian, “What does an anti-racist Exeter look like?,” Maxine Park ’22 provides her answer: “Exeter cannot be satisfied until it is possible that all faculty could be faculty of color, until it is possible that all students could be students of color. In order to be truly anti-racist, we must reach a point where minority students seeing a teacher that looks like them is not inspirational, but normal. ...  We must reach a point where anti-racist policies are no longer needed to maintain an anti-racist culture.”

Hear an nhpr interview with English Instructor Courtney Marshall, recorded just before the start of the 2020 Black New England Conference where she was a panelist. Marshall talks about fitness, particularly for Black women, and how the mere act of walking has been criminalized and used as a form of resistance.

In his 2020 Opening Assembly address, Principal Rawson reaffirmed the school’s commitment to “taking important, concrete steps toward realizing our vision for diversity, equity and inclusion” this year. “I encourage all of you to commit to this work,” he said to students. “When it feels a little uncomfortable, commit yourselves even more fully. The work that you do here to help us achieve our vision for diversity, equity and inclusion is just one way you will be preparing yourselves to lead purposeful lives.”

The English Department faculty met over the summer to develop a statement to help guide the department’s ongoing anti-racism work. Read their statement.

Exeter Summer assemblies shine a light on the global impacts of the pandemic and racial injustice. Dr. Julia Sobol ’94, Christina Murdock ’05, Julio Peterson ’86 and Meredith Hitchcock ’06 speak with students about their lives and experiences. Learn more.

In the Instagram post “We hear you. We are listening.” Director of Equity and Inclusion Stephanie Bramlett encourages everyone to read the stories being shared by Black students and alums, and outlines some of the work that has started to make a better, more inclusive Exeter.

“This is how a country’s culture begins to shift, one small white American town at a time, one white neighbor at a time, white locals leading the charge to transform America’s deep-seated culture of white supremacy,” writes Sandra Guzmán in an NBC News essay. Guzmán describes her experiences in “Amy Cooper in Central Park exposed the danger of birding while Black. But I've always known it.”

Scott Edwards ’81, Harvard ornithology professor, bikes across the country with a message: Black Lives Matter.

Physical Education Instructor Toyin Augustus addresses the crowd at the March for Justice in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Director of Exeter Summer Russell Weatherspoon introduces a “Virtual Harkness Discussion on Racism,” one in a series hosted by Exeter for the alumni community, with a reflection on the current state of racism in America and ways to work toward “a more perfect union.”

“Lessons to learn from the life and death of Eddie Perry '85” addresses the shooting by police of the 17-year-old Black man days after graduation and Perry’s imperfect Exeter experience.

English Instructor Alex Myers '96 and Student Council members address racism during Closing Assembly.

Trustee Mark Edwards '78; P'12, P'14 offers his reflections as co-founder and CEO of Upstream.org.

Here is a short list of writers who are reaching out with important messages about racism and police violence. All have spoken at Exeter.

Roxane Gay ’92, our 2021 MLK Day keynote speaker, author of many books and opinion writer for major newspapers and magazines. Read her pieces in The New York Times. On Twitter: @rgay

Ibram X. Kendi, our 2020 MLK Day keynote speaker, author of "How To Be An Antiracist," and director of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center at American University. The center’s website contains links to important readings. On Twitter: @DrIbram

Bryan Stevenson, founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, a human rights organization in Montgomery, Alabama. Read a recent Q&A with him in The New Yorker.  On Twitter: @eji_org. Read about his second visit to Exeter, as the Bragdon Fellow. 

Charles Blow, op-ed columnist for The New York Times. Read his pieces here and follow him on Twitter @CharlesMBlow

Jericho Brown, the 2020 Lamont Poet and winner of the 2020 Pulitzer Prize in poetry. Read an interview with him here. On Twitter: @jerichobrown

Jelani Cobb, staff writer at The New Yorker and professor of journalism at Columbia University. Read his pieces here and follow him on Twitter @jelani9