A Letter to Grace: Student Government Responds to Recent News Coverage
Dear Grace,
As you’re probably all aware, Grace has been subject to numerous news articles in recent weeks and we, the 2020-2021 Student Government, thought it necessary to respond. However, we do not wish to dwell on the articles themselves. The authors of these articles presented themselves as “saviors” fighting to protect us, the students, from out-of-control “woke” administrators. If they had conducted even the smallest investigation, they would have found that we don’t need “saving.” Many of us were not aware of the document, and more importantly, we were not affected by it in any negative way. But enough with “them.” We should focus on ourselves.
At Grace, we state unequivocally that we are an anti-racist school and community. But statements are just that, statements. Actions and discussions are what change minds and foster growth. When someone disagrees with what we are doing, they should feel free to express that disagreement. Silence on these matters only facilitates confusion and resentment. But more importantly, however, we must also hold ourselves and others in our community accountable to the uncompromising standard of working towards making Grace a safe, comfortable, and equitable environment for everyone. Actions that do not meet that simple standard are unacceptable.
The events of the past few days have shown us that our anti-racist work is finally making an impact. We, the students, must not be swayed in our fight towards a more equitable and just future for both ourselves and the institution we are proud to be a part of. Yet because of our work, faculty and administrators have had to endure countless racist and homophobic emails, calls, and voicemails. We have had to restrict commenting on our social media accounts, and there have been numerous personal attacks upon our Grace family. Yet even in the face of this adversity, the Student Government has absolutely no intention of stopping our commitment to build an anti-racist community. It would be an affront to the work that students and administrators have fought for to stop our march towards an anti-racist future because of others’ discomfort. Growth breeds discomfort, and we welcome that discomfort at Grace if it leads to a just and fair environment for every member of our community. Furthermore, we support and applaud the changes that Grace has made to make our community more welcoming and inclusive for all students and their families.
We, the 2020-2021 Student Government, are proud to stand and defend our institution from attacks that come from a place of hate or ignorance. We will not be stopped in our mission to create a non-discriminatory future for ourselves and those who come after us.
Sincerely,
The 2020-2021 Student Government