June 2, 2020
Dear Detroit Country Day School Community:
Author and social activist James Baldwin once said, "Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced." In the past week, our nation has been confronted with the tragic reality that we must face the generational racism that still plagues our society and traumatizes many of us in the form of police brutality.
Detroit Country Day School values and honors the dignity of every human being. Racism is dehumanizing to everyone it touches. Our nation has long struggled with systems and conditions that make life more difficult and dangerous for Black Americans. Fighting systemic and systematic racism must begin with empathy and understanding.
In the fall, DCDS will implement community initiatives and facilitate critical conversations to transform our ideals into actions. In the immediate future, however, we recognize the urgency to act. The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Team is available to listen, to talk, and to engage. We will host various listening sessions for our students who feel personally impacted by the events of this past week. These listening sessions will serve as means for students to connect, find strength, and support each other.
As a nation, we are frustratingly behind where we need to be in order for justice to prevail, for equity to exist, and for meaningful change to take place. We must work individually and collectively to confront the appalling reality and actively work to alter it. Change takes time, but now is the time.
We can transform the world if we act together. We need to continually educate ourselves, to communicate openly about the challenges we face, and to support each other. It's no longer enough to be "not a racist", we must actively stand against racism.
In Solidarity,
The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Team