Seeking Connection Through Our Diversity

My father joined the Air Force after graduating from high school and fought in WWII. Once he returned from the war, he changed his last name from Inglesi to English. My father was extremely proud and grateful to live in this country. Like many early 20th century immigrants, he believed in the American Dream and pursued it through honest and relentless hard work. 

Endeavoring to reflect the face of Greater Los Angeles has always been part of the School’s mission. Although people regard this goal as laudable, i.e. “diversity is the right thing to do,” the fact is, it’s not only the right thing to do, it leads to better outcomes. Through a plurality of perspectives, diversity increases innovation, distributes risk, and enhances organizational performance. Corporate boards with more women and people of color, for example, are proven to achieve better business results. Diversity in and of itself at Archer, however, is an incomplete goal and requires all of us, especially the adults, to work toward and model a school community that feels as equitable and inclusive as it is diverse, especially given the current spectacle of base pugilism in our national politics and media.

Following the DEI conference, parents and students shared their feedback with me. Several parents admitted that even though their daughters thought to take the day off, they ultimately attended and were excited to tell their parents how rewarding it was. Others said their daughters generally struggle to express more moderate or conservative views at Archer, and fear being shut down or socially penalized if they disagree with what they perceive as the majority liberal opinion. As an educational institution, our highest pursuit is the free and informed exchange of ideas in a climate of civil discourse. If Archer is truly about cultivating empathy, responsibility, and integrity in our students, then it is our duty to teach them to actively listen to and be respectful of divergent views. I know this is something our faculty believes as well. Given this, I think we must ask ourselves what we can be doing better to ensure a climate of trust and openness, and an intellectual culture that invites true discourse - a word that comes from the Latin “discursus”, meaning “running to and fro” and therefore never in one direction. Sociopolitical diversity also contributes to better outcomes in a learning community; thus we must equip our students to have courageous conversations and tolerate ambiguity - the capacity to hold two opposing thoughts in their minds at once.