A musical backdrop to Unreal City: the London of the Lonely Londoners When the Empire Windrush docked at Tilbury in June 1948 there were a good number of musicians on board. We know that Jamaican musician Delroy Stephens was there because he organized a fundraising concert to pay for the fare for one of the stowaways -Evelyn Wauchope from Jamaica.…
In September we heard Ta-Nehisi Coates in conversation with Oprah Winfrey at the Apollo in NYC. The topic was his first novel The Water Dancer and the ticket price included a copy of the book. The conversation was interesting – Oprah is really good at this kind of thing and she clearly loved the book. And so did I. It’s…
Update: 15 October 2020 I’ve heard from Lyn who is the Project Lead for ‘Away from the Western Front’. ‘No Parades’ was commissioned by them as part of their First World War centenary project. The project was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund in the UK and accordingly, they were able to commission Chris Hoban to compose this song for…
In a time of political darkness – when the ugly power of racism rears up – it is good to remember that we all stand on the shoulders of giants in the long struggle for human dignity and justice. Sarah Parker Remond lived in the 19th century. We need to know her story. She challenged the forces of evil on…
A bike ride in the country. A conversation interrupted by a near accident and the shock of a racist chance encounter. The ride resumes only to be interrupted again by a moment of menace. And then something quite unexpected happens.. I love the way the poet just drops us into the middle of what seems like an ongoing conversation. As if…
Imagine being so consumed with racial hatred that you travel all the way from Maryland specifically on a mission to kill black people. This is what seems to have happened last Monday night when Timothy Caughman suffered a brutal sword attack from a complete stranger apparently intent on targeting black men in New York City. Caughman, who was 66 and lived…
The NAIS Annual People Of Color Conference opens this week in Atlanta. It will draw independent educators from across the country. They will gather in groups small and large; renew friendships and make new connections; listen to speakers and attend, participate in, and lead workshops and meetings. I am sure it will all be a necessary time of re-dedication, renewal and affinity.…
Marlon James is author of the 2015 Man Booker prize-winning novel Brief History of Seven Killings. In this short video via The Guardian he makes the case that being non-racist may allow us a clear conscience about our personal conduct but it’s really not good enough. Letting things that are racist in the world just be – supporting that status quo…
We celebrate Martin Luther King’s birthday on Monday and that means a day off. It’s a recent habit to use a part of the weekend to read or re-read something he wrote and give it some thought. Seems the least thing to do. Last year it was Have Courage: The Letter from Birmingham Jail. This year it’s the speech he…
There’s an interesting photo exhibit just opened at the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center at Vassar. Called “the Making of an Argument” it shows the story of Gordon Park’s Life magazine photo essay from 1948. The subject was Leonard (Red) Jackson – the teenage leader of the Harlem gang the Midtowners. The story was titled “Harlem Gang Leader” and…
I haven’t read Go Set a Watchman and I’m not sure I will. I did read the first chapter in The Guardian and was not particularly impressed. If Harper Lee did not want it published then she didn’t want it read. But read it or not, it’s hard to miss all the controversy over the publication and the revelation of…
This week began with a professional day for faculty and staff. Our theme was Identity, Privilege and Race provoked by the recent months of turmoil surrounding the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner. There were readings, resources and a deal of playfulness. And most important – conversation. When one of those readings – What White Children Need to Know about…
Most Wednesday mornings the lower school assembles in the Chapman Room and parents are welcome. It’s usually a showcase for the work of the classroom and often includes the opportunity to sing. First the Hokey-Pokey On a recent Wednesday a seventh grader led children, parents and teachers in singing and dancing the hokey–pokey. It was music, movement and a great…
Rather like how I’m quoted in Saturday’s Poughkeepsie Journal “Diversity is a core value embodied in the school’s mission,” said Josie Holford, the head of the school. “Respect for diversity and openness to difference is a source of strength and a means of growth and speaks to who we are as a school. In striving to be an inclusive and…