The Harvest: Notes and Themes from Pathfinder's Inaugural Community Cafe Overview:
On Friday, October 15, 2021, Black Families, Indigenous Families, Families of Color, and Multiracial Families gathered for Pathfinder's first Community Cafe. Community Cafes are new at Pathfinder this year, arising from the Racial Equity Questionnaire conducted by your family-based Racial Equity Committee (REC) in the 2020-2021 school year.
The Community Cafes are designed to be a series of conversations for families to share experiences, seek support, and build community. This "Harvest" is a summary of our first conversation and will be provided to the whole Pathfinder community following each Community Cafe.
We invite you to participate in REC's next initiative which is The Pledge (please see details below), being launched today!
Shared Experiences:
Families reported that their scholars are:
- not feeling represented in the curriculum and books, particularly Asian American families.
- experiencing negative racially focused comments on the playground and at school, and do not feel included or emotionally safe in our Pathfinder community.
- feeling pressured to racially identify themselves ("white passing", biracial, multiracial,
- etc.).
- not feeling that they are treated the same as their white-presenting classmates
- at school.
- feeling they are expected to be a "model minority".
- finding it difficult to connect with other families at Pathfinder.
- feeling that Pathfinder feels physically safe, but not always emotionally.
Seeking Support:- Families expressed that there is a missing piece in our Social-Emotional Learning: Race Education.
- Families wondered how we as a community can support teachers in addressing race related incidences directly and in the moment with scholars (DEI training, etc.).
- There was discussion about working together as a community to ensure that our Black Scholars, Indigenous Scholars, Scholars of Color, and Multiracial Scholars also experience the privilege of feeling respected and emotionally safe at school.
- Families wondered if there is a standard way all teachers could communicate with parents ahead of time when a sensitive lesson will be presented and discussed in school so that they have the opportunity to prepare their scholar and follow up with their scholars.
- Families reported the desire for an increase in the exploration and celebration of a diversity of countries and cultures (through books, instruments, food, etc.), in hopes of normalizing all cultures and offering more immersive cultural experiences.
- Families reported the desire for more diversity of curriculum and books at schoolso scholars have the exposure and opportunity to learn about other countries and cultures, particularly Asian American history.
- Families asked for a safe space for their scholars to gather as a community.
- Families wondered how this awareness of our scholars' negative experiences could
- Be shared with the larger community.
Anti-Racism Pledge and Practice Guide: A Resource for All Families
Pathfinder's Anti-Racism Pledge and Practice Guide (Please see details below.)
Greetings Pathfinder community!
Your family-based Racial Equity Committee (REC) is very excited to invite you to participate in our Anti-Racist Pledge and Practice Guide for the 2021-2022 school year. This pledge has been created to help our community take concrete, anti-racist action in our mutual work to make Pathfinder a welcoming and safe environment for everyone.
Please click on the link below (or above) for The Pledge! It is best to access the pledge link on a computer or laptop. If using a mobile phone, please use landscape orientation.
Also, please plan on joining us for our Inaugural Pledge Party in November - details to come!
Pathfinder’s Anti-Racism Pledge and Practice Guide
In solidarity,
–REC–
