News and Media
Parents Association Continues Dialogue About Racial Equity
Race (and racism) is a challenging topic to discuss. It’s potholed with challenges and anxieties, from risking misunderstandings to coming face-to-face with unexamined biases. And yet, the Peck Parents Association (PA) is ensuring that parents have the space they need in order to tackle these important conversations.
With a recent Zoom discussion about the book So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo, parents gathered to talk about not only the information conveyed by the book, but also to relate Olou’s narrative to their own perspectives and experiences. Upper School Teacher and Peck Inclusion, Equity, and Justice (IEJ) co-chair Alex Soudah moderated the discussion.
To ensure that discussion could be both meaningful and productive, Soudah began with a list of conversation norms as well as clear terms and definitions. Parents then divided into breakout groups to examine privilege, takeaways from the book, and actionable items suggested by the author.
This was the second book discussion hosted by the PA this year to draw upon books that highlight systemic issues surrounding race and racism, equity, and justice. The PA’s first book discussion focused on the young adult book Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi. The PA also hosted a series of workshops with Dr. Liza Talasun, an engaging, award-winning educator and facilitator for topics on diversity, inclusion, and antiracism.
“The Parents Association is committed to keeping our Peck community connected, and these forums allow parents to come together to engage in open and honest discussions about identity and inclusivity,” said PA President Virginia Cepeda. “Although it can be uncomfortable to talk about race, we believe these conversations demonstrate Peck’s Indecore values of courage, care, and respect for others.”
In partnership with the school, the Parents Association’s Diversity Initiative aims to develop a deeper understanding of identity, foster consideration of others, and support an inclusive and equitable school community. For a look into Peck’s community-wide IEJ efforts, visit us here.
THE PECK SCHOOL
247 South Street | Morristown, NJ 07960973-539-8660
Northern New Jersey's timeless and transformative co-ed independent elementary and middle school education for grades K-8.
The Peck School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.