Nanci Z. Kauffman

Castilleja Head of School

Dear Castilleja,

If you are grieving, I am writing to let you know you are not alone. Together, we are standing at the crossroads of two insidious diseases—COVID-19 and racism—and the novel virus and age-old scourge have joined forces. We have witnessed a steady stream of brutal attacks on innocent Black people. At the same time, we marked the somber milestone of 100,000 American lives lost, recognizing that this tragedy has been far more lethal for people of color. Beyond the crushing death toll, we also see job losses, food insecurity, school closures, and the struggle to maintain safe shelter weighing far more heavily on Black, Latinx, and Indigenous communities. The widespread eruption of protests shows that as we try to imagine a "new normal," we must acknowledge that the racism embedded in our educational, healthcare, legal, and justice systems have never allowed for an equitable "normal" in the past.

In my role as Head of School, I want to reach out during this painful time to reaffirm Castilleja's commitment to anti-racism education. The fall will bring many changes at Castilleja, including a deepened commitment to our social justice thread in our curriculum across all grades. As we respond to the impacts of the coronavirus, some of our planning is practical, but much of it is ideological—in service of continuing to build a more inclusive school and equitable world. I look forward to a new series of Making Spaces Assemblies that will allow us to learn from marginalized voices and examine our unconscious bias and blindspots to become more effective activists and allies. The first one will take place this Tuesday. Students and employees, please be on the lookout for details in an email from Ms. Villa on Monday.

I realize that our school year is coming to an end at a time when we need each other very much. I also know that this time is particularly painful for our families and employees of color. Even though our remaining days are few, I hope we can use this time to empathize with each other, begin to understand our shared work, and build confidence in our potential to effect positive change.

Warmly,

Nanci Z. Kauffman