BLAKE FEATURE:
Essential Support: Affinity Groups at Blake
By Jeff Alden-Pope, Director of Diversity Training
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One of Blake's Middle School student affinity groups meet with Director of Diversity Training, Jeff Alden-Pope.
Affinity groups are nothing new to Blake. For years the School has sponsored a number of such groups, including those for children with divorced parents and groups for those who are adopted. We have had friendship groups to help students develop social skills and any number of clubs, including the Gay Straight Alliance in the Upper School. By participating in these groups, students realize they are not alone. They find support and increase their resilience. While some groups form organically, we believe that caring adults have an obligation to provide opportunities and places for students to gather, talk or just hang out with other students and adult mentors who understand some of the challenges they may be facing.
At Blake, we have also introduced affinity groups based on race. For several years now at the Upper School, black students have come together informally with the support of adult mentors. The Center for Diversity provides a welcoming place for all students, though frequently students of color can be seen hanging with friends there. Now in its third year, Cornerstone: A Student of Color Alliance, a program led by faculty member Marie Michael, aims to improve the experience and increase the retention of culturally diverse Upper School students by providing academic support, helping students identify and negotiate cultural norms at the School and ensuring community and support. To learn more about the enormous positive impact this program has had on the experience of students and their families, please go to www.blakeschool.org/academics/upper/cornerstone.html.
This year we have introduced affinity groups for black boys and girls in the Middle School. These students are invited to gather by choice in my office once a week over lunch to talk with each other and sometimes watch movies or play games to stimulate discussions about their experiences. The Lower School is considering offering affinity groups to support the experience of younger students of color as well.
Why does Blake support affinity groups based on race? Beverly Daniel Tatum, president of Spelman College and clinical psychologist, explains in her compelling book "Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together In The Cafeteria? And Other Conversations on Race" that affinity groups are important for healthy racial identity development. She argues that the world sees and defines black youth in terms of race. During the period of racial identity development, she states, "the Black child absorbs many of the beliefs and values of the dominant White culture, including the idea that it is better to be White." Given the challenge black youth at Blake face with racial identity development, we have an obligation to help them "explore the meaning of their identity with other [blacks] who are engaged in a similar process." Black students begin to define themselves in terms of their race at an early age and typically are involved at various levels in their racial identity development by middle school.
For black students at a majority white school such as Blake, supporting healthy racial identity development is essential. Because of our majority white culture, it might seem unusual for some of our students or families to see blacks, for example, gather in groups, while clusters of white students seem normal and go unnoticed. Whites are rarely denied access to groups in our society based on race, but when it happens, as in the case of affinity groups for black students at Blake, some whites may feel confused or even frightened and might even see these organized gatherings as "reverse racism" or "exclusionary." We must remember that most students participate in affinity groups to support their healthy identity development and share common experiences and not because they are lacking any social, psychological or academic skills.
At Blake, we support affinity groups for those students who choose to participate because we are committed to providing a healthy and nurturing environment for all students. For students and families of color, this includes affinity groups and is consistent with goal four of "Blake 2010," our strategic plan, which affirms our aspirations for a pluralistic and inclusive community. We believe affinity groups for students of color, whether black, Latino, Asian or multiracial, help them develop the healthy racial identities and resilience they will need to flourish in society. Our experience has been that participation in these groups leads to greater satisfaction and retention, and our hope is to add affinity groups as the need arises for each of these communities.
Recently, I spoke with a Blake alum. As a black man, he applauded our current work on diversity at Blake. He expressed regret, however, about not having had access to these services while a student here. "I wished I had had a place, a group to be with, and someone [of my race] to talk to," he explained. We must continue to provide support to Blake's student of color population through affinity groups and help students in their development of healthy racial identity.
Your own child might have raised the issue of affinity groups at home. Families have reported that, in recent weeks, conversations about affinity groups defined by race have led to questions for some children. Some parents have expressed deep appreciation for the opportunities their children have to spend time with other kids facing similar challenges, while others have expressed concern about their children feeling excluded because of race. Please take time to talk with your child about the importance of these groups.
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