The Country School is an independent, coeducational, Pre-K through 8 school founded in 1934.
Right Start Blog
Employing Moral Courage in the Face of Hate
Upper School Head Wilson Everhart addresses recent acts of hate in our country and suggests ways in which to have these difficult but important conversations with your children.
This winter, I had the distinct honor of taking the 8th grade to the new Smithsonian African-American history museum. This important addition to our National Mall is remarkably well done, and our students and teachers loved poring through the rich collections and powerful stories on display.
Given what a joy it was to watch our 8th graders take in this museum, I was particularly disturbed and disheartened to learn that last Tuesday someone brought a noose to the African-American museum and left it on the floor. Unfortunately, and relatedly, last Wednesday, someone spray painted a racial epithet on perimeter wall surrounding the home of LeBron James.
I highlight these two incidents with you because I want to share four points. In an age-appropriate way, I hope you will strongly consider talking about these incidents and the points below with your children.
- I want your children to know that if they are ever targeted for their race, religion, gender, ethnicity, or sexual orientation, Mr. Mufson, Ms. Davis, and I; their teachers and advisors; and the full Country School community will always be here to support and stand by them - both while they are students and long after graduation.
- Your children may be tempted one day to write or draw a bigoted epithet. Even if they think they are doing it as a meaningless joke, they need to hear again and again that such an action will always come across as hateful and threatening, and their intent will be largely irrelevant.
- There will be a moment in your child’s life when one of their friends is targeted for their commitment to their faith, the person they love, or the way in which they are in the minority. It is important for children to think ahead of time about how they will sum up the moral courage to stand by their friend, even if it is an unpopular move.
- Conversely, there is a chance that your children may be present when a friend is on the verge of making the bad decision to create, post, or share symbols or words that are designed to denigrate, demean, or terrify. It is important for your children to envision how they will exercise the moral courage to speak up, stand up for what they know is right, and dissuade their friend.
Some of you have chosen already to speak to your children about this; some of you have been the target of bigotry and did not have the privilege of choosing whether or not to discuss these issues with your child; and some of you have not yet had these conversations with your children given their age and your desire to shield them from the elements of hatred that exist within our imperfect world.
It is my sincere belief that discussing issues of bigotry and hate speech are complicated but important conversations to have with children and students. The purpose of parenting and a Country School education is not to shield children from these topics; the goal must be for parents and teachers to introduce these topics in a thoughtful and age-appropriate way, and I raise these issues with you with the hope that you will use last week’s events as a touchstone for these important conversations. On behalf of the Country School faculty, we will certainly take on this challenge when your students return in the fall.
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