The mission of the Roycemore Parents’ Social Justice, Equity, and Inclusion Committee (SEI) is to work collaboratively with Roycemore School to cultivate an inclusive learning environment committed to social justice, multiculturalism, equity and representation. SEI celebrates, affirms, and embraces students and families of all races, ethnicities, religions, socioeconomic statuses, gender identities, sexual orientations and abilities. Through intentional acceptance and engagement with difference, SEI strives to foster an inclusive community built on real, effective, and conscious dialogue; and a socially just community built on anti-racism and anti-prejudice.
In response to the elevated visibility of countless Black lives that have been lost to police brutality and injustice, Roycemore partnered with The Latin School of Chicago to provide an event to support our families and students, to serve as a forum to gain insight into the moment that we were experiencing, and to serve as a catalyst for further community engagement.
We invited two renowned scholars, who are also members of our Roycemore community, to lead Critical Conversations on Race and Social Justice in Our Community on June 30, 2020. Rutgers University President and Distinguished Professor, Dr. Jonathan Holloway, offered his extensive expertise as a U.S. Historian, to provide a historical perspective, referencing America’s foundational documents to better understand the context for the moment. Acknowledging the collective trauma and anger felt by our community members, Dr. Anthony Chambers brought his psychologist’s lens to share mechanisms for how we might individually and collectively address these feelings and work together as a school community toward both healing and real social change.
An outcome of this community conversation was the desire to create a forum for ongoing discussions and a space to share opportunities for parent engagement on DEI work. The Roycemore Parents’ Social Justice, Equity, and Inclusion (SEI) committee was thus formed. See the recording of the community dialogue below.
SEI’s efforts, guided by survey feedback and conversations with our school community, include: