In recent months we have witnessed searing reminders in the tragic killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, along with the racist mistreatment of Christian Cooper, that racial violence against Black citizens and systemic racism continues to be an American reality. Persistent racial inequities in our American society and ongoing racial biases against Black people allow this racism and violence to continue. In not actively combating these ills we are complicit in injustice.

Our administrative team, faculty, and staff this summer heard from some of our Black faculty and staff in a series of ongoing discussions about their painful life experiences including some within Burgundy. We have listened to and reflected on these powerful stories, we are reflecting on difficult experiences we have heard about from current and past students and families and employees, and we apologize and seek to understand our failings and the roles that our community has played in contributing to this pain. Despite committed and ongoing work in DEI, we have not done enough as a school and as leaders to engage, listen, and embrace the courageous conversations and hard work that translate to full equity and inclusion for all of our employees, students, parents and all constituents.

We pledge to do the work to ensure that harm or hurt that has been done is atoned for with renewed efforts to live both our school mission and our specific mission for diversity, equity, and inclusion, in support of Black Americans. We recognize that even within a caring community and relatively diverse institution such as Burgundy, with our proud history, there can be resistance to acknowledging white privilege, white fragility, deeply embedded racial inequities and the perpetual systems that protect them and white supremacy. At this time we are called to investigate our blind spots.

We have devoted significant efforts in the past few years to grow our understanding of racial justice and (in)equity, including learning about concepts like unconscious (implicit) bias, cultural competency, and privilege. Yet we have much more work to do if we wish to do our fullest part to end racial injustice and achieve lasting equity.

Educated with increased knowledge and understanding, we must own our roles in exercising unearned privilege and failing to be active anti-racist allies. We then will be more actively ready to fight inequity within our own community. In that work, we will become more truly aligned with the foundational beliefs and values we embrace, values that Burgundy always has stood for and that indeed have drawn many of us to Burgundy in the first place.

Simply put, we pledge to work toward a more compassionate and anti-racist community.

We recognize that this must be a sustained effort, across years, not hours and that we must work as a community and as individuals so that everyone at Burgundy can feel welcomed to be their authentic selves and able to contribute their fullest gifts. We are focusing on some key, specific initiatives that we will continue to define and for which we will set specific goals and strategies and tactics, including:

  • Beginning important work with the consultancy, Courageous Conversation, of the Pacific Educational Group, this fall, to build institutional capacity for anti-racism work.
  • Completing the Assessment for Inclusivity and Multiculturalism (‘AIM’) administered by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS).
    • Conduct school climate surveys and focus groups to collect data and insights on the experiences of all members of our community.
    • With this data, devise a crisp and attainable strategic plan for DEI at Burgundy that will consist of not more than three related, supported, and measurable goals per year.
  • Ensuring that the Board adheres to its commitment to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the performance of its duties and responsibility in its oversight of the School’s governance.
    • Commit to regular board training commensurate with current or emerging School DEI goals.
    • Charge each board committee with setting annual goals that reflect School DEI objectives.
    • Continue the regular review of School DEI practices in operations.
  • Developing new funding streams and scholarships specifically for advancing the opportunities of regional African American children to attend Burgundy.
    • Make scholarships to help African American students attend Burgundy a major element in an endowment campaign.
    • Evaluate current recruitment and tuition strategies in light of interconnected enrollment and DEI goals, including recruitment of all underrepresented student populations.
  • Supporting employee professional growth, an equity and inclusion-rich culture, and necessary professional practices and policies.
    • Increase funding for professional development needs, such as attending the annual PoCC.
    • Focus on the growth and development of white teachers, staff, and administrators, to build institutional capacity, beginning with intensive training on racial identities, stereotypes, and bias, among others, and starting with administrators.
    • Continue the dialogue between Administrators, faculty, and staff to identify potential barriers to inclusion and equity and to build towards a shared system of cultural values.
  • Support development of progressive curricula that affords students the opportunity to advocate directly for equity and justice issues.
    • Review JK-8 curricula for racial justice as well as all other DEI content along with peace studies.
    • Consider new opportunities to practice Burgundy core values that serve a more equitable democracy.

Finally, we recognize that these words are just words, a response in a time that demands a response. The follow-through and careful development and laying out of strategies will require the focus and support of our Board of Trustees and its DEI committee, the faculty and staff and its DEI committee, the administration, the parent body, our alumni and their families, and our current students. Sustainable change and the work for racial justice will require a long-term commitment from all of us, and we are committed to being a leader in this area once again.

We will continue to share details about this ongoing work and our plans to engage with the community to better inform our efforts and advance them forward. Burgundy is built on the active engagement of its parents, students, faculty, and alumni. We, therefore, ask for and welcome the partnership of all members of our community in helping to further Burgundy’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.