Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Stevenson
Cindy Ricot is passionate about making sure that representation takes place in her classroom. In her Diversity in Literature course, she looks at literature through a unique lens, focusing each quarter on the experiences of different people and how those experiences are portrayed in literature, such as Hispanic, African, Middle Eastern, and East Asian literature. Students examine the impact of representation on society– not only what it means to be properly or improperly represented, but how representation affects the ways we perceive ourselves and others, and how it affects society and socioeconomic culture as a whole.
In Exploring the American Dream through Literature, students focus on the experiences and representation of different people, beginning with indigenous people in America, followed by immigrants, women, and muslims. Is the American Dream fact or fiction? Is it possible to attain it, and if not, is it possible to maintain hope nonetheless? These are questions that students explore while being exposed to a variety of sources. They take the opportunity to not only write and analyze different texts but to have meaningful conversations and make connections between what they're learning in the classroom and what's happening in real life. Even students who have had an aversion to reading and writing in the past have engaged with this work because they're able to see themselves in what they're studying, and are able to connect to the topics by making graphic novels, studying song lyrics and paintings, and writing personal narratives, poetry, and research essays in addition to more traditional essays. All students feel engaged and welcomed in the classroom due to this celebration of diversity of learning styles.
In his 17 years teaching at Stevenson, Jose Sanchez has always highlighted histories that are often ignored. In his US History 1 course, which spans 1609-1877, he covers topics including liberation, resistance to empire, race, class, and gender. Going beyond the common narrative that Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves, his students explore others involved in opposing and dismantling the system of slavery, such as the resistance to slavery before the Civil War, and the role Black people played in their own liberation, such as Nat Turner's slave rebellion or Frederick Douglass' leadership in the abolitionist movement.
The theme of his Global History 2 course, which covers more contemporary history, is empire and resistance to empire with a focus on Latin America and the Caribbean. He strives to make this subject into something tangible by drawing parallels to the present day and helping students see how history is critical to their lives and shapes their own realities. Jose generates a level of compassion and empathy in his students by encouraging them to be critical thinkers who use an analytical approach when looking at contentious issues in US history. He instills in them a sense of hope that things can change due to the power of social movements. Students leave his course as better critical thinkers and writers who are practiced in using historical evidence to support what they have to say.
Jacob Friedman’s Global History 1 course takes a truly global perspective, seeking to de-center the European hegemony and perspective on history. The third quarter begins with a discussion of early Islam, and how what we think of as Western values, philosophy, and monotheism was synthesized in Baghdad, not London or Rome. Choosing when and which historical figures to cover makes a difference in students' understanding of history. By moving away from the old model of a grand, Euro-centric narrative, Jacob's approach shifts the way that students understand history and the world that we're in.
In US History 2, which covers the Reconstruction Era to today, do we see Harriet Tubman as a foundational person without whom you cannot understand US history? Or as someone worthy of only a brief mention on the last page of a chapter on the Civil War in a US history textbook? Should a chapter on World War 2 only cover Eisenhower and Churchill? Jacob has witnessed that even today, many US history textbooks include the stories of women, black people, and other minorities as perfunctory nods at the end of any given chapter, reducing their stories into brief composite anecdotes second to the lengthy narratives about powerful white men. This tokenism makes the connection to modern DEI initiatives become clear. Students discuss whether race and identity only apply to people who aren't white men, or if they are shared traits belonging to us all. They look at the way immigrants were received in the Northeast during the 20th century and how stereotypes and common assumptions around ethnicities are based on social constructs. They learn how the growth of the suburbs led to the exploitation of minorities.
Jacob's teaching philosophy is centered around his belief that it is important to teach students how to engage with texts of all sorts, and to understand how the perspective of the author can shape the text. It's a vital skill; knowing how to read critically and write well, but in addition, in learning how the past helps us understand the present moment, and how everything has a narrative, students also learn that they can play a role in how the future is shaped. Students learn to write, read, engage critically, and be curious.
Cindy, Jose, and Jacob all strive for their students to understand that they matter and have a role in shaping their own futures as well as the future of our society, and that it is their job to stand up for what's right and be the change they want to see.