GREETINGS FROM THE OFFICE OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY, JUSTICE, & BELONGING

 My name is Kimberly Shaw, and I am excited to begin this year with you as the Director of Equity, Justice & Belonging (EJB). I started my journey in diversity and inclusion work at the height of my career. I was fresh and new to the first independent school world I worked at and inspired by the commitment to the school's mission. Since then, it has become my life and career goal to serve the community, so that every student, parent, and a staff member will be heard, seen, celebrated and embraced as their full authentic self.

 My commitment is to seek diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging for all Duke School community members and all people. My mission is to uphold Duke School’s commitment to amplifying and fostering a healthy environment; where populations or a group's or an individual’s humanity are upheld. While having difficult conversations around oppression, marginalization, and exclusion. This work will call for vulnerability and trust as we navigate difficult conversations together. I am excited to bring my dialogue background in facilitating these conversations. 

The way Duke School’s equity mission embraces and celebrates each student solidified why this was the school for me. Having a job that is intentional in making sure there are mirrors and windows for students to see themselves in the curriculum and those who teach them was at the top of my list of successes. I sincerely enjoy working with people, and I believe that we can change the relationship and humanity for the better through dialogue, respect, support, and collaboration.

 Upon my visit to DS, I was overwhelmed by the feeling of belonging and acceptance of all my identities. I am a black woman. I use the pronouns she/her. My relationships begin with God, and I consider myself spiritual. I have a wife, Gwendolyn, and I am a proud animal parent of a Shih Tzu, Madeline, better known as "Maddie Poo. I love basketball, volleyball, and field hockey. I am a poet, an artist, and a lover of books. I love sneakers and have about 200-plus pairs. I love gardening and will stay out playing in the dirt until the streetlights come on. I am an educator, a co-learner, and a lifelong learner. I am a moving force destined to ensure my generation fights for social justice and civil rights. Finally, I am thrilled to join a new family - the Duke School!

 PURPOSE

 My research about different cultures, experiences, and identities guides my effort to create an inclusive community. Luckily, I was educated some time ago about the Blackfoot Wisdom that Inspired Maslow's Hierarchy before referencing the hierarchy of needs. If you have not read about it, I encourage you to explore the article and appreciate the Indigenousness, First Nation Tribe's perspective about the importance of community being a basic need. The First Nation was committed to their tribal living and intended to create a safe and purposeful community. Every human being wants to feel they belong to a community and that they are contributing to an inclusive environment. I intend to provide steadfast support to our community in our journey toward this critical human need. 

 As we are coming out of a pandemic, we can look forward to making connections and building community. I am sure we are all excited to be back in person, to be seen, and to feel valued. I am thrilled that we will be able to focus on creating a sense of belonging where students feel seen, affirmed, and heard without barriers. The mission to have a diverse, equitable, and inclusive school will hinge on the commitment and willingness of our community to do the work necessary to accomplish this goal.

"There must exist a paradigm, a practical model for social change that includes an understanding of ways to transform consciousness that are linked to efforts to transform structures."

— Bell Hooks

Throughout the year, I will provide information about various workshops, conferences, articles, books, and much more to continue educating and involving the community. Every month, I will also communicate updates from Duke School’s EJB Office in the Spark eNews. We will also bring back affinity groups, community dialogue, and events for the community. As we develop new traditions and uphold the old ones moving into a new year, my job will be to ensure equity as a throughline in all aspects of the student's experience. It may be difficult to talk about the "isms" faced today. Still, we must make a conscious decision to be courageous and do the work necessary to interrupt when we see, hear or experience oppression. Being silent is not an option when we witness or experience injustice. If you don't know where to begin or how to get to the place of speaking up, I am here!  

HOW YOU CAN BE INVOLVED

 "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly." 

– Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

Diversity, inclusion, and belonging are at the core of DS, and a commitment to do the work from all will take us into the next ten years. As an institution, we will not stand by during this critical time in our world and not be a collection of voices for justice. My hope for our community is to help deepen our commitment to equity, justice, and belonging and move into intentional action. We will explore diversity work as a community and revisit some past school initiatives. I hope my leadership will inspire all to be brave, enthusiastic, and vulnerable as we move towards becoming a robust, diverse, and inclusive community. 

I you would like to be involved in any initiative we have this year or would like to meet and talk, please reach out to me at kimberly.shaw@dukeschool.org. I encourage you to attend PSO Committee meetings, L.I.F.E. Committee meetings, affinity group meetings, workshops, parent education series, or roundtable dialogues.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about me and the plans for a partnership with the DS community. I hope you read and grow your knowledge and understanding about being an upstander for the DS during the year. If you are an adult who would like to start reading, discovering, and developing your social justice knowledge, check out the following page. Again, I am excited to be here with you and look forward to a splendid year!

Sincerely,

Kimberly Shaw