"We prepare students to engage in the world that is and to help bring about a world that ought to be."
Celebrating Latinx Heritage Every Day
From September 15 to October 15, the Friends community honored Latinx Heritage Month. Under the leadership of the Center for Peace, Equity and Justice (CPEJ) and the Diversity, Equity, and Belonging team and with the support and collaboration of faculty, staff, and student leaders, Friends hosted engaging programming for students across all divisions.
Each Thursday, Upper School students were invited to attend short film screening lunches, where they learned about unique aspects of Latinx cultures and experiences, and enjoyed Colombian empanadas. The films touched on themes from the Indigenous Garifuna people in Honduras to Afro-Latina experiences in the acting industry and the challenges faced by queer Latinx youth.
In collaboration with Jennifer Gentle and the Spanish Department, Upper School Spanish students presented to the entire Middle School about Latinx/Hispanic leaders they admire. Middle Schoolers heard about influential actors, athletes, politicians, and astronauts among others.
In the Lower School, Kirsti Peters and Sahana Mehta held read-alouds in nearly all classrooms. They spoke to the Lower Schoolers about the significance of Latinx Heritage Month through the stories presented in the books.
And on November 17, as an extension of programming for Latinx Heritage Month, CPEJ and Latinx Culture Club will be bringing author Elisabet Velasquez to campus for an Upper School assembly. Her book and audiobook are available on the Friends Seminary Sora and where books are sold. More information will be announced in the coming days regarding her visit.
Friends looks forward to honoring Latinx communities all throughout the year, and are committed to continuing the important conversations we had with the community this past month.
Friends Seminary actively promotes diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism in all its programs and operations, including admissions, financial aid, hiring, and all facets of the educational experience. To form a community which strives to reflect the world’s diversity, we do not discriminate on the basis of race or color, religion, nationality, ethnicity, economic background, physical ability, sex, gender identity or expression, or sexual orientation. Friends Seminary is an equal opportunity employer.
Friends Seminary — the oldest continuously operated, coeducational school in NYC — serves college-bound day students in Kindergarten-Grade 12.
