SMWS | Statement on Racial Injustice

June 02, 2020
SMWS Statement on Racial Injustice from the SMWS Diversity & Inclusivity Committee:

• The murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery are among the many recent incidents in a long history of police brutality and institutionalized racism against Black people in this country.

• We are angered and full of grief. 

• Shining Mountain Waldorf School offers our support to the Black community and stands with those fighting racial inequality in this country.

• We acknowledge that our school is not racially diverse. 

• As a majority white organization, it is our responsibility to create inclusive and anti-racist education. 

• We are committed to building equitable relationships and structures that support Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).  

Artwork above by Frances Hilliard, 11th grade student

Rudolf Steiner intended Waldorf education to focus not only on what knowledge must be acquired to enter society, but also to awaken capacities in young people that would bring new impulses into society. 

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RESOURCES FROM AWSNA:

 We hope you find the following resources to be helpful: 
How to talk to children about racism and violence: resources for teachers, parents and guardians
Anti-racism Resources for White People: a compilation of resources for white people and parents to deepen our work in anti-racism
Array Now: Started by Ava DuVernay, director of Now They See Us, this is a compilation of African American independent films – an array of stories and voices.
Teaching Tolerance: Teaching about race, racism, and police violence
75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice: Curated by Medium and updated regularly. 

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- Sarah Gillis, SMWS Class of 2012 and Sr. Space Operations Engineer at SpaceX

“I feel like one of the really important things that you get out of a Waldorf education is curiosity—curiosity to go and learn and explore what’s out there in the world. I fell into engineering and a path that I don’t think I would have anticipated, but having an arts background where you’re bringing creativity and imagination into problem-solving, there’s a really incredible synergy between those.”

- Sarah Gillis, SMWS Class of 2012 and Sr. Space Operations Engineer at SpaceX

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