OPINION

The opinions published by The Match are solely those of the author, and not of the entire publication, its staff, or Collegiate School. The Match welcomes thoughtful commentary and response to our content. You can respond in the comments below, but please do so respectfully. Letters to the Editors will be published, but they are subject to revision based on content and length. Letters can be sent to match@collegiate-va.org.

By Donald Adams

Dr. Joy Degruy, Pedro Neguro, Rodney Galscow. Advocates, allies, activists. These are just some of the names and words I will always remember. Arriving at SDLC in Seattle on Wednesday, December 4th, I had some idea of what was awaiting me, but nothing to the scale of what I ultimately experienced.

Opening ceremony of SDLC. Photo credit: Donald Adams.

SDLC, the Student Diversity Leadership Conference, is a conference about diversity and inclusion that involves over 1,600 independent school students from every state in the country, as well as some international students. This conference is organized and sponsored by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), of which Collegiate is a member. Every year the venue changes, and this year it was held in Seattle, Washington, at the Washington State Convention Center. Next year it will be held in St. Louis, Missouri.

The conference has been taking place for 26 years, always culminating in the month of December. Also known and originally called the People of Color Conference, or PoCC, this multicultural gathering focuses on “self-reflecting, forming allies, and building community,” according to SDLC’s official site. Not only do students get to experience SDLC, faculty and staff members from the same schools, including educators who come without students representatives, participate in workshops and activities that further their understanding and ability to navigate diversity within their own school communities. 

“Deep conversations,” “life-long friends,” and “a feeling of belonging.” These are some of the words of wisdom told to me by former students who have attended SDLC conferences in the past. My sister Sydney Adams (‘16) attended SDLC in 2013. Adams says SDLC was “one of the most transformative experiences of my high school career. Not only was I able to learn more about the pillars of diversity and people from other backgrounds, I was also able to connect with people that looked like me and thought like me. It helped to feel more confident in my leadership skills and ability to connect with new people.” 

Collegiate students and faculty at SDLC 2019. Photo credit: Donald Adams.

As I began my own SDLC journey, I hoped for many of the same takeaways. I began to feel the same sentiment among the other five Collegiate students that traveled across the country with me: Cierra Glasspie (’21), Alexander Trimingham (‘22), Amanda Tan (‘22), Nadia West (‘21), and Shreya Sharma (‘20), the only returning participant (she attended SDLC Anaheim in 2016). I figured she would know more of what to expect. Although she did, she was also just as excited as the rest of us for what was to come. Having gone before, Sharma wished she would have done a few things differently, saying, “Last time I was hesitant to open up and talk. When I left, I regretted it; this time I’m all in to talk and get to know people.” On the opposite side of the spectrum, Trimingham was mostly unaware of anything to come, saying, “I don’t have much to go after because I have never been to something like this before, I am just along for the ride.” And what a ride it was. 

A completely silent and calming room helped me learn about thousands of complete strangers. I did not learn their names, phone numbers, or places they lived, but what I did learn was deeper and more sensitive things that no one usually shares with thousands of other people they do not know. This all transpired through an exercise called Silent Motion.

On the first day of the three-day conference, after the opening ceremony, all teachers and faculty left for their own workshops, and all the students stayed. Rodney Glascow, one of the leaders of the conference, explained this exercise. Stand if the question applied to you, remain sitting if it did not, and then promptly take time to reflect on who is standing and sitting. Although quite simple, the questions made this exercise uncomfortable. These questions were not those asked on a simple test or quiz; rather, the questions correlated with eight core identifiers: race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability, religion/spirituality, nationality, and socioeconomic status.

When the moderator asked who identified as black and or African-American, I stood up. When they asked who identified as cis-gender, I stood up. These were the easiest questions for me, although many were quite difficult. Questions asked about the economic status within my home, or the religion I practiced, felt invasive, but through this exercise I discovered that I was in the most diverse room I had ever been in my life. These questions were questions I had never had to answer before, and because of this I was uncomfortable, later on discovering I was not alone. There were multiple other encounters and exercises that made me uncomfortable throughout the entirety of SDLC, but I soon discovered that this was purposeful. Sometimes the only way to truly learn is to feel uncomfortable and uneasy. 

SDLC Talent Show. Photo credit: Donald Adams.

Each student attending SDLC was assigned to a family group, made up of about seventy students from all over the country. Each family group was named after a social activist. My group named after Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai. Within my family group, I was a part of a smaller Home group that consisted of about ten people. In Home groups, we often discussed topics that are not often brought up in a normal school setting. By doing so, many people were able to discuss things that go on within their schools, as well as at home. Junior Ti-Shawn Wellington, from Saint Mary’s School in Raleigh, North Carolina, said “What I enjoyed most was being around new people and being supported by them.” Personally, I also felt very supported and welcome to share any idea or position I had on any topic. Whether anyone disagreed or agreed with me, I always felt respected.

Although many of these discussions were heavy and deep, SDLC consisted of multiple fun moments as well. Not only were students put into Family groups, but every student also choose an affinity group to go to as well. These groups often correlated with how you identify your race or sexual orientation. In my case, I went to the Black affinity group. Having hundreds of other African-American students learning black history and dancing with me was one of the highlights of the whole trip. Affinity groups often give minorities a space that they would never have within their own independent school settings. My Affinity group time was not the only fun I had. On the last full day of the conference, there was an entire talent show, where students danced, sang, and recited poems. This was really great to see so many talented students my age.

On the last day of the conference, it truly hit me how special of an experience I had. Not often do you get to meet complete strangers that become family within days. Many people cried and hugged as the last day came, and I believe this was because they also realized the special place that SDLC is. For any student who is selected to attend an SDLC conference in the future, just remember to have an open heart and mind. SDLC allowed me to learn more about people’s perspectives and think of more ideas to implement into the Collegiate community. I know my time spent at SDLC made me a better and more informed person.

Featured image courtesy of NAIS.