INSIGHT: Women’s History Month
By Bess McKinney, EICL Co-Coordinator
In this, the second week of Women’s History Month, the words of Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie feel particularly important: “Imagine how much happier we would be, how much freer to be our true individual selves, if we didn’t have the weight of gender expectations.” That world, which allows each of us to be our true selves, is what we want students to imagine and experience at EPS and then continue to create in their lives outside and after Eastside Prep. And they do. They push us and each other to envision that world every day—they lead compassionately.
In affinity groups, in clubs, in the classroom, it is EPS students who are often leading and challenging each other to create an equitable world. It was the student leaders of the Girls’ Empowerment Club who sent an all-school email celebrating International Women’s Day on March 8, 2022. In that email, the club leaders wrote: “In your life, reflect on women who have paved the way for your success. Thank a female parent, teacher, counselor, or doctor if you have the chance. With so many advancements in feminism and the workplace, there still are systems in place that disadvantage working mothers, women of color, transgender women, and non-binary people. Below are a few resources, charities, and websites to visit to learn more about what you can do to raise awareness to continue the work of courageous female activists. (1) Entres Hermanos, (2) Mary’s Place, (3) Jubilee Women’s Center, (4) Black Mamas Matter, (5) The Malala Fund.”
In their compassionate leadership, our students challenge us, the adults in their lives, too. How do we meet that challenge? How can we create a more equitable world for them to grow up in? By learning and educating ourselves, by leaning into discomfort, and by listening to them. Below we’ve listed a resources that are a great starting place for learning. As you read, you may have questions and we encourage you to reach out to us at eicl@eastsidprep.org. We owe it to our students, no matter their gender, to create a world where they all can be their “true individual selves.”
Resources:
- Gender equality starts at home: Seven tips for raising feminist kids https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2019/5/compilation-gender-equality-starts-at-home
- ADL Table Talk: Family Conversations about Current Events (https://www.adl.org/education/resources/tools-and-strategies/table-talk)
- Othering and Belonging Institute (https://belonging.berkeley.edu/)
- Learning for Justice (https://www.learningforjustice.org/)