The murder of George Floyd has sparked international outrage against the racially biased policing system. The killing was just one of many recent accounts of police brutality, including the murders of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and Tony McDade. These acts of extreme violence have sparked an international conversation that has forced us to recognize the role of systemic racism in society. Within the Fieldston community, our recent alumni have been noteworthy forces taking action against police brutality.
Class of 2019 graduates Cary Moore, Krista Delany, Ariana Reichler and Ana McNulty have created informational pamphlets designed to educate communities on systemic racism within police forces. The pamphlets include information on the Black Lives Matter movement as well as how to combat police brutality and white supremacy. I had the opportunity to interview Krista, Cary and Ariana to gain further insight on their pamphlets.
Sophia: What is the purpose of the pamphlet?
Delany: “The purpose of this pamphlet is to help mobilize the communities in which we live to get the attention of those who do not have activism circulating on their social media platforms. Over the past few weeks, social media has been a major source of information. Not only is it where the horrifying video of George Floyd’s murder caught nationwide attention, but it is also where crucial information on how to be actively anti-racist has been circulating. As wonderful as this is, a social media post only goes so far. As much as I may have been posting about bailout funds and ways to help hold Breonna Taylor’s murderer’s accountable, the seventy-year-old white woman who lives right next door to me is likely unaware of many of these calls to activism. I wanted to make this information accessible to all to help contribute to the recent growth in activism”.
Sophia: Do you think you’ve met that goal? And if not, how can others continue the work that you’ve started?
Reichler: “Yes, absolutely. Even though we were hoping to get an enthusiastic response, I think we were all surprised by just how many people immediately started sharing it. At first, friends would send me pictures handing it out in their neighborhoods. Then I started to get those pictures from strangers. Every day several people I did not know would reach out to me – seeking advice on how to best distribute it, sending pictures of them handing it out, or thanking us for compiling resources in a condensed and comprehensible way. We even had two people ask if they could translate it into Spanish and Chinese. And then my friends would tell me that they saw people in their neighborhoods, people who don’t know any of us, posting the image or handing out the document. That was really cool because it showed how it was spreading through so many different networks. People across the country, and even some internationally have shared the document, and that was our goal. But it can still be shared with more people. I would hope that people are inspired to find new ways to reach out to their neighbors, family and co-workers and to continue educating them, even if it’s a little more involved than an Instagram post”.
Sophia: What are you hoping for people to gain from your pamphlet, what message are you trying to send?
Moore: “I hope mostly that it encouraged people to focus on the current movement and its history. Of course, much much larger statements, organizations and journalists are already inspiring engagement in a much much larger way. But we wanted to give people a brief, comprehensive place to start. We are not experts, and this is not an expert document, and we all still have much to learn, and should understand that and be intellectually flexible as we encounter new information”.
Sophia: What does this work look like in your current school space?
Moore: “One thing every Fieldston student should understand is that the school is a conversational microcosm. The Fieldston bubble is so real and in my opinion, in certain ways it does a great disservice to its students. In college you do not get to have strong opinions unless you’re genuinely informed. There are big problems involving racism at many college campuses, mine included, but those problems are more addressable when there’s a standard of substantive reasoning. You can’t always just tell people off. Sometimes you can and should, but from my perspective, much of the time it’s best to approach things in an educational manner. That is my perspective on how to do good for your institution and world at large, which is informed by my identity and experiences. Feel free to disagree, but try to consider it. Try to inform your peers. And before you do that, always inform yourself. This pamphlet contains basic information, it isn’t earth shattering. Essentially, it could function as a very small start for some individuals”.
Reichler: “I’m fortunate to go to a college that has a really vocal and passionate student body, especially when it comes to humanitarian issues like Black Lives Matter. I’ve been really inspired by the work I’ve seen from my classmates, especially my Black classmates, whether that be in social media posts, writing, art, or protesting. Student groups on campus are donating to and fundraising for BLM-related causes. I’ve also felt a lot of support coming from other people in the community. I’m working in a lab this summer, and my supervisors have taken time out of our meetings to discuss protest safety and have created other avenues for sharing resources”.
Delany: “Activism in my current school space is disappointing. To live on a campus with 8,000 students, many of whom are extremely ignorant or actively racist, is difficult. Despite this challenge, I have made the concerted effort to hold people who share values like myself close. As a collective, we are thinking of ways to better our college campus and hold people accountable. I think this is a challenge many students will face when they graduate from Fieldston. Regardless of how challenging or discouraging it may be, remind yourself that there are people across the nation fighting for exactly what you believe in. We must all stay true to our values and be actively anti-racist. Simply standing in solidarity is not enough”.
Sophia: Relating to this issue, what major change do you hope to see at Fieldston?
Moore: “Read the news every single day, ask questions and have honest conversations. I think people deserve the chance to learn from their mistakes as long as they demonstrate that they have truly learned. That principle is relevant in many situations, from social interactions to criminal justice. But it’s always better to avoid hurting somebody, and then forcing them to attempt to educate you, or encourage you to educate yourself, in order to achieve any sort of progress. People become reasonably impatient. There have been times, more so in college than in high school, where I have felt impatient with sexist males in my life. I literally cannot imagine the exhaustion of people of color. Believe that your actions matter for better or for worse. Be principled! If you have a worldview apply it to many different situations. Don’t treat politicians’ comparable actions differently according to their party affiliation, never adopt a rigid opinion you can’t explain, don’t believe things just because your friends do and consider things from different angles.”
Reichler: “I hope to see everything that the #StudentsofColorMatter group fought for come to fruition. I hope to see real accountability and a concrete commitment on the part of the administration to support its Black students and the great Black Lives Matter movement. I guess the biggest change I hope to see on a person-to-person basis is that every single non-Black member of the Fieldston community reflects on their own past actions and beliefs, pledges to seek out resources to educate themselves and lends whatever they can to this moment. I’d really like to see that action in everyone, from the incoming freshmen to the top of the administrative ladder”.
Delany: “I think Fieldston is far too vague and ineffective in their discussions on race. Students must be taught about people such as Ronald Raegan and the war on drugs. We need to learn about mass incarceration and the policies in place that prevent officers from being held accountable. Films such as The 13th, need to play during assembly. White ally meetings need to play films such as When They See Us on Netflix. We can’t just talk about what racism looked like, we have to discuss what it looks like today as well. We need to learn about voter suppression, flaws in the healthcare system, etc. Teaching these issues is the only way Fieldston students will go on to become critical thinkers who can meaningfully challenge the systems in place that the Black Lives Matter movement is currently trying to reform. I also think all students must be made to learn about these issues, not just those who are willing to take certain electives. I understand these aren’t issues that are easy to teach, but Fieldston’s mission statement makes a promise to do it.”
