catching the tides of change riding the waves of opportunity 23 years of empowering peopLe of coLor in inDepenDent schools coast 2 coast seek to see AnChoring OurSeLveS in the Community Harbor PoCC | SDLC | San Diego | DeCember 2–4, 2010 conference program ® 23rd NAIS People of Color Conference ( and joint sessions with sdlc) San Diego Convention Center 17th NAIS Student Diversity Leadership Conference San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina conference history with themes 1986 reston (VA) 2001 providence (RI) The First National Conference for Teachers and Connecting Cultures, Connecting Worlds Administrators of Color in Independent Schools 2002 chicago (IL) 1989 philadelphia (PA) Bridging Cultures, Sharing Stories Common Ground 2003 honolulu (Hi) 1990 los angeles (Ca) E Huaka’i P¯u K ¯akou (Let’s Voyage Together), Unity in the Midst of Diversity Exploring a Majority of Minorities (PoCC); X Marks 1991 new york city (nY) the Spot: Journey to a New Revolution (SDLC) From Thought to Action 2004 miami (Fl) 1992 atlanta (Ga) Miami: Gateway to Multiculturalism (PoCC); Connecting to Self, Connecting to Others: Vision 2020 Eleven Years of Diversity and Advocacy Training 1993 st. paul (MN) for Independent School Students (SDLC) Seeing Beyond — Becoming Advocates for Creating 2005 dallas/fort worth (tX) Multicultural Educational Institutions At the Crossroads: Deepening Perspectives the 1994 albuquerque (NM) Cultural Kaleidoscope (PoCC); Collide-o-scope: Los Colores de la Educación — Continuing Twisting Lenses, Seeing Change (SDLC) to Build Environments in Independent Schools 2006 seattle (Wa) that Address the Needs and Issues of Children Nourishing Ourselves for the Swim Upstream, and Adults of Color The Emerald City: Seattle, Washington (PoCC); 1995 philadelphia (PA) Upstream, Uphill, Up to Us: Preparing Ourselves Lighting the Way to the Millennium: Our Selves, for the Challenges Ahead (SDLC) Our Children, Our Schools 2007 boston (MA) 1996 baltimore (MD) Learning from the Past, Leading for the A Vision for Building New Alliances Future: Reshaping Traditions (PoCC); The Time is Now: Emerging from Our Past as We Shape 1997 st. louis (MO) Our Future (SDLC) Journey to Spirit: Solidarity and Voice through Dialogue 2008 new orleans (LA) 1998 san juan (PR) Music for Life. Food for Thought. Friendships That Puerto Rico — The Caribbean: Encounter History, Sustain. Rebuilding and Preserving the Essence Culture and Self of People of Color in Independent Schools (PoCC); 1999 san francisco (Ca) Preserving Self, Building Community, and Sustaining Mosaic: Connecting Communities for Action Change: The Essence of Student Leadership (SDLC) 2000 nashville (TN) 2009 denver (Co) The Children are Our Business Moving Mountains: Mining Within (PoCC); Mine, Yours & Ours: The Responsibility to Navigate the Rapids of Change (SDLC) table of contents WelCome 4 proGram at a GlanCe 6 overview 8 Speakers 10 Highlights 12 pre-ConFerenCe proGram 14 ThurSday 16 Friday 24 Saturday 33 SDLC 34 Thank You 36 Floor plans 38 advertiSements 40 Follow the 2010 PoCC Bloggers as they experience the richness and outcomes of this year’s conference at http://pocc.nais.org. This year’s bloggers are: Sandra “Chap” Chapman little red School HouSe and elizabetH irWin High School (neW York) Rod Jemison la Jolla CountrY daY School (CaliFornia) welcome nais welcome Greetings and welcome to the 2010 People of Color Following the successful restructuring of PoCC in Conference (PoCC) and Student Diversity Leadership 2007, a new challenge is emerging for us as we strive Conference (SDLC) in San Diego, California. Our host to build a successful conference program for multiple city provides us with one of the most unique settings generations of attendees with distinctive and different for PoCC/SDLC 2010, with five distinct temperate needs. The work of building and sustaining inclusive zones, a stunningly beautiful coastline, and a vibrant and equitable independent school communities is multicultural and multiracial community. Perhaps it transitioning from the “our advancement” stance of is by divine or cosmic design that there is a connec­ those born in the Interwar, Greatest, and Baby Boomer tion between some important U.S. and world current generations toward the “my advancement” stance of events and the city of San Diego — border and the Generation X, Generation Y, and Millennial gener­ immigration issues, the U.S. military involvement ations. Two new opportunities are featured for the first in two wars, the appreciation of natural beauty and time at this year’s PoCC and for PoCC/SDLC. In addi­ the environment, and innovations in science and tion to the eight racial/ethnic affinity group categories technology — to name just a few. for affinity group work at PoCC, a ninth category is being added for conference attendees who are trans­ NAIS hosts the annual PoCC and SDLC as the flagship racially or transnationally adopted to meet. Also, of our equity and justice initiatives. NAIS addresses for the first time, two additional gender identification two important needs at PoCC and SDLC: the need options will provide an opportunity for those who for people of color in independent schools to come identify as transgender female and transgender male together for networking and support and the need for to be affirmed in our conference demographics. schools to find ways to build and sustain inclusive independent school communities. Teachers, students, Although the number of independent schools in the and administrators of color and diversity professionals San Diego area is relatively small when compared to of all backgrounds from across the nation will gather other West Coast cities, the four independent schools’ to celebrate and nurture equity and justice for indepen­ co­chairs and local committee rallied early and enthu­ dent schools. PoCC and SDLC brings together a diverse siastically to provide time and resources in support group of people who together share the challenges of PoCC/SDLC, for which we are sincerely grateful. We and rewards central to their experiences in indepen­ also salute the work of the SDLC co­chairs and faculty, dent schools. In November 2006, the NAIS board the members of the 2010 NAIS Call­to­Action, and reaffirmed the mission and purpose of PoCC by stat­ Betty Henderson Wingfield and the PoCC external ing: “PoCC should be designed for people of color as and internal facilitators for the important contributions it relates to their roles in independent schools. Its pro­ they are making to PoCC and SDLC. gramming should include offerings that support people of color as they pursue strategies for success and No matter your mode of transportation, join us as we leadership. Its focus should be on providing a sanc­ catch the tides of change and we ride the waves of tuary and networking opportunity for people of color opportunity as we seek to see in anchoring ourselves and their allies in independent schools as we build in the community harbor in San Diego! and sustain inclusive school communities.” In recent years, about 2/3rds of the PoCC participants are people HaRold EugEnE PatriCk F. Bassett of color and 1/3rd are White/European Americans BaTiste III NAIS president experienced in and committed to the cause. (The NAIS vice president, NAIS Summer Diversity Institute is the preferred Leadership Education and choice for newcomers of racial/ethnic/cultural back­ Diversity Team (LEAD) grounds to learn the work of diversity and inclusivity in our schools by joining their experienced counterparts in an immersion professional experience.) 4 pocc co-chair welcome Welcome to the Golden State and America’s “Finest Chinese settlers also found homes in the Gaslamp, City” — San Diego! Our theme for the 2010 People and while Asian Americans of all backgrounds are of Color Conference — Catching the Tides of Change, now scattered throughout the county, our Filipino Riding the Waves of Opportunity — conjures a vision population is the largest, making San Diego the only of the ebb and flow of the majestic sea and reflects metropolitan area in the country where Filipinos are our nation’s regression and progression in pursuit of the largest Asian American nationality. Given all equity and justice. All of us in attendance have been of this, it is not a surprise that more than thirty­five fortunate enough to experience the inauguration of percent of San Diegans speak a language other than our first African­American president and the swearing English on a daily basis. Not to mention, our city in of the first Latina Associate Supreme Court Justice. hosts the fifth­largest LGBT Pride Parade in the nation, So, too, we have had the misfortune of witnessing attracting 150,000 participants. Clearly, there’s more the worst ecological disaster on our Gulf Coast and to San Diego than sun, surf, and the zoo! California’s Proposition 8, which denies equal rights to same sex partners. Meanwhile, independent The local committee would like to thank La Jolla Country schools serve as a beacon of light in these stormy Day School, Francis Parker School, Pacific Ridge seas as we work toward true democracy. Sailing into School, and The Bishop’s School for their support. the twenty­third year of empowering people of color Just as any sea­worthy vessel needs a captain to guide within independent schools, we recognize that if we the way, our independent schools could not navigate work in community with the strength and momentum these seas without strong leaders at the helm. So, we of the tides, we will move toward the shore and set would also like to thank our Heads of School, Eileen our anchor in solid land. Mullady, Aimeclaire Roche, Christopher Schuck, and interim head of school Kevin Yaley. Though we are known as America’s “Finest City,” few people know of the city’s deep roots with people of We warmly welcome each of you to experience not only color.