On January 11th, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) office and the Black Student Union (BSU) brought the student body together to honor Martin Luther King Jr. in an assembly.
Each year the DEI office and BSU collaborate on a different message for the MLK assembly. Last year, the assembly had been about the icon to which MLK inspired and who inspired him. This year, the BSU chose to focus on a different message being: an Injustice Anywhere is a Threat to Justice Everywhere.
Ms. Montez, the DEI director, talked about the importance of the assembly for students at Jesuit.
“With one of the ‘grad at grad’ outcomes being committed to justice, how can we think about justice in our everyday lives? We haven’t created a world full of equity yet, so how do we aspire to be better?” Montez said.
The assembly gathered together affinity clubs connected to the DEI office to share stories about relevant issues in their clubs.
“We invited all the affinity clubs and said hey, if you want to share about an experience that impacts your community, come forward and feel free to help out,” Montez said. “We really wanted to give students the opportunity to listen to important experiences like that, and not just have it be an optional flex talk.”
The Young Women in Color (YWC) club, led by junior Shruthi Prudvi, takes direct inspiration from MLK’s beliefs and is a fundamental part of their social justice movement. The assembly was an opportunity that YWC thought was important to be a part of.
”As the different affinity groups came together to talk about specific injustices minority groups face, it allowed the opportunity to educate the student body. All the affinity clubs value inclusivity, diverse perspectives, and encourage allies to join in on our conversations and approach this space as a cultural exchange,” Prudvi said.
Honoring the message MLK had for human society when he was alive, BSU and the DEI office also took his message into their own hands to shine light on injustices being silenced today.
For example, the Young Women in Color club, chose to talk about the injustices women face during the assembly.
“We specifically spoke about femicide, which does not receive much attention in the US but is definitely a growing issue in minority groups and cultures. Our club is meant to provide a comfortable environment for female students of color to discuss current events and issues concerning women’s rights, whether in our school, local, or global communities,” Prudvi said.
Ms. Montez described the challenge the DEI office and BSU want for Jesuit students:
“Radically dream and believe that racial justice and all forms of social justice can only begin when we’re thinking differently even though it’s hard with injustices everywhere”.
The MLK assembly connected the major issues certain groups and individuals have with the message of how to be the change in our society. As brave students shared injustices their club demographic faced or are facing, the greater issue seems to come forth.
How are we leading with kindness?
“Listen to the stories around you and advocate for those on the margins. It has to start with how we treat each other on campus and how we listen to others,” Ms. Montez said.
