Beaumont in the World: Strength In Diversity

Beaumont School has a decades-long tradition of educating a diverse student body, reflecting the rich culture of Cleveland Heights and its surrounding communities. Our Ursuline tradition and values teach us to stand in solidarity with all of humanity.

As last summer’s racial unrest unfolded across the country, educational institutions were called to account for their practices around diversity, equity and inclusion. At Beaumont, we believe we have a role to foster respect for the uniqueness of our individual community members and to promote the development of the whole person.

We commit to these roles in Beaumont School’s mission and statements of belief, and President Wendy Hoke has shared in our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statement: “We have a moral obligation to, as St. Angela says, teach by example. We must love our students and teach them to love as Christ did by standing up to confront the demons of prejudice and hatred in our society.”

Combating racism is intrinsic to our Catholic faith. Indeed, to be Catholic is to see the beauty of all creation made in God’s image. We have witnessed the strength of our Beaumont students, faculty and alums as they work to bring social justice, not only to our community, but to change the world around them.

Dedication to Justice

Being an anti-racist school requires imparting to students the knowledge and values that mirror this. It requires our faculty and staff to take the same journey as our students. Over the summer, faculty and staff participated in additional training and brought back to Beaumont ideas, programs and curriculum to apply directly in our classrooms, such as English, government and humanities.

English teacher Mrs. Vitatoe explains the significance of her approach of adding black writers and perspectives of underrepresented groups such Native American to her course work. “Certainly, attempting to be more inclusive in the curriculum is only one avenue for being mindful of diversity and inclusion within the classroom setting. Beyond a curriculum that values diversity, where students get a chance to ‘see’ themselves in the literature that I bring to the classroom, they need to trust that their own voice is valued in our discussions. One effect that I’ve noticed coming from focusing more on literary voices of color is that my students of color are more apt to speak up in class.”

Faculty created a safe space for our students to start the Show Up Program, a student-led group to a focus on the black community, hear their stories, and inform those around them.

Students participated in an 8-week course titled “Our Story: A Survey of the Black Experience in America” along with students from both Gilmour and Laurel to learn the connection of recent events with historic roots, and self-advocacy skills.

Original Article: https://www.beaumontschool.org/news/2021/04/15/beaumont-news-winterspring-2021-frontline-heroes-living-dynamic-adaptability