Professional development conference furthers USN's DEIB work

By Juanita I.C. Traughber

In continuing their commitment to digging into diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging efforts at University School of Nashville, a delegation of 19 adults and five High School students of varying racial and ethnic backgrounds traveled to Texas last week for the National Association of Independent Schools’ People of Color Conference and the concurrent Student Diversity Leadership Conference.

PoCC is the flagship of NAIS’ commitment to equity and justice in teaching, learning, and organizational development. The mission of the conference is to provide a safe space for leadership, professional development, and networking for people of color and allies of all backgrounds in independent schools. Between general sessions in an auditorium with nearly 8,000 people, faculty, staff, and administrators were able to choose between 100 workshops on diverse topics relevant to people of color and their allies in independent schools. Meanwhile, students were led through sessions focused on self-reflecting, forming allies, and building community to develop cross-cultural communication skills, design effective strategies for social justice practice through dialogue and the arts, and learn the foundations of allyship and networking principles. Both adults and students also had the opportunity to spend time with their affinity groups to debrief their professional experiences and find solace and support.

“PoCC and SDLC are unlike other conferences in that you're doing the heart work as well as the head work. They give you an opportunity to think about ways to improve your practice, but they also feed your soul in giving you the power and strength to go back to do the work in your communities to create the change that you want to see,” said USN Director Amani Reed to the USN delegation at the beginning of the conferences. “Because it's unlike anything else where you can bring 7,800 people together to share that sense of purpose and dedication to equity and justice.”

Reed presented the workshop “Leadership in Hiring for an Anti-Racist, Culturally Competent Workforce” and was a panelist in the session “Understanding White Supremacy as a Hyperobject.” He and three other independent school administrators recorded some 20 podcasts during the conference, interviewing keynote speakers, master class facilitators, and other independent school professionals. NAIS will release the episodes in the months ahead.

The four-day trip also gave USN High Schoolers the opportunity to learn about the history of San Antonio through a tour of the Alamo and walks and a boat ride along the city’s river.

Read about students’ experiences in their words below.

“The Student Diversity Leadership Conference was a formative experience. This conference with 7,000 attendees in total, 1,700 of them being students, taught me a few things. First, I learned more in-depth what the word diversity could mean, understanding that it extends beyond just race and includes more than just black and white. Not only did my definition expand, but it also filled with people who lived and identified with the labels I had not initially included. I was also able to think and be outside of the bubble that is USN to realize that we are extremely privileged and have the ability to make our voices heard, a freedom that other students may not have. The ability to speak openly with those who share similar values and perspectives as well as those who don’t, was impactful because it helped me to approach my beliefs through an alternative lens. These conversations helped me form new bonds with other students and USN faculty. I hope to create safe spaces, like those at the conference, that allowed me and other students to feel supported to express our ideas without judgment. These spaces will help everyone gain a better understanding of each other’s perspective so meaningful change can happen based on empathy and not assumptions. Through creating these spaces, USN can become a more forward-thinking community.” — Asauda Radford ‘25

“The beginning of December marked a turning point in the way I view relationships and diversity. That turning point was the SDLC and POCC. On our first night in San Antonio, I was struck by how passionate the faculty was when talking about their past SDLC and POCC experiences. At the conference my USN peers and I were split apart, forcing us to interact with new faces immediately. People came from all over the US and 10 different countries to San Antonio. To me, it felt that every person I talked to had a fresh perspective that I could learn from. Apart from the other students, we were exposed to ideas from speeches, activities, and even a talent show. I was put in a ‘family group’, which was a group of about 25 people from different schools. In the family groups, I learned a lot from activities that forced us to look into ourselves and relate our experiences to our school environment. Hearing from others, I realized just how fortunate I was to go to USN. Our school has built a culture of acceptance and diversity. Although I am grateful for my school, I thought of how we could be better. Within the student community, I hope to build a space for better communication between affinity groups, clubs, organizations, and student councils. By creating a space for sharing and support, I think the whole USN community would benefit through a closer-knit community. 

Another aspect of the SDLC experience was the affinity groups. I chose to be in the Latinx affinity group and there were over 100 Latinx students in the group. We discussed balancing partying and fun with serious talks about identity. Both are necessary, but both have their place as well. I was able to see this process in action. We started dancing together before the meeting, but the chaperones transitioned us smoothly into a discussion-based activity. Through the Latinx affinity group and the closing ceremony, I realized just how powerful it was to see so many students of varying colors, sexual orientations, and identities that were all working towards creating safer environments for their school. What made me proud to be at the conference was the confidence that we gave each other. It was beautiful to see the compassion that came from the students from different independent schools. Hopefully, I can bring that same energy and unity to USN whether with Lucha (USN’s Latinx affinity group) or in another way. 

Although I only spent four days at the SDLC and POCC, I made long-lasting friendships and received many impactful experiences. Looking back, I can see why the conference meant so much to the faculty and to people all over the world. I hope to bring the insights that I gained from the conference and implement it in a lasting way to the USN community.” — Nick Venable ’24

“In the Student Diversity Leadership Conference opening ceremony, Time Woman of the Year, Amanda Nguyen, said "impossible is only an option." And when I arrived in San Antonio, Texas, I thought it was impossible to feel fully seen within a room of more than 7,000 individuals — 1,300 of which were students. But as Amanda said, "impossible is only an option," and my experiences within the conference were a testament to her keynote speech. In my family group, the Ida B. Wells group, I discussed the ways that aspects of my identity intersect to influence my experiences. Within this conference room of 40 students, I felt completely free to fully express myself and my beliefs while constantly learning from the experiences of those around me. As the title of the conference coins, the diversity within each room provided a plethora of perspectives--different than my own--that allowed me to practice civil discourse, especially in times of seemingly tense discussion. In my affinity group of more than 600 students, the Black affinity group, I felt joy radiating from the room. Each individual perceived their 'Black-ness' differently but celebrated the identities of their peers equally and willingly. While in that room, I have truly never felt so proud of my racial identity and that feeling of true pride is something I'm adamant on taking back to Nashville with me. On the last day of the conference, the other USN students and I met with USN faculty to discuss our experiences at the conference and the values that we want to share with the rest of our community. This conversation was truly eye-opening and an opportunity for me to be transparent with USN faculty about student issues, needs, and the ways that we should continue to enact change in our community. With a strong sense of confidence in the efforts of both students and faculty, we've returned to USN, ready to prove that "impossible is only an option."— Gabby White ’23

“SDLC will definitely be an experience and opportunity that I will never forget. There were many things that made the conference so special. We talked about the 9 core characteristics that make up a person's identity. Throughout the conference, we had many discussions about these identifiers. I learned a lot about how they can really intertwine with each other and our experiences as a person.  For example race and gender together for me really go hand in hand. Back at USN, I’m really hoping to get one of the school organizations restarted. It’s called CORE and it’s actually based off SDLC’s 9 core identifiers (age, ability, race, ethnicity, gender, family structure, social economic status, religion, & sexuality). Gabby White and I are the leaders and since we now have both been able to go to SDLC, I’m really hoping that we can find a newfound unity in the organization and throughout the school.” — Dara Udom ’24