Dear Academie Lafayette Community,
We have a responsibility to our black students, families, teachers, administration and our greater local, national and international community to speak up and reiterate our beliefs and values clearly indicated in our school mission and
diversity statement. As an educational community with members from all over the world we take a firm and public stance on racial injustice and stand in solidarity
with the families of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and all others unjustly killed or harmed because of the color of their skin. We empathize with all black citizens who experience racism and fear police brutality incidents.
Our school does not condone racist behavior in any form and we support every American's right to protest. In addition to the goals and objectives that are already part of our
strategic plan
to foster a school culture that is caring, inclusive and equitable, we are committed to continually seeking ways we can contribute to the solution. This includes adding educational offerings and student task forces, providing counseling to those students affected by racism and violence, supporting efforts that align with our position that Black Lives Matter, and by being a collective public voice.
We urge you to use this as an opportunity to open a dialogue about the protests and the events that lead to them and to be empathetic towards others and their different experiences. We stand aligned with the community we serve and together we can, and must, affect meaningful change. Our commitment to this will not waver.
Jon Otto
Elimane Mbengue
Board President Head of School
Click
here for a copy of our BLM statement.
