S01E052 Zuri Washington - @blackatdalton

Zuri @zuriwithafringeontop is spokesperson for @blackatdalton, an account shining light on racism at the school we both graduated from. It's part of a lot of emerging accounts, starting with @blackatbrearley. I support what they are doing and hope to bridge gaps in conversation given my position, which I go into in the episode. More info from Zuri:

Zuri Washington is a Dalton School Alumni (Class of ‘09) who normally graces stages across the country as an actress and singer, but in these COVID-times, she finds herself called to activism’s front door as both a playwright and spokesperson for the “Black at Dalton“ movement.

Black at Dalton was inspired the by the national reaction to the murder of George Floyd and subsequent reckoning of how America has handled racism in it’s near and distant past. The “Black At” movement aims to highlight the traumas of the black populations of our schools and come to the institutions in question with demands and plans of action that seek to crack foundation of these overwhelmingly white institutions and create spaces that allow for current black students to feel cared for and looked after as more than just another notch on a diversity checklist” belt. Black at Dalton aims to seek out and destroy pervasive anti-black mentalities that have harmed Dalton’s student body, past and present. We “Go Forth Unafraid” and seek to lend our voice to the community at large as best we can. This is just the beginning. 



NBC News interview: https://www.nbcnews.com/now/video/black-private-school-students-share-racism-experiences-86991429712

Taylor Lorenz piece: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/16/style/blm-accounts-social-media-high-school.amp.html

Syracuse student Editor piece: https://medium.com/@jaycoaxum/unheard-and-unseen-black-students-and-faculty-take-to-instagram-to-voice-experiences-at-pwis-4b97fb3cf31d

---

Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/teawithsg/support