Last year Greene Street Friends School received a generous grant from Friends Council on Education to continue discussions and explorations of diversity in our community. Throughout the school year, the funds have been put to excellent use, with benefits felt widely.

Eighth grade students developed their interviewing and videography skills in a "Truth on Equality" booth at the Fall Fair and Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. The concept was based on a traveling installation by artist Hank Willis Thomas called The Truth Booth. With fine quality video camera and sound equipment in hand (thanks to the grant), the 8th grade captured voices of many students, alumni, and families sharing their truths about equality. The 8th grade will next try their hand at documentary film-making using this footage, and hopefully share the resulting films shortly.

Also at the MLK Day of Service, many enjoyed using special paint and materials (purchased by the grant) to match their own skin color and create self-portraits. Those who felt less artistically inclined stood back in awe and appreciation of some truly amazing likenesses. {Save the date: there will be an opportunity create your own self-portrait at Alumni Day on Saturday, April 9!}

This grant will also add greater diversity to our classroom and school libraries. Middle school students are generating a list of books to acquire that center on characters from non-mainstream groups in terms of race, gender, and sexuality. These new resources will impact Greene Street Friends students for many years to come.

On Monday morning, Greene Street Friends welcomed Greg Corbin, the Founder and Executive Director of Philly Youth Poetry Movement. Greg is an award-winning international poet, motivational speaker, activist, and teacher. He presented to both the Middle and Lower Schools, tailoring his message to each group. For Grades 5-8, he and his colleagues from PYPM wove together anecdotes, news stories, and poems to express the ability of words to enact change against bullies and against racism in society.

When speaking to the Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 4 classes, Greg was more interactive, giving students the microphone to share their reflections, opinions, and original poems. When asked whether a gun or words are more powerful, 1st grade student Xoe shared If you take words and talk about it, the [other person] could put their gun down. It could make it better.” Isaiah from the 3rd grade added, “Martin Luther King was able to use words to stop violence.”

“No matter what other people say, the words you tell yourself and the story you tell yourself, that’s the one you’re going to live out,” reflected Greg. “The most powerful thing you can do is own yourself, own your story.”