HomeMy WebLinkAboutMy daughter, the class valedictorian, was on art school principal’s ‘black list’ OPINION - Toronto Star - 07/03/2018 - Toronto Star - 07/03/20187/3/2018 My daughter, the class valedictorian, was on art school principal's 'black list' I The Star
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My daughter, the class valedictorian,
was on art school principal's 'black
list,
By MAUREEN MURRAY Opinion
Tues., July 3, 2018
My daughter Marler is r valedictorianat Etobicoke
School of ♦ Arts Y
average is in the gos. She's heading to a university in the Maritimes in the fall, where she
was awarded a prestigious scholarship. Please bear with me. This isn't about motherly
bragging.
f 1sharethese
My 18 -year-old a ter, who graduated from last week, was one oft e students
who the school's principal,Peggy Aitchison,u what has now been dubbedthe
"black list."
https://www.thestar.com/opin ion/contributors/20l 8/07/03/my-daughter-the-class-valed ictorian-was-on-art-school-princi pals -black -list. html 1/4
7/3/2018
My daughter, the class valedictorian, was on art school principal's 'black list' I The Star
The principal of the Etobicoke School of the Arts created a secret list of
black students. Maureen Murray' s daughter, whose is of mixed race, was
on the list. (DAVID COOPER / TORONTO STAR)
The problematic layers of this are many. But what I find particularly perplexing is that
Aitchison created the list by combing through yearbook photos and black and white
headshots and used this as her guide for populating her list. In one instance, in the case
of mixed -raced twins, one was put on the list while the other was not.
gaps in academic success for black students that the Toronto District School Board
(TDSB) has identified.
But curiously, many of the students named on the list are high achievers. I watched
some of these graduates on the list proudly go up to receive their high school diplomas
as their many academic achievements and scholarships were announced.
I
Opinion I Vicky Mochama: Racism in schools is not pass or fail
Opini®n I Shree Paradkar: The next time there's a police killing of an unarmed Black
Person, remember this study
https://www.thestar. co rn/op in io n/contri butors/201 8/07/03/my-d a u g hte r-th e-class-val ed i cto ri a n -was -o n -a rt-sch ool-p ri n ci pa Is-bl ack-1 i st. htm 1 2/4
7/3/2018 My daughter, the class valedictorian, was on art school principal's 'black list' I The Star
The principal created the list back in November 2017 — out a month after the TDSB's
equity task force draft report called out arts schools, such as ESA, for their lack of
diversity. I wonder whether the creation oft e "black list" wasn't some kind of ill-
conceived defensive osre® As in, there may not be any, but our black students are
SM111M
What was she thinking when she sat down thumbing through a yearbook and creating
the list? Did she for a moment ask herself: Who did I consult? Did I reach out to the
Was it arrogance that made her so certain in carrying out her task? Or did she just not
get it?
The principal certainly didn't get it when Marlee and her three friends bravely
confronted her after they found out about the list that was shared with arts major
teachers and then withdrawn after some faculty members were appalled. My daughter,
who is of mixed -race, explained her anger and dismay that her principal had reduced her
to a category on a list and shared the information behind close doors without her
I was in one of several meetings where my daughter and her friends use the principal
to take accountability for her actions and apologize. The best apology Aitchison could
muster was "I'm sorry if I hurt you®"
Marlee told her principal that she and other students on the list had good cause to be
hurt, but that wasn't the reason she should be sorry. "You should be sorry because what
you did was wrong. You should be sorry because you racially profiled us." But still the
principal didn't get it.
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families. She didn't say: "I was wrong."
At a recent ESA school community meeting sparked by pressure from students, one lone
faculty member defended the list saying it was meant to stay behind close doors.
In Marlee's eloquent valedictory speech, she echoed the powerful message that if you
think racism is OK if it goes on behind closed doors then you're the problem.
https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/20l8/O7/O3/my-daughter-the-class-valedictorian-was-on-art-school-principals-black-list.html 3/4
7/3/2018 My daughter, the class valedictorian, was on art school principal's 'black list' I The Star
Shining light on the systemic racism that exists within the TDSB and taking accountable
and transparent actions to address it is the answer.
It has been said that sunlight is the best disinfectant. And things kept in the shadows
fester. Sometimes taking action means public institutions like the TDSB have to
recognize attitudes and people who are anachronistic and out of time, and move them
aside so that the institution can step into the light.
Maureen Murray's daughter Marlee recently graduated from Etobicoke Schoolof the Arts. Murray is the out-
going co-chair of the ESA school council and is a former Toronto Star journalist.
. . ........ . .
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