Paige Croney ‘21
Ayinde Tate, Episcopal’s new Head of Diversity and Inclusion, has worked tirelessly this year to fulfill the important role he has taken up. He aims to “make any student who may be marginalized feel like they belong at EA regardless or race, ethnicity, socio economic class or sexual orientation.”
On the current diversity of the the school, Tate admits that it is not where he wants it to be. Although the student body is slowly increasing in diversity, Tate believes that the more pivotal first step is increasing diversity in the faculty. He stresses the fact that it’s important to “find faculty of color that the students could see themselves reflected in.” He says, “being in this community is one thing, but seeing someone to aspire to be, to look up to, or to feel is on your side is super helpful. We want to make that a priority.” He believes that diverse communities allow for varied opinions, perspectives, and life experiences which can benefit and inform all involved. Additionally, he affirms that the real world contains great diversity, and students need to interact with diverse perspectives to interact with the world effectively. Tate says, “If you have a homogeneous crew at school you are going to be super underprepared when you get to college.”
Both unconscious and conscious racial bias have posed issues at Episcopal in the past. Hate speech and hate symbols have appeared on campus, despite EA’s lack of tolerance for such bigotry. Tate has aimed, throughout this year, to significantly decrease racial issues in our community. He’s put particular emphasis on the discussion of implicit bias and how it impacts everyone in the EA community. He says, “people are acknowledging it [implicit bias] a lot more than I was expecting. It’s really reassuring to see that people are aware of these blind spots, and that there are biases for everyone.” To help raise even more awareness, Tate ran an optional microaggression and implicit bias training day during the fall for the faculty. It received a turnout of over fifty people.
Students believe that his efforts have helped the community. Anya Kohli ‘21 attests, “His door is, quite literally, always open. Not only does he project ‘diversity awareness’ through meetings and leadership conferences, but also fun games found in his office and other mediums.” Clearly, Tate has a passion for students, and he has made steps toward building a more welcoming and diverse community within Episcopal. Michaela Rymal ‘20 says, “I think Mr. Tate is the best faculty member to just go and talk to. His door is always open, and no matter what you want to talk about, he is there to listen. He does his best to make everyone in the EA community feel accepted regardless of color, race, gender, or age.” Kohli agrees, “Tate, from what I have seen these past months, is friendly, honest, and caring. I feel that, if you have any problem- not only regarding race or inclusion- he will help you find a comfortable and suitable solution. He definitely seeks the betterment of the EA community.”