While many would say that there has been a long-standing problem with racism in America, our country has seen an increased focus on racism over the past few months following the death of George Floyd. Besides the protests that have taken place, many schools and institutions have been exposed for turning a blind eye to racism. Deborah Ode, a student in West Orange, New Jersey, has been advocating for change in local private schools. “I have recently gotten more involved in local activism in my town and socially. Most notably, I have been part of the exposure of Morristown Beard School and their actions towards racism in their school and other local private schools.” Even with her activism, Ode was targeted for using her voice. “I have gotten threats and warnings just for using my voice to shed light on the truth; but that simply means people are listening and scared of what they hear.” Ode, who has advocated for change at Morristown-Beard School, is not afraid to speak her mind to fight for that change. She believes that if no one else is going to speak up, it should be her who fights for change.
On Father’s Day, three 2020 graduates from this school were exposed for being racist and mocking the death of George Floyd, in addition to using racial slurs. They recorded videos of their views and posted the videos on social media sites. The videos were posted all over twitter and sparked outrage from CNN, Vox, The New York Post and even Fox News. Ode was the first to report it.
“I had classes with these kids, and they have always been kind of weird around me. A different weird than around their white peers.”
In a way, Ode, a person of color, has the chance and feels empowered to speak up now – something she wasn’t able to do during the years she was a student at the school. She continues and adds, “Many of the POC at my former school have been ‘whitewashed’ and have lost all their culture.”
Understandably, having this occur in the height of the Black Lives Matter protests didn’t sit well with many people who heard about the incident. Many people took offense and demanded that action be taken against these graduates. Over the days that followed, and with mounting pressure, each had their acceptance to college rescinded. Many applauded Cornell, Colgate & University of Richmond for the decisive action taken.
Since the incident, MBS has worked to put a plan in place to stop racism in its tracks. But only time will tell if it will work. The school has put everything in motion to effect change and move towards becoming a truly diverse and accepting environment, but it will take more than a plan. Sweeping changes in thought, attitude and perspective are needed for things to move in the right direction.