Message from the Head of School, May 14

Dear SAAS Community,

Winston Churchill has been one of my most consistent companions for the last 4 months.

In early March, I began listening to Eric Larson’s recent book “The Splendid and the Vile,” a masterful account of England during the Blitz, which was a nearly year-long series of Nazi bombing raids of London that killed more than 40,000 non-combatants and destroyed more than 60% of all the homes in London.

Larson’s account is full of stories of Londoners banding together in ways that resonate today; examples abound of acts of daily bravery, inspiring generosity and shared sacrifice. We see those acts modeled by the many in our country, our city, and our SAAS community.

In countless ways, this crisis has brought out the best - the Splendid - in so many.

Unfortunately, it’s brought out the worst – the Vile - as well.

The sinister stalking and brazen killing of Ahmaud Aubrey is a uniquely dark and vivid expression of the Vile. It demonstrates that hatred and racism are alive and well, and are being at worse encouraged and at best appeased by many in our society, including those in position of high power, in ways in ways that Churchill would recognize all too well.

To some, Ahmaud Aubrey’s death and the gatherings of white supremacists waving Confederate battle flags and brandishing Nazi symbols are distant events that happen in places like Georgia and Charlottesville.

That view fails to acknowledge the Vile in the Pacific Northwest. Neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and anti-Semitism flourish in our region, and the Northwest was intimately involved in the creation of Japanese internment camps and the impetus for the Chinese Exclusion Act. And the killing of Native American carver John T. Williams occurred in broad daylight on the streets of Seattle just 10 years ago.

This moment of crisis – the loss of life, loss of jobs, and further loss of confidence in our leaders – has impacted all of us. But it has undeniably impacted some far more than others, as demonstrated by the devastating and disproportionate impact of Covid 19 on communities of color, including here in our own community.

I don’t mean in any ways to suggest that Covid-19 is the cause the killing of Ahmaud Aubrey.

I do, however, believe that the impact of the current pandemic increases the chances that Ahmaud Aubrey’s death will be ignored, thus emboldening the proud display of flags that symbolize prejudice, hatred, and racial violence – in some cases flags and symbols waved at protests on our state house steps by those wearing combat fatigues and brandishing assault rifles.

I also believe that history shows that times of crisis have the potential to sow division and strengthen inequities as well as to produce positive change and to bring us together.

These are the times, now more than ever, to combat the silence. Words alone don’t suffice, but they do matter – especially in the face of those in power who seek to hide, distort or deny the truth.

We can, as a SAAS community, choose to speak and act in ways, now more than ever, that are aligned with the reality of this crisis, with our Mission and Values, and with our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

We can move forward in ways that are positive and meaningful, and the examples of how so many in the SAAS community are coming together is inspiring and powerful.

Every single day, my own resolve is encouraged by the way the SAAS community is asking “How are we doing, what do we need, and how can I help?”

There are many in the SAAS community who are putting their own health at risk to work directly with those who have been stricken with Covid 19, and there are many others who are working in high risk jobs who put themselves in harm’s way to care for those who are most vulnerable.

We’ve seen the initiatives launched to raise money for those in need, to spur testing and research, and to extend access to healthcare. SAAS students and alumni have applied their entrepreneurial know how and creativity to produce needed materials like personal protective equipment and masks, and business-oriented solutions to social problems.

We’ve seen the ingenuity of students and parents and teachers pull together to move forward with teaching and learning in ways that require new levels of flexibility and ingenuity: kitchens, backyards and garages have become science labs; zoom concerts and dance recitals occur daily between groups spread across the city; and students driven by curiosity and equipped with the confidence to ask are reaching out to nationally known interview writers and artists and scientists and business leaders to access their experience and knowledge.

Vine Deloria, the Native American writer and philosopher, offered the observation that “society needs educated people, but the primary responsibility of educated people is to bring wisdom back into the community and make it available to others so that the lives they are leading make sense.”

I believe he’s right. He is speaking directly to the intersection of belief and action, community cohesion and individual responsibility, and of moving from standing against to ultimately knowing what you choose to stand for.

We can support our students in every way possible in becoming a generation that embraces civic action, that understands causes and implications of injustice and inequity, and is both willing and able to use the levers of power, creativity and united action to advance the Splendid and combat the Vile.

 

I continue to be grateful to be a part of this community. And I’m reminded time and again of how important it is that we look out for each other, that we stand for the values we hold dear, and that we are unwavering in our commitment to strengthening the bonds in our communities.

 

Regards,

Rob