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June 9, 2020, Wilmette, Illinois – Elizabeth Schuster, President of Regina Dominican High School, issued the following action statement in response to the tragic death of George Floyd.
There Are No Words ... But There Are Actions We Can Take
I have struggled to find the right words to share about this heinous time in our nation's history. I have seen message after message of support for justice come from everyone – from my favorite furniture store to my alma maters. Many of the messages are eloquent, many of them say all the right words probably written by a professional PR person who carefully crafted each word for the most impact and least blowback from their varied constituents. But I wonder as I read this beautiful prose, what will change after the hashtag stops trending and the memories of a man being murdered before our eyes fade? How many of these messages will actually turn into action?
Regina Dominican High School strongly condemns the brutal murder of George Floyd and the centuries of systemic racism, abuse and murder that preceded it. However, in this time of "thoughts and prayers" and strong public statements made comfortably from behind the safety of a screen, we also need action.
There are many things that I am proud of with regards to our school. I am proud of our students who don't shy away from tough conversations, I am proud of our students who are brave enough to be a minority voice in a majority crowd. I am proud of our faculty and staff who encourage young women to be leaders, to have their voices heard. I am proud of our history as the progeny of the Adrian Dominican Sisters, a congregation that not only preaches about eliminating racism but is on the front lines of the fight for equity it is in their core enactments and one of the reasons I am so proud to work at Regina Dominican. Further, the decision of the board and the General Council of the ADS Congregation to make their first lay president a woman of color speaks volumes.
We work hard to live up to the legacy of social justice handed to us from the Adrians. Currently we try to do our part by providing coursework that covers the topics of challenging unjust and oppressive systems in various academic departments from English to social studies to theology. We also have several new courses coming online this fall through a new and exciting elite global academic partnership. Here is a sampling of some of those new courses:
We have provided visual reminders throughout our halls that Regina is no place for hate and provided opportunities for students to experience and take action against the injustice in the world. Pro-life does not apply to just abortion.
We maintain a school culture that is caring and loving towards all students. We want them to learn and grow from their mistakes. We take a restorative justice orientation towards student behaviors, so that when a student's actions are at odds with our expectations, we work with them to see the harm and to repair the relationships with people they have affected. It is in this way that we become better people and a stronger and more supportive community.
I would submit that it is not enough to teach students about difficult topics; it is our responsibility to ensure they actually learn. There has been a multi-year coordinated professional development program for faculty to help teachers use the best practices in ensuring learning for each student.
We have several new initiatives coming up which include a partnership with the YWCA Equity Institute, professional development for faculty on eliminating racism and bias from the classroom, and sessions for students when they return in the fall.
In the past few years, we have completely revamped our hiring process to ensure equal opportunity, to eliminate bias in the interview process and to make sure anyone who is hired at Regina believes in our values as declared in our mission statement, to foster academic excellence, truth, peace and justice while challenging each student to develop leadership for life and respect for all races, cultures and faiths.
A few years ago, a strong student leader started a Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Club. This club has evolved to include students of all colors and faiths. They recently solidified their mission statement and it is as follows:
The D.E.I. Club brings awareness to and promotes the acceptance of all cultures and beliefs to all, especially in the Regina community. Through activities and celebration of diversity we foster equity and unity.
I joined the DEI club earlier this year not as a formal adult moderator but as a member because this is an important piece of our way forward as a school and I feel it is important to show support as the leader of our school.
Much of the change we need to see in the world can be made by getting the right people in office who represent our values as a nation, a state, a city and a neighborhood. We continue to stress the importance of voting down ballot. We became a polling site this year through collaboration with the League of Women Voters. We commit to continuing to educate our girls on the importance of their vote, not just in big flashy national elections, but most importantly in the down ballot elections in their local districts.
We can all always do better. Some of the things we have planned to help facilitate doing better are listening circles hosted by the YWCA Equity Institute. These sessions will be for students, faculty and staff. Our goal is to ensure that faculty and staff are well versed and trained in having and supporting conversations on race and bias. School leadership will participate in the YWCA's Equity Summit later in June.
None of what I describe above is by accident. None of it came into existence because of George Floyd because these were all things planned before his tragic death. These things came into existence because we knew there were many George Floyds out there and there have been for centuries. We are here to do real work in the space of eliminating racism. We as Dominicans who follow in the footsteps of St. Catherine of Siena hold ourselves to more than just social media and hashtags. We hold ourselves to action, not just saying what we believe online but by doing. We show with our actions how we intend to contribute to the solution.
We still have a ways to go and a lot of hard work ahead of us in our school community and in our society, but I am proud that we have the chance to ensure our faculty, staff and students will be well prepared to be a part of the solution. If you are looking for support as you start on this journey with us, join us online for Mass on June 11 at 7 p.m. CDT.
Lastly, if you are looking for ways to be a part of the solution click here for five simple ways to get started.
June 5, 2020, Adrian, Michigan – Where can we find hope in a time that seems fraught with uncertainty, such as in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic? Sister Carol Johannes, OP, addressed that question in “Hope – Despite it All,” the second in a monthly series of talks by members of the Adrian Dominican Sisters’ Spirituality Committee.
Sister Carol’s presentation was live-streamed to the Congregation from her home in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on May 20, 2020.
Sister Carol – spiritual director, retreat director, and former Prioress of the Adrian Dominican Congregation – offered four avenues for hope during these troubled times.
Trust in God
Noting the “huge strides in technology” that have taken place in the last several decades, Sister Carol said that the pandemic has “put us in touch with how very fragile life can be, despite all of these advances.” For people of faith, she said, this newfound sense of fragility reminds us “who we are and whose we are,” and of the need to place ourselves “consciously every day in God’s hands.”
Essential Unity of the Human Family
Sister Carol said that the pandemic has reminded us that we are one human family. “We’re all in this together,” she said. “We’re all called to reach out to help each other in any way that we can. If we’re open to grace, this time can be transformative – it can break down barriers between nations and cultures.” This time also can reveal to us the inequalities that force people in poverty to “misery, sickness, and death.” Sister Carol encouraged her listeners to challenge social structures that prevent people who are poor and people of color from being safe during the pandemic. “Today, like Jesus, we’re called to name injustice and do it with strength and conviction,” and without rancor or hostility, she said.
Name our Feelings
We are likely experiencing a number of feelings – fear of losing our loved ones or of contracting the virus and dying, as well as grief over the loss of loved ones or employment, and concern about the future. Sister Carol extensively quoted author Jack Kornfield, who spoke of the foolishness of fearing these emotions. “It’s important to hold the emotions and humanity of others with empathy – not trying to fix things simply holding them with gentle compassion,” Sister Carol said. She also recommended placing our own feelings in the hands of God or of Mary. “This is the formula for coming to a place of peace and healing.”
Faith in the Resurrection of Jesus
Sister Carol noted that many people during the pandemic will be confronted with the possibility of death, of mortality. “As those who see the resurrection of Jesus as the cornerstone of our faith, perhaps we might reframe the issue of challenge from dealing with the inevitability of our mortality to ponder the inevitability of our immortality” in Heaven, she said. Noting the fear that many have of entering Purgatory, Sister Carol pointed to the way that many Vatican II theologians understood it: “At the moment of our death, as we meet the All-Holy One, we become aware of our sinfulness in response to God’s holiness,” Sister Carol explained. “As we have this experience, we feel great sorrow and repentance. This purifies us and opens our way to eternal happiness.” She encouraged her listeners, when they are confronted with the possibility of dying during the pandemic, to be open to the bigger picture: “to the inevitability not only of our death but of the joy that will be ours.”