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The latest incident involving graduates of Saint Francis High School in Mountain View is incredibly disheartening and upsetting to our Black American peers and the St. Francis community at large.
But given the history of non-inclusive practices and inaction at St. Francis, we can’t say we’re necessarily surprised by it.
To start, we appreciate the current administration taking steps to address the intersectional consequences of racism and sexism on campus.
Thank you for eliminating the work-study program, which socially and psychologically isolated and humiliated many students of color who came from lower-income backgrounds.
Thank you for backing student-led initiatives that have waited years to come about. The Black Student Union was never meant to exclude, but to give a platform for students who felt excluded in our community. New affinity groups were necessary because one “International Club” was never enough. “Safe Spaces” becoming the “Pride Student Alliance” was a leap forward, though we still can’t have a club that officially promotes feminism.
Looking ahead, there’s still plenty to be done. Here are a few suggestions.
Political views may differ, but recognize the difference between constructive debate and the reinforcement of discrimination. Allowing racist comments in the classroom because “they’re heard in the real world” only validates and perpetuates them.
Condemn both negative and positive stereotypes from students and teachers. Encourage students to pursue their passions, even if they contradict social norms.
While we can’t change our past, acknowledge harm caused by past actions, such as the 2016 “Diversity Liturgy” speech that exemplified the narrative of “us versus them.”
Respect LGBTQ+ individuals.
Emphasize consent in our sex-ed curriculum and follow through when you say that sexist behavior will not be tolerated.
Recognize mental health, neurodiversity and disability as things to accommodate for, not discriminate by.
Handle racist and sexist incidents transparently and reject racial biases when serving justice. Disregard athlete status when enforcing discipline, from dress code to assault.
Address racist and sexist behavior in the classroom, on the field and on social media.
As you have stated, changes begin with St. Francis’s educators and administrators. They must understand how racial, gender, socioeconomic and religious minorities face a range of challenges that impact their academic, social and mental well-being. Past students were hesitant to speak out, fearing ignorance or retaliation from students and administration. This must change.
Promote educators that reflect the Bay Area and your student population, who have increasingly diverse backgrounds and world views. Instead of teaching purely Catholic issues, emphasize moral Catholic approaches to contemporary universal issues in religion class and beyond.
Publicly donate to organizations fighting racial, socioeconomic and gender inequality in the Bay Area and nationwide.
Unabashedly say that Black Lives Matter.
Have open community discussions with your students, faculty and alumni. Listen to petitions, social media posts and other op-eds that discuss issues like anti-racist education, gender rights and sexism in-depth.
We recognize that teachers of diverse backgrounds and their allies have brought students hope, but let’s not be complacent to tokenize them — let’s bring more voices to the table. And while we appreciate the current administration for making progress, the most recent incident reveals the magnitude of long-standing issues on our campus that must be addressed.
While the school is not necessarily responsible for individuals’ actions, it is their job to foster an environment of inclusivity, intersectionality, and fighting for what is right, and to enforce that message.
Show us what it means to be Holy Cross.
In partnership,
The voices of over 100 students, former students, and alumni of SFHS.
P.S. Lift prior restraint of The Lancer so these perspectives can be in our own paper too.
Matthew Asuncion (a Sunnyvale resident, class of 2018), Camryn Kenney (Menlo Park, class of 2020), Tanya Menezes (San Jose, class of 2019), Mark Salinas (Milpitas, class of 2019), and Lauren Tankeh (San Carlos, class of 2018) are St. Francis High alumni.
The Voice accepts guest opinions of up to 600 words and letters to the editor of up to 300 words. Send signed op-eds and letters to letters@mv-voice.com by 5 p.m. Monday and noon on Tuesday, respectively.
The Voice accepts guest opinions of up to 600 words and letters to the editor of up to 300 words. Send signed op-eds and letters to letters@mv-voice.com by 5 p.m. Monday and noon on Tuesday, respectively.
The Voice accepts guest opinions of up to 600 words and letters to the editor of up to 300 words. Send signed op-eds and letters to letters@mv-voice.com by 5 p.m. Monday and noon on Tuesday, respectively.
I’m St. Francis, class of 1964, a different age. My classmates included a few Negroes (as then called), Catholic kids from East Palo Alto whose parents wanted to do a little better than Ravenswood. We – they – all got along fine. No racial invective, or calling out, that I ever heard.
I don’t know what the content of the instagram was, but expulsion is certainly appropriate. We had a student expelled during my time for writing a tasteless joke in a year book – ‘to a man who likes his women the way he likes his coffee – strong and . . .” You can guess the last word. Pretty tame stuff, but he was expelled. So there is some precedent.
However, if the Instagram posters were former students, I don’t understand the ruckus. The school is not responsible for all of the deeds or misdeeds of its graduates. That is a but beyond the charter.
I did not attend St. Francis. I, too, am in the dark about what was posted and by whom. But it does occur to me that St. Francis is a Catholic school that advances the views of the Catholic Church concerning appropriate societal roles and behavior. While churches are inclusive in the sense that they often seek more followers and financial supporters, the Catholic Church preaches and prescribes roles and behavior inconsistent with some social agendas and individual “rights.” If a church or private school promotes beliefs or values or behavior not consistent with your own, consider avoiding those institutions. You shouldn’t expect to learn much about the unequal treatment of females in society from a male Catholic priest. Women have a limited role in the Catholic Church and in the life promoted by the Church. As to race, most portrayals of Jesus in America present a white man – which would have been quite a miracle in the Middle East. Finally, if you think that learning about and from history is important, you might make a copy of this comment before it is flagged and censored.