by Michaela Wang ’21, Staff Writer

Newark Academy strives to maintain “safe spaces” throughout school, where individuals or groups of people can feel confident that they will not be exposed to discrimination, criticism, harassment, or any other emotional or physical harm.  Whether it be through clubs or political discussions, Newark Academy students strive to listen to, comprehend, and be accepting of views that may contradict with their own.

However, what most students forget to consider is how inclusive Newark Academy is for teachers.The specific event that sparked this discussion was during the annual Pep Rally, where Dr. DiBianca and other faculty members knelt through the national anthem.  Refusing to stand during the national anthem, some have argued, displays protest towards America.  Last year, before the election of Donald Trump, Colin Kaepernick took to one knee during the national anthem when he played for the San Francisco 49ers, in order to protest police brutality against black Americans.  There was an overwhelming uproar, since many people believed that kneeling during the national anthem was an unacceptable way to draw attention to social issues, finding it specifically disrespectful to the brave heroes who died in service for the United States.  

Soon after the Pep Rally, Mr. Austin discussed the faculty members who knelt. He also discussed previously expressing his opinion on gun control, pressing his opinion on the whole school when there are a multitude of contrasting opinions.  Mr.  Austin indicated that teachers should not blatantly express their political opinions in consideration of students who might feel ostracized.  It seemed that, in trying to create a safe space for students, Mr. Austin was restricting teachers’ rights to safe spaces of their own. After morning meeting, students erupted into discussions surrounding freedom of expression for teachers.

I interviewed students about the right for teachers to express their views.  Three out of five of them said it was not appropriate for teachers to have knelt, and said teachers should not be able to freely voice their opinions.  Two out of the five students suggested that NA should allow all opinions, both for teachers and for students.  One of the students stated that political expression is an integral part of our school environment:  “As students, we should have access to a variety of resources that allow us to take stances on important issues. As long as opinions of faculty members do not negatively impact students, civil expression of political beliefs should not be thought of as taboo.”

One teacher told me:  “Due to the current political and social implications for standing or kneeling during the national anthem, either standing or kneeling becomes a political statement. Social justice is an important part of who we are as a school community.  People’s demonstration of their social justice values impacts the community and helps us develop into a more equitable space for people to learn and grow. When I see adults making those choices, it makes me think about my own beliefs and how they are being communicated through my actions in and outside of the classroom setting. It seemed to me that Mr. Austin wanted to make sure that adults’ political and/or social beliefs and demonstrations were not inadvertently marginalizing anyone else’s.”   As a teacher, this interviewee understood the perspective of the faculty who knelt, but also empathized with Mr. Austin.  What I found very interesting was that almost all the teachers I attempted to interview declined to share their opinions on the topic.  At first I was surprised — but then I realized how afraid teachers are of expressing their views now.  Does this seem like a safe space for the faculty of Newark Academy? 

People, in a way, are selfish, superficially assuming their opponents’ views to be foreign and outlandish since they themselves would never even fathom adopting those positions.  In reality, no matter if the opinion is from a teacher or a student, there are always going to be contradictions, and nobody has the ability to change another person’s opinion.  What any individual can change is the ability to understand others and maintain safe spaces throughout Newark Academy.  Whenever anyone, including teachers and students, open their mouth to express opinions, they should consider:  Will this make someone feel ostracized?  How should I express this in a sensitive, clear manner?  And ultimately, will this construct a safe space at Newark Academy?