Equity, Inclusion & Diversity

PWS statement against Systemic Racism
From the College of Teachers and the Equity, Inclusion and Diversity Mandate Group

Pasadena Waldorf School vows to stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and those who are fighting to end over 400 years of institutionalized racism, systemic violence, historic inequity and white supremacy. We understand that this work starts in our own school community. As we grieve the murder of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Christopher DeAndre Mitchell and most recently Anthony McClain by the Pasadena Police, we feel the pain, rage and calls for justice voiced by so many across this country and the world in the past months. We stand by our Black families at PWS.  We stand by the historically Black community of Altadena which has faced its own struggles with institutional racism and is grieving the loss of another Black man killed by police.

In this moment of global crisis, as we witness Black people disproportionately suffering and dying from the pandemic, we are called upon, with a sense of urgency, to face racism individually and as a community. That means committing --again and again -- to the work of dismantling racism and unconscious bias in ourselves, our organizations, and our society. We each have a role to play as educators, administrators, faculty, students, and parents.  PWS is committed to the ongoing process of concretely working to recognize and eradicate the structures of institutional racism that exist in our school.

We are striving to build a school that reflects the diverse communities of Los Angeles and the historically Black community of Altadena, including increasing Black faculty, staff and student body. We are working to renew a curriculum and festival life that does not perpetuate racism, white supremacy and historic injuries.

“In a racist society it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist.” – Angela Davis