Each term, Peddie hosts a “DEI Day,” dedicated to raising awareness and providing intriguing and educational workshops and talks centered around a certain theme. Some examples of the past include age, ability, socioeconomic class, etc. This fall term, the theme was “Gender and Gender Expression.”
Gender and gender expression is an incredibly nuanced topic that covers a very wide scope, opening opportunities for many different and unique workshops and talks, which were certainly provided this DEI day. The two broad subtopics presented included a discussion about gender norms and stereotypes, as well as gender expression. Workshops looked at beauty standards, stereotypes about gender roles, gender through the lens of sports or literature, and much more. Other workshops focused on gender expression and gender identity, discussing various forms of gender identity and helping to promote inclusivity and destigmatize the topic.
Gender is a very interesting topic in that it is so broad and has been a part of human history for so long, but there is still so much progress that can be made. Throughout history, gender norms and stereotypes have pervaded almost all of civilization. The general “traditional” ideals, summed up in simple terms, are that women are caretakers while men are providers, and this can lead to harmful stereotypes and expectations. In recent history, these norms have been challenged, and rightly so, but in the context of history, this is still a new development and progress can always be made in moving past toxic norms.
The idea of gender identity has also been prevalent in history but has gained much more awareness in the past few decades. Gender is one of the many ways individuals can choose to express themselves, and is a core part of identity, and doesn’t have to conform to birth-assigned sex. Over the past years, much awareness has been raised about this topic. The world is moving towards a more accepting and kind one each day, and society has made much progress with it, but there will always be many more opportunities for equity and justice as well.
This year’s DEI day, guest artist Anna Dugan was invited by Peddie, and she spent two days preparing for and live-painting a mural for the school. Her art celebrates “culture, honesty, and growth” and often includes portraits of other people, taking place over a large scale and time frame (though it was toned down slightly for her work for Peddie, as DEI day is a one-day event).
In her chapel talk in the morning, Dugan talked about how she didn’t have much opportunity to engage with the arts as a young child, also discussing the lack of representation in art. “My goals are to make art more accessible, to create more Filipino representation in public art, and to use art to weave emotional bonds within diverse communities,” she said, also discussing how art has the ability to unite those. Her ideals were made especially clear in the piece she presented at the end of the day:
Dugan’s piece was made up of nine cardboard boxes with a colorful abstract background, over which were portraits of various faces Dugan encountered at Peddie. It brings a sense of unity to the community and shows the simple magic of being seen, and essentially was a way to portray Peddie’s community through art. It was creative yet simple and truly captured the spirit of DEI day and Peddie in general. If you’re interested in more of Dugan’s work, her website can be found here!
Peddie also invited guest speaker and slam poet Andre Bradford (also known as S.C. Says) to give a talk at the end of the day; his website can be found here for those wishing to know more. Slam poetry is essentially spoken word poetry; in his speech, interspersed with his poems, Bradford imparted a powerful message of empathy and the power of spoken word through his speech and left the community with a beautiful message. According to him, “My mission is to use my poetry and story to cultivate transformative growth and inspire meaningful connections.”
Bradford discussed his experiences being biracial, topics of mental health, and the power of personal empathy, as well as the impact each has had on his life — and the impact that they could have on yours. There were funny moments, heavy moments, and bright, inspirational ones as well. In Bradford’s talk, he took the initiative to stretch out his hand and invite the viewers into his own life, connecting with the listener on a deeply personal level. He also invited the audience to think about what connects every one of us as humans, to consider the fact that we have always had more in common than differences. He created that unique connection that only art can provide; through using his platform, he promotes a transformative and impactful message, providing a truly great closing to DEI Day.
This fall term DEI Day has evidently been fun, exciting, and informative; full of learning opportunities, incredible guests, and diversity, equity, and inclusion, it’s no wonder that it proves itself one of the most important events of each term. After enjoying this term’s DEI Day, please look forward to next term’s, which will come sooner than you realize — consider dropping in a suggestion for the theme or even hosting a workshop!
