Grant Spotlight: So You Want to Talk About Race Book Club

With the support of a grant from the Melrose Ed Foundation, MHS English Teachers Arielle Gillette and Robin Loewald lead a book club to engage students in thinking about racial equity.

Amidst all the unknown of this past summer, Melrose High School English teachers Robin Loewald and Arielle Gillette continued to bring forward the important work of engaging students in conversations about racial equity. True to their language arts teaching focus, they received a grant from the Melrose Ed Foundation to create a 5-week Summer Book Club for students, reading and engaging in facilitated conversations about racial equity and the book So You Want to Talk About Race, by Ijeoma Oluo. Check out the reflection on this experience from these dynamic teachers and their students.

From the teachers:

"The book club was an incredible experience for all of us, learning together as students worked through their understanding of race and we facilitated those conversations. Nineteen students participated in weekly Google Meets circles. After reading on their own before each meeting, the students really pushed each others' thinking and our own in the conversations we had. We so appreciate the Ed Foundation's support in helping us to make this opportunity possible!"

From the students:

"I think my main takeaway is that I had a lot to learn coming into this and that I will always have more to learn coming out of this. This book club made me realize just how prevalent racism is, how it is a privilege if you can ignore it, and that there is something I can do to make a difference."

"I want to work with teachers to develop a more comprehensive and non-whitewashed history that includes lessons on how systemic racism developed and lead to the extreme disparities that we have today."

"In this book club, I liked the no shame reflection and the environment that taught us how to listen."

"The teachers did an amazing job hosting this book club. They created a safe space for everyone to speak their mind and ask questions."