Chapel and EDI :
An Elevator Pitch
By Keven Fletcher St . Michaels University School • Victoria , BC
Connections Note : Though the title says “ Chapel ,” the underlying message of this article speaks equally to the traditions , gatherings , and classrooms of secular communities .
Imagine a school that announces its solidarity with the physically disabled by proudly posting about the one week a year that it runs its elevators . Perhaps this community also makes room in every third assembly of the month for a leader who identifies as IBPOC . The same school might be particularly pleased about how it sets aside one day a week when students can follow a genderless uniform policy .
Those who care about EDI ( Equity , Diversity , Inclusion ) wouldn ’ t promote such a school as a beacon of hope . At best , it ’ s efforts would be described as token .
After all , it would be ridiculous to suggest that a disabled person ’ s environment becomes “ welcoming ” when they ’ re given a week off from dragging their chair up the stairs . Equally ludicrous is the notion that IBPOC students feel “ included ” when they ’ re not absent from the podium at every assembly . Similarly , do gender nonconforming students really sense that they “ belong ” because they only need to navigate a binary uniform code four times a week ?
Page 12 Summer 2022 CSEE Connections