In May of 2020, as national protests erupted surrounding the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, many institutions responded to what would be a global reckoning with systemic racism through public statements. At Newark Academy we engaged in a series of meetings and honest conversations with our Black students and alumni on race, equity and social justice. These discussions culminated in NA’s Equity and Inclusion Summit that took place on July 1 and 2, when we listened and learned from students, parents, alumni, faculty and staff.
Following the Equity Inclusion Summit, which garnered the participation of a wide range of community members, the Director of Equity and Inclusion submitted a letter on July 24, which outlined eight action steps that NA has committed to achieving by the end of the fall 2020-2021 academic year. These actions included the 12 key recommendations and 60 strategies that came out of the Summit as well as the school's pre-Summit commitments to equity and inclusion.
As recommended by the Summit participants, we have developed a system of accountability for the list of actions that Newark Academy is taking in order to address institutional racism and social injustice. The living document and quarterly reports on this page outline our progress in cultivating a more equitable and inclusive community at Newark Academy.