Atrium’s Essential Understandings of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice

A Community Process

Throughout Atrium’s history, the spirit of social responsibility has been foundational to the values of the school. Conveyed through today’s language of “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice” (DEIJ), these values are woven throughout many facets of the school and embedded in the strategic priorities. To establish a collective meaning of these values in 2022, Atrium’s inaugural Director of Equity & Curriculum, Simone Miles Esteves, led the community – including faculty and staff, students, families, trustees, the alumni community, and friends of Atrium – through a series of collaborative, iterative discussion and listening sessions. In these sessions, community members shared individual interpretations, commonalities and discrepancies were recognized and reconciled, and common understandings were ultimately established. The ideas from each constituency group were then merged to create community-wide understandings that can be applied to the work that is done across the school in measurable, accountable ways.

Diversity

Diversity is the presence of various observable and internal human identifiers within a population. Diversity is the complexity of humanity while exhibiting both held-in-common and variable voices and perspectives within each group. It is important to note that diversity is often quantifiable, and in its simplest form, diversity asks the question, “How many?”

Diversity is not synonymous with or code for non-dominant groups. In fact, diversity must consider all groups and the intersectionality of identities. Diversity alone does not confirm that the work of equity, inclusion, or justice is being done.

Equity

Equity is the outcome of consistently evaluated and reassessed policies, practices, procedures, and systems that simultaneously maintain action and ongoing aspiration in an effort to ensure that the resources and opportunities necessary for success are accessible to all people. Equity is not synonymous with equality; distinctions in lived experiences, historical implications, and individual needs must be acknowledged, considered, and centered so that privilege is mitigated and barriers to success are eliminated for all.

Inclusion

Inclusion is a sense of membership and belonging that is the result of a culture that allows all people to see themselves reflected within and throughout the institution. It creates a space where a diverse group of people feel valued and heard within the umbrella of one community and entitled to participate in processes, activities, and decision-making in a way that shares power.

Inclusion allows for all to participate in the building, dissolution, and continual questioning of systems, structures, and beliefs in order to remove and rectify barriers, and builds an equitable community for all. Existing power and privilege are acknowledged, and extra steps are taken to share that power and amplify the voices of marginalized perspectives. Inclusion highlights the value in the occasional discomfort of biases being challenged. In an inclusive space, the whole of each individual, including unique strengths, nuances, challenges, gifts, and talents, make up the fabric of the community.

Justice

Justice is a systemic approach to accountability and repair required to make restitution when harm is done to individuals, groups, or locations in ways that limit or damage their identity, dignity, or ability to thrive. In its various forms – social, distributive, environmental, restorative, retributive, and procedural – justice recognizes that the legacy of past injustices remains all around us.

While justice is not revenge, it is a rebalancing and ensures that transgressions towards individuals or groups are addressed in a manner that restores the balance of power, human and civil rights, respect, and dignity. Within a just space, a culture is established that nurtures the desire of individuals to contribute to the maintenance of justice – every person is responsible and accountable for their contributions and impact on the community and the world. Systems of justice are rooted in action and support the desire to move towards a better future.