There’s a new lesson being taught at Nichols Middle School in Evanston, but this time it’s for teachers.
According to a Dec. 17 story in The Wall Street Journal, the school has planned to follow teachings from Everyday Democracy, a Hartford, Connecticut-based social-justice group that recently claimed on its website that farmers markets are an emblem of white privilege.
The lesson underway at Nichols Middle School involves racial identity and affinity groups.
“For those unfamiliar, affinity groups are a group formed around a shared interest or common goal, to which individuals formally or informally belong,” a Nov. 14 email obtained by North Cook News and referenced in The Wall Street Journal article said.
The WSJ report identifies the sender of the email as Adrian Harries, principal of the Evanston school since 2015. In his message, Harries described the school as being on a “journey of equity” that will rely on teachings from Everyday Democracy.
“Affinity groups are an effective means through which people can explore and affirm aspects of their identity, as well as provide each other guidance and support for interacting with those who might not share, understand or respect that identity,” Harries said in the email.
He closed by giving room assignments for the lesson: “Staff that identifies as individuals of color will meet in Room 226” and “staff that identifies as white will meet in Room 126.”
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