Our Town Shows Up ‘Jaws’ Star
Dear Leading Ladies,
It was both ironic and serendipitous that Tuesday evening’s program about dealing with discrimination in our community was presented by the Beverly Department of Education and The Cabot Theater just three days after “The Dreyfuss Affair.”
If you somehow missed the news, the short version is that actor Richard Dreyfuss was the special guest at an event at The Cabot billed as “An Evening with Richard Dreyfuss + Jaws Screening.” What was expected to be an entertaining, fun, family event turned ugly when Dreyfuss’s behavior and remarks veered into the homophobic, transphobic, and sexist, and also impugned the #MeToo movement as well as the Academy Awards’ efforts toward inclusivity. Audience members were offended and many left. Casey Soward, executive director of The Cabot, has since offered an apology to the audience and the community, reaffirming the theater’s commitment to being a welcoming and inclusive organization, and making it clear that Dreyfuss’s expressed views are not shared by The Cabot.
As a large group gathered in the theater on Tuesday to consider how discrimination appears in our community and what to do about it, the recent “Dreyfuss Affair” was on many minds. Soward addressed the elephant in the room in his welcome to the audience. His acknowledgment helped set the tone and message for the evening: conversations about isms and phobias can be difficult and messy, but change will happen only if we are willing to have those conversations. Kudos to The Cabot and Casey.
Dr. Andre Morgan, director of opportunity, access, and equity for the Beverly Public Schools, and Dr. Dorothy Flaherty, assistant superintendent of schools in Beverly, moderated the discussion. Panelists included two Beverly High School students, an elementary school principal, a rabbi, the president of the North Shore NAACP, and the director of curriculum for humanities at Beverly High School.
Some takeaways about isms and phobias:
More than 200 isms and phobias have been identified, including ableism, ageism, antisemitism, islamophobia, racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, sizeism, classism, elitism.
The seemingly endless list indicates the need for conversation and education in order to fight the divisiveness and belittling that results.
Those who victimize with isms or phobias act out of fear, lack of knowledge, or being confronted with things counter to their beliefs.
Being a victim of an ism or phobia causes sadness, feelings of not belonging, and anger.
Photo Credit: Freepik
What can we do differently:
Educators need to be ready to have conversations in their classrooms about isms and phobias.
Teachers need support to have these difficult conversations, such as professional development workshops that help them understand their own biases and how to share with students.
These conversations need to be structured so people – and, particularly victims – feel their voices are acknowledged and welcome; that their human dignity is respected; and that what they feel is okay.
Students need to be educated about the history that gave rise to the practices and then the isms and phobias. For example, the discovery of the many covenants in our area that prevented the sale of deeds to Black people. We all need to understand where isms and phobias stem from before we can dismantle them.
Teachers need to be taught accurate history in order to teach their students.
Students need to see themselves represented in their books and educational materials – in terms of gender, race, color, size, and more. Students notice and, consequently, feel either included or excluded.
Teachers and school personnel need to be proactive rather than reactive. They need to be prepared and confident to deal with isms and phobias in the classroom and on the playground or playing field. Mistakes will be made, but it is still better to have a messy conversation than none at all.
Restorative justice needs to guide responses. Restorative justice examines the harmful impact of an act and then determines what can be done to repair that harm while holding the person who caused it accountable for his or her actions. It’s less about punishment and more about atonement.
Parents need to be involved, too. Opportunities for training in isms and phobias, and in having the difficult conversations, should be offered to them as well.
Some school department initiatives:
The Beverly School Department is working to increase diversity in its hiring.
The English Language Arts department in Beverly is broadening its curriculum so that all children see themselves reflected in materials.
Beverly’s English Learner program, which already offers services to parents who speak several languages other than English, are expanding their services to include parents from additional countries.
And here’s the big one! The Beverly High School Class of 2027 will be required to take a course on being a citizen of a democracy. This course will aim to prepare students to be informed, active members of a democracy. Before they complete the course, they will all be registered to vote.. This may sound like a low bar requirement for graduating from high school, especially to those of us who had such courses in the ‘60s, but these classes are woefully rare these days, making this exciting news.
Looking at the Bigger Picture:
In response to an audience question, the panelists advised those in attendance to get involved in political campaigns and tell candidates what we want them to do in order to earn our votes.
Spread the word about the power of voting, especially local voting. Counter-intuitively, fewer people vote locally even though local positions have the largest effect on our lives. (Think school committee, library directors, mayor.)
Dr. Morgan wrapped up the evening with a strong message. “If you really want to fight isms and phobias, you need to be willing to be comfortable with being uncomfortable, because that’s the only way to make change,” he stated. But you can’t do it alone, he emphasized. You need to collaborate and form partnerships with others. “Get people on your side in allyship to reach people that you may not be able to reach. People who look different from you.” Referencing an earlier question from the audience about whether the school department would be hanging a Pride flag in June, Dr. Morgan said, yes, they would hang a flag, but “putting up a Pride flag means you have to educate students and parents, too. You have to explain why you are doing it. And you have to know your ‘why’ if you are going to do something like put up a flag.”
As we read about the dissolution of inclusivity programs and positions in schools and states throughout the country, how encouraging and uplifting it was to hear about the forward thinking of educational leaders in Beverly. We went away filled with hope.
Share the good news.
Therese (she/her/hers)
Judy (she/her/hers)
Didi (she/her/hers)
Leading Ladies Executive Team