This petition was put together by a group of over fifty current students and alumni as a direct response to Hebron Academy’s Instagram posts on June 4th, 2020, in addition to a tone-deaf post made the previous day regarding “diversity and inclusion” without mention of the ongoing police brutality being committed across the country. The Hebron community demands better from Dan Marchetti and the Hebron Academy Board of Trustees in addressing the Black Lives Matter movement.

This past week, while millions across America and worldwide protested for an end to police brutality and justice for Black lives lost, Hebron Academy continued to post its normal self-promotional content on social media platforms with no acknowledgment of the current climate. Finally, on June 3, Hebron Academy made a vague post on Instagram regarding “diversity and inclusion” without any mention of Black lives, police brutality, white supremacy, or plans of action in solidarity with Black lives. Pushback from students and alumni on this post resulted in a second post on June 4. This second post better acknowledged the cultural climate but did not meet the expectations of the community to take responsibility for the inappropriate response and failed to produce a comprehensive action plan. The subsequent editing of the Instagram link without notice of change or apology solidified this response as nothing more than performative activism. The Instagram post appeared to be hasty and a simple fix to the backlash that the administrative post received on their initial, deeply disappointing response. 

It is time to acknowledge that Hebron Academy prides itself on “diversity and inclusion,” yet it caters to the white experience, and that must change now. As an institution that provides education and housing to Black students, it is your responsibility to take action to make Hebron a safer and more inclusive environment. To do anything other than being ACTIVELY ANTI-RACIST is to be complicit in a system that is built to marginalize and disenfranchise Black people.

We want to take a moment to specifically address Headmaster Dan Marchetti. To commit to being anti-racist is to understand that as white folks, unlearning racism and complicity is an ongoing process. No ally (or institution) is perfect, but we must strive to be as close to that as possible. Acknowledging our mistakes and imperfections is how we grow as a community and as allies. We do not want you to retreat. We ask that you use this as an opportunity to acknowledge a mistake, and to join us in this movement. This begins with the following demands:

1.) An apology issued to the Hebron community for the administration’s initial response and formal recognition of the Black Lives Matter movement.
2.) A comprehensive update on the Albert Lepage Center for Diversity and Inclusion, which was to be established in 2016 using a portion of the $10 million that was donated to the school by Albert Lepage. Hebron vowed to hire a director who would “be tasked with coordinating and implementing how Hebron values and commits to the diversity of thought, people, and ideas; provide support for the recruiting, hiring, and mentoring of minority faculty and administrators; support financial aid, with the goal of making the school affordable to a broad range of families.” No such action has been taken. (Source: https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/hebron-academy-receives-10-million-for-centers-for-diversity-arts
3.) Anti-racist training for all staff, faculty, and students. Hebron Academy must be held responsible for creating a safe space for Black students to exist, grow, learn, and be kids. This program must also be made accessible to all students and alumni who request to view it. 
4.) Invest time and resources into the Respect Team and allow their voices to help create a comprehensive action plan to combat racism at Hebron. This is meant to encourage space to cultivate meaningful dialogue and to hold the community accountable. We encourage consistently updating the Hebron community on the team’s activity. 
5.) Changes to class curriculums, particularly American History courses, to include more Black voices. These courses must include unbiased education on topics such as white privilege and racism in the present day, and they must recognize that the history of Black America goes beyond slavery and the Civil Rights Movement. All classes must also include course-relevant education on and celebration of Black History Month. Hebron Academy must ensure that when such topics are taught, Black students do not feel tokenized or pressured to share personal experience. It must be abundantly clear that it is not the responsibility of Black students to educate their teachers or peers. 
6.) Media bias and media literacy training for all students and faculty. The consequences of these issues fuel racism and harm POC and Black individuals. Understanding and identifying racist language and flaws in the media, in addition to knowing how and where to find accurate information, is a key aspect of critical thinking and an important step in recognizing oppression through the media. This is essential to combating racism on campus.
7.) A more diverse faculty and staff at Hebron Academy. We cannot expect Black, Indigenous, and POC students to feel truly comfortable, welcome, or wanted without representation in their teachers, coaches, dorm parents, and mentors. Hebron must make an active and ongoing effort to seek out and hire Black, Indigenous, and POC faculty and staff members.
8.) Availability and enthusiasm from Dan Marchetti and the administration to meet directly with students as requested in relation to issues such as diversity and inclusion, and that he refrain from canceling said meetings.    
9.) Create a scholarship program for low-income Black students. This should include aid to both Black students who are athletes and to those who are not. 
10.) Finally, we demand that Hebron Academy chooses one of the following books to include as a common reading book for all Hebron Academy students and faculty for the 2020-2021 school year. This book must be announced with adequate time before the start of the new school year.

Booklist:
The Fire Next Time, James Baldwin 
White Fragility, Robin Diangelo
The New Jim Crow, Michelle Alexander
A People’s History of the United States, Howard Zinn
How to be an Antiracist, Ibram X. Kendi 
Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates
Becoming, Michelle Obama
So You Want to Talk about Race, Ijeoma Oluo 
Sister Outsider- Audre Lorde 
Me and White Supremacy- Layla F. Saad 

We sincerely thank all of the petition contributors. This petition is a reflection of collaborative organizing between several generations of Hebron students and alumni. Thank you all for reminding us what it means to be a part of this community.