Saint Mary’s School celebrated its 15th annual African American Read-In (AARI), in assembly in Saint Mary's Chapel, Monday, Feb. 6, 2023, produced and presented by the Black Student Union, the Bookmark Club, the Creative Writing Club, the English Department, and Kenan Library. The African American Read-In is a student-led annual event presented during Black History Month to highlight African American poets, activists, authors, musicians, artists, and others. This year’s theme is Black Girl Joy, A Celebration of African American Literature.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Saint Mary's
Saint Mary’s believes that inclusivity is an essential component of a learning community. Therefore, we are dedicated to creating an environment in which students, faculty, staff, families, and alumnae feel valued, respected, and known.
Engaging the leadership and members of its community to advance an equity-centered and culturally-competent educational experience, Saint Mary's has established several working groups to help advance diversity, equity, and inclusion at the school.
The Board's Community and Belonging Committee (formerly, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee) is chaired by trustees April Browne ’88HS ’91C and Maura Moylan Sullivan ’87HS, works directly with school leadership to address issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, and established policies and practices to support DEI.
The Diversity Alliance, comprised of trustees, alumnae, parents, students, faculty, and staff, provides a wider perspective on issues of DEI to Interim Head of School Adam Holden, Ed.D. Saint Mary's DEI Taskforce, is comprised of three groups: students, faculty and staff, and current parents. The taskforce is home to the Inclusion Ambassador program, which pairs students with each school department to advance DEI initiatives schoolwide.
Related Student Organizations
- Black Student Union
- Equity Club
- HOLA Hispanic Or Latinx Affinity Group
- LGBTQIA+ Alliance
- Student DEI Taskforce Members
- Student Inclusion Ambassadors
Student Conferences
- Annual National Association of Independent Schools Student Diversity Leadership Conference
- Annual Triangle Diversity Alliance (TDA) Conference
Contact Us
Tai Hinkins, Ed.D.
Director of Learning Support Services
DEI News
Saint Mary’s students, faculty, and staff celebrated the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during a day of observation, learning, and service, Jan. 16, 2023. From keynote speaker Stephanie Woolley-Pigues, aunt of Chloe Pigues ’23, to empowering workshops by various women who demonstrate excellence in their careers, to an artistic Stars of Hope community service project, this commemoration touched the hearts and minds of each member of the Saint Mary’s community. In this article, Belles student newspaper staff members describe their takeaways from some of the sessions.
SAINT MARY'S NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY
Saint Mary’s School admits girls of any race, religion, national or ethnic origin, disability, or sexual orientation to all of the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to our students. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national and ethnic origin, or sexual orientation in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, financial aid programs, or athletic and other school programs.