Upper School Shines in Visual Arts and Activism
In the last week alone, School students, individually and collectively, exemplified the Brooklyn Friends School mission and ethos of developing critical thinking skills at both the IB Art Show and on the Fifth Annual Privilege Day. The IB Art show, the culmination of a rigorous two-year visual arts curriculum, officially opened on April 7 and will be on display at 116 Lawrence Street through May 12. Please plan to attend and view the personal portfolios of 17 graduating seniors, presented in a wide range of media.
Listen to a BFS Podcast that has interviews with student-artists and their teachers about the curriculum and the process for self-curating their exhibits at the show.
Privilege Day, planned by and for students, took place on April 12 and featured a series of workshops that addressed the ways in which different types of privilege are manifested in society and how we are all impacted by it. Students led and participated in learning and discussion on a range of topics, such as the damaging effects of popular culture in music and film, environmental racism, unethical animal testing, fragile and toxic masculinity, Islamophobia, and the pervasive 
effects of stereotyping young Black men and women, Asians, and Latinos. As an adult in our community, it was indeed a privilege for me to be in attendance on this day and witness the maturity, intellect, responsibility and accountability the BFS students demonstrate in response to the pressing issues in society today.
“I want to extend a special commendation to our students, especially those in our Youth Action Program, who planned and led a dynamic, comprehensive Privilege Day program,” said Head of School Sidney Bridges. “Thanks again to all of the students who designed and led workshops, to the faculty facilitators of YAP (Zenzile Keith, Jesse Phillips-Fein, and Brandon Roth) and to the Office of Equity and Inclusion (Orinthia Swindell and Russell Marsh) for their committed stewardship of this vital programming.”
Photos from Privilege Day
