Former Hellenic Academy Pupil's Open Letter To Board On Cancellation Of Racism Debates {Full Text]

OPEN LETTER TO THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS AND THE LEADERSHIP OF THE HELLENIC ACADEMY, ZIMBABWE FOLLOWING THE CANCELLATION OF RACISM DEBATES

The murder of George Floyd at the hands of the police in the USA has dominated headlines around the world.

Not only was it horrific to see a man’s life taken away so cruelly, but it has also since sparked long-needed discussions and debates about continuing systemic racism in society.

Black people are being discriminated against, mistreated and even murdered merely because they are black, leading to worldwide protests demanding systemic change, and an end to police brutality and institutional racism.

This may seem a world away from the Academy, sheltered in Zimbabwe, but this is an important period of global social awakening and is a period we cannot allow to pass us by without learning important lessons.

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Last week, I was invited by fellow Academy alumni to sit on a multi-racial panel of former Academy students, discussing the issue of racism with Upper 6 students at the Academy.

Our intention was to use our post-Hellenic experiences to help educate our young adults about the intricacies and effect of racism before they leave to go out into the world. The panel firmly believes that we, as young adults, have an incredibly important role in re-shaping society and really making a difference.

We have the ability to address and dismantle the ever-present racial divide and racial issues that are so clearly present around the world.

There is no better time to speak out and to use our various platforms to incite the change we so desperately need in the world today.

As is common knowledge, Hellenic Academy is a school almost exclusively comprised of white, middle-to-upper class students, hailing from privileged backgrounds (myself included) within a country made up of 99% black Africans.

It was therefore to our great dismay and shock when we were informed that the administrative leadership of Hellenic Academy had cancelled these scheduled panel discussions, over concerns about their timing and the potential ‘backlash’ such talks may result in.

The fact that many hours were put into preparation for these talks notwithstanding, I find it extremely disappointing and morally incorrect that the Academy would take to stifling the voices of young people (of different races) who are attempting to help free the Academy and the world of racism.

These discussions were never intended to be a soapbox from which to bash the Academy, nor be a blame game or a “black vs white shouting match,” but rather a fact-based and driven discussion, with a chance for informative debates from young adults who have chosen to take a stand.

Personally, I hoped to use this platform to try to educate fellow young, white people on how we can use our positions of privilege in society to effect change.

I had also planned to discuss in-depth how vital it is that white young adults in particular, who are entering the “real world” understand how to address and tackle racism in their social circles.

Further, to impress the importance of self-education on the topic of white privilege, and what it means to be an ally to black people who suffer from express or implied racism on a daily basis.

In my opinion, that cancellation of these discussions is a huge missed opportunity by the Hellenic Academy to make a stand for a better future.

The students will surely be worse-off as a result. As a school, it is your duty to provide students with the resources needed to educate themselves, not just academically through traditional teaching methods, but socially educate them as well, utilising a range of sources, including willing alumni keen to see their school flourish.

Modern education is no longer just about teaching students how to pass exams, but rather should be focused at producing well-rounded you people who are ready and capable to make a difference in society.

The Academy has a duty to ensure this, regardless of whatever perceived “backlash” it believes it may face.

Paramount to anything else in this world, we are all humans.

During my time at the Academy, which I thoroughly enjoyed, I was always taught that we should go out into the world and be kind, loving people who are ambassadors to our families, our school and our country.

This is me attempting to do that now, I hope that the Academy will recognise and understand that.

Finally, I want to plead with and urge the Board of Governors and the Hellenic Academy leadership to allow our discussions to go ahead and to make them available to ALL STUDENTS and to any incoming students, rather than the few students we were initially speaking with.

Please help us to be the people you have always wanted us to be!

We eagerly await your response.

Adam Theofilatos Hellenic Academy Class of 2014