Once the GHAPS Curriculum Director Mary Jane Evink identified several like-minded people willing to participate in the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Committee the first meeting was scheduled. Please read the following email welcoming members to the DEIB Committee and inviting them to the first meeting.
According to the email above, the first meeting of the DEIB Committee clearly took place on August 5, 2021 from 12:30-3:30 in the ESC Board room. However, according to several administrators including GHAPS Superintendent Scott Grimes, the DEIB Committee was formed over 20 years ago.
In addition, the above email clearly states the name of the committee as Diversity, EQUITY, Inclusion and Belonging. However, the video indicates the E stands for EQUALITY, not Equity. This is interesting because there is a significant difference between the meaning of these two words. The video was not created until May 2022, when several parents began questioning the motives of the DEIB Committee. Perhaps the video sent to parents in an attempt to paint the DEIB Committee in a positive light, identified the E as Equality because DEIB Committee members knew that would make them sound better to parents. All together, these discrepancies are strange and create feelings of distrust.
In preparation for the first meeting of the DEIB Committee members were asked to watch several short videos/podcasts. These are different than the resources the DEIB Steering Committee members were asked to explore, but contain similar themes.
If you are familiar with Marxism, then you understand that Marxist teachings cover three primary topics; identity, injustice and activism (IIA). Like the resources the DEIB Steering Committee explored, these videos are simply a collection of Marxist lessons. Here are the links to the videos/podcasts referenced in the above email.
Just Belonging: Finding the Courage to Interrupt Bias featuring Korie Carew TED Talk
John Powell – Creating the Conditions for Belonging and Breathing in a Toxic Environment
Dr. Kimberle Crenshaw on Teaching the Truth About Critical Race Theory in America
After the DEIB Committee had met several times, a new member joined the team; Marc Eickholt, a soon-to-be board member. In an effort to bring Marc up to speed with the business of the committee, Mary Jane Evink sent the following email.
Perhaps the most interesting thing in the above email is that Mary Jane notes Scott Grimes affirms the work of the DEIB Committee. Remember Mary Jane Evink works for the Superintendent Scott Grimes who works for the school board who works for us, the voters in Grand Haven.