Mensaje del Presidente de STA sobre el racismo y la intolerancia

Enero 24, 2023

Estimada comunidad STA,

The faculty and staff of St. Teresa’s Academy are fortunate to be entrusted with educating intelligent, kind and compassionate young women. Parents of our students are to be congratulated for raising such wonderful Stars! Every day our diverse student body exemplifies the charism of our founders, the Sisters of St. Joseph, to love God and love the dear neighbor without distinction. Although the outside world can be very polarizing, at STA we welcome and foster inclusion for all.

As the Academy’s president, I want to emphatically state that we have no room for hatred, racism or intolerance. It is heartening to see our students celebrate diversity and love of the dear neighbor. This afternoon, the principals and I had the pleasure of listening to Honors Spanish students propose the creation of a campus-based artistic mural that will reflect our Catholic core values and celebrate diversity and love. More details will follow in which you will learn how these inspiring students are working to further unite our community. As we look forward to honoring Catholic Schools Week, their faith-filled collaboration is something to celebrate.

While we and other schools around the Kansas City area have many triumphs, we also are troubled by a rise in shameful racist and antisemitic activity in our institutions of learning – both public and private, religious and secular, and on both sides of the state line. In short, no one is immune. At STA, we are taking determined steps and proactively communicating with students and our broader community to address issues of racism and intolerance. In fact, just yesterday I met with Nicole Smith, who is STA’s Director of Equity and Inclusive Education, and representatives from the Jewish Community Relations Bureau (JCRB|AJC), an organization dedicated to combating antisemitism, discrimination and all forms of hate. We had a fantastic planning meeting about their efforts to educate and empower students and staff to combat antisemitism in schools. I am incredibly grateful to align with JCRB and all community partners whose work reflects our commitment to valuing the dignity of every human being.

At St. Teresa’s Academy, we will continue to choose love, not hate. We will choose to accept and appreciate differences, not reject them. We will welcome learning about cultures that are unlike ours, not close our eyes to them. And ultimately, we can choose whether we want to be agents of change, to stand up for and embrace others, and to strive to repair the world. These are but a few of the values we stand for. We aspire to instill in our students the importance of love, respect and inclusion as we lead and teach in times that are often troubling. Life is a journey of learning and growth. We are so grateful to be on this path with you, our STA community, as we guide our young women and work together to make our world a more accepting, safe, loving and welcoming place for everyone.

In the closing chapter of Anything of Which a Woman is Capable, a book authored by Sister Mary McGlone, CSJ, she details how the founding Sisters of St. Joseph responded to the call to make the great love of God present among diverse peoples. Likewise, at STA, we are committed to our legacy and the promise of inclusion while celebrating diversity and loving the dear neighbor without distinction.

God Bless,

Dr. Siabhan Mayo-Washington
President