Young Observer got up close and personal with three of the Somersfield Academy students that travelled with Ms Stacey-Lee Williams to Indianapolis to participate in a Student Diversity Conference.

Ms Williams has been attending the National Association of Independent Schools, People of Color Conference and escorting students to the Student Diversity Leadership Conference for the past six years.

Ms Stacey-Lee Williams said: “For as long as I can remember, I have had a passion around issues of diversity and social justice. I am so grateful to Somersfield Academy for valuing diversity and giving me the opportunity to grow in this area.”

Tate Crofts, 14

Three words to describe the Conference experience: Awe-inspiring; sensational; moving; heart-wrenching; touching and extremely emotional.

Who was your favourite keynote speaker at the Conference?

Dr Michael Dyson was amazing and inspiring. I remember him probably because he was so gracefully blunt about all of the issues he spoke about and he really got through to me and I don’t know if it was just me, but I felt as if he was speaking straight to me.

Did the conference make you explore your own feelings?

Yes, it did as I realised that emotional and psychological disabilities can impact a person’s life majorly, similar to physical disabilities, but we talked a lot about how it is important to recognise this fact.

Also a major thing was how you may not realise it, but doing nothing when someone needs help is the same as hurting them and putting them into that position.

One of the hardest things is realising what you are doing and trying to recognise situations in which you are being an ally to the target and whether you are simply a bystander, which my group said is in some cases the same as the perpetrator.

What leadership skills did you learn?

That a leader doesn’t have to be well-known, revolutionary, etc. They can simply be the first person to step up and do something. Also, more than a single group of people can be monumental like the experience of feeling shared in the room and that age is not something to hold you back.

What will you take away from this experience?

Amazing new friends, having heard exceptional stories. I met so many new people all with something different. The knowledge that many things that distinguish people can sometimes go unseen but you should respect them never the less. Eye-opening opportunities and lessons learned and the realisation that there are some absolutely wonderful people and that judge-free zones can actually exist where everyone accepts you and at the end of two days know you better than some of your friends you have known forever.

What are your thoughts on ability relations in Bermuda?

The fact that it was so shocking for me talking about the issues and discussing them, I think sort of shows that children in Bermuda definitely live in a dome of ignorance.

Not saying that we don’t know or hear about them, but it is nothing at all like feeling them or meeting people so charged by them that it has impacted their whole lives.

It was such a humbling experience and I feel so unbelievably connected with all of them after only two days, it’s crazy, but it happened and it’s the result of having a space so open and judgement free that I think I learned more in two very emotional days about the world’s problems than I could have if I’d read every single newspaper, social media post, etc.

Hana Bushara, 15

Three words to describe conference experience: Enlightening, life-changing, accepting.

Which keynote speaking did you like and why?

Michael Eric Dyson was perhaps the best keynote speaker I have ever heard in my life. His passion just radiated throughout the entire speech and he really got the audience listening.

Too often have I listened to speeches where the speaker is saying things, but they’re not really “saying” anything. I thoroughly enjoyed Dr Dyson’s speech because he managed to get the 3,000 people sitting in that room to think critically, and question the society that we are living in right now. Many issues that we are facing have been left unsolved, and we cannot settle until that is no longer the case.

Did the conference make you explore your own racial and ethnic identities?

Overall, the conference just empowered me to be proud of who I was, and to embrace the many racial and ethnic identities that I carry. I went to both the African American/Black and International Affinity groups, and I just felt a sense of pride to be a part of those families. SDLC really and truly was just a big family reunion. There was so much love and support and I am just so proud of the person that I am, and so blessed to have met so many amazing people.

What leadership skills did you learn?

I learned that leadership does not mean that you are standing at a higher position than someone else. Being a leader means you are also a listener. We had these things called “Community Norms” posted on each conference room to remind us of ways we can be more effective learners. One of the norms was to “Listen, listen, listen, and process”. I think that is one mistake some leaders make, is that they believe that if they do not have all the answers, they’re not doing their job.

Part of being someone who leads is also learning how to be someone who follows, and learns. My biggest takeaway in terms of leadership skills is that everyone leads in their own way. A loud voice is a great thing but a quiet voice shouldn’t be left unrecognised. Everyone has something great to bring to the table.

What will you take away from the experience?

There are so many things. I could quite honestly take about ten pages discussing the things I learned the first day. One of the most eye-opening things I learned is when we were doing an exercise on socio economic status. I won’t explain the exercise in detail but after we were finished, I just realised the amount of privilege that I have been given. It is easy to forget how much you have when you are at the top of the spectrum, so we, as people of privilege, must do our best to uplift and empower those who face more adversities.

Jackie Costello, 14

Who was your favourite keynote speaker?

One of my favourite speakers was Michael Eric Dyson. He understood how to intrigue you and explained things that many adults try to hide from us just because we are younger.

He spoke with passion and excitement and debated events that have occurred in modern-day times. Dyson didn’t just focus on what was happening, but also the fact we have to do something before it escalates.

During the conference, one of the main identifiers focused on was gender. Not just male, female but also feminine and masculine. We did an activity where you stood in the room and on one wall was a sign that said female, and feminine and the opposite side of the room had male and masculine. The facilitators asked questions and each students had to place themselves on the spectrum where they felt they viewed themselves and where society views them.

I learned how to be role accepting of others ideas and beliefs. I also learned how saying certain things can affect people even if you don’t mean for it to.

What will you take away from the experience?

I will have great memories from this experience. I also made great friends. Even though it was only a two-day conference, all of us had grown so close. It just shows that people from different places can come together as one.

What are your thoughts on gender in Bermuda?

Women are now responsible for most everyday domestic jobs in Bermuda, they are widely represented in all aspects of business and the professions. However, most senior executives or managers are still males. But women still continue to fight for the higher-level jobs and have made great progress. Men and women are given the same rights in our law. Men and women should be given the same opportunities and same jobs if they are both qualified.