Students from three private schools have explored the issue of privilege during an event at Somersfield Academy celebrating diversity.

Factors such as race, gender, wealth, religion and sexual orientation were all raised as possible influencers on how far people are able to go in life to be successful.

International facilitator, trainer and activist Rodney Glasgow led the discussions before passing the baton on to the students.

Mr Glasgow used the recent US election as a way to highlight how the world began paying attention to those in society who have been left behind, with President Donald Trump placing them at the centre of his campaign platform.

Mr Glasgow believes that once elected, Mr Trump has demonstrated his interests lay in protecting the elite. However, he said at least the election highlighted those disadvantaged sectors who felt their voices were not being heard.

Mr Glasgow, chief diversity officer at St Andrew’s Episcopal School in Maryland, told The Royal Gazette: “This morning I talked a lot about conservatism and all the different pieces of that — not so much about Donald Trump himself but the millions of people who were inspired by him because we forgot about groups of people who are disadvantaged.

“He created a conversation for them. In my opinion that is how he got elected — he was paying attention to a group of people we forgot to pay attention to.

“Personally, I think it was just a platform and a strategy and a very good one because it worked but I think we are seeing now that really his focus is on the elite and making sure that the elite continue to progress.

“I am sad to see it but am not surprised. He tapped a group of people who needed a leader. However, it started a conversation so the best thing from this presidency is we now see the work that needs to be done, We know the issues that are out there — and if you are saying racism, sexism, classism doesn’t exist then you are choosing not to see it because it is so out front right now.”

During the morning exercise, two walls in the auditorium at Somersfield represented different stages of success in life. The students placed themselves in different groups representing varying access to success. Those with the least access were at the back of the class and those with the most were at the front. Then Mr Glasgow asked them to run to the farthest wall, representing success and wealth, which helped to demonstrate how much harder it was for those less advantaged.

“I asked the question, ‘do you know what you are passionate about’ and there were a variety of different things from race to gender to religion to immigration issues,” Mr Glasgow said. “What we are doing today is finding how to channel that into the right places.

“The far wall was success and the middle wall was a barrier and some people got caught behind the barrier due to a lack of privilege.

“They hit on the fact that this is a generational thing so I need to get as far as I can, then my kids can get a little farther than me and that is how it happens. Very few people jump from the back wall to the front — it’s incremental.

“The stereotypes that come when people don’t try to get to the wall or get stuck in the back, is it because they are lazy or don’t have the skills — that activity showed that it is just because it is more difficult.”

Students gave their testimonies on the diversity exercise

Yusef Bushara, 15

Somersfield Academy

“[Rodney] is a fascinating man. This provides students with a space to express themselves without feeling judged — that is the entire idea behind the Diversity Day.

“You can talk about what really matters to you in a safe space. The primary thing that we talked about this morning was privilege. It was outlining how we can all come from a private setting because we have Warwick, BHS and Somersfield but we are not all in the same situation.

“We had groups representing social classes all within the private school setting. Rodney said on the count of three, everyone to sprint to the wall and it was easier for the people that were in the privileged group to get to the wall. In December, six of us attended a student diversity leadership conference and that epitomised what we are talking about today. We talked about social justice and activism and anything of that nature — they have that every year and Rodney was one of the co-founders of the conference. We had guest speakers and Congressman John Lewis there talking about race. It was amazing.

“We have a lot of close-minded people in Bermuda so by having events such as this I think it can help to open all of their eyes.”

Makasia Baisden, 15

BHS

“It is really important to hear other people’s opinions and just understand different privileges people have. You can see that even though we are in different groups we are all the same and can come together and talk about things together.

“It is important to talk about it — people can cover it up all the time and think that race doesn’t matter so I think it is important. People that have the good privileges say it is not important.

“I just have it, it is in my family and people who don’t have it wish to have it and they never know how it feels to have it.

“I ran to the wall — I don’t give up on my dreams and goals that I have, I didn’t want the barrier to stop me doing what I believe in.

“It’s really important to learn about this when you are young because when you are older you have already made up your mind.”

Gabrielle Madeiros, 16

Somersfield Academy

“It gives you an idea of where certain people stand just from simple things that we all might take for granted.

“It is really eye-opening to see the little things that can hold us back as people from our success or getting to the wall.

“Depending on the race they are, the connections you may have in terms of getting a job because your family has connections with other families, inheritance of wealth and property that automatically gives you an edge over the person who may not have as much as you.

“We were talking about what we were passionate about and I said Black Lives Matter movement, feminism and equality in general — that is what I really stand for.”