“Students and educators, welcome to Disneyland, and from here, the view is beautiful,” declared co-chairman Rodney Glasgow to the audience during the opening ceremony of the National Association of Independent Schools’ (NAIS) People of Color Conference/Student Diversity Leadership Conference (PoCC/SDLC) in Anaheim, California.

Seven members of the Hill community (Diversity Coordinator Brandon Jacobs ‘07, Chemistry Instructor Emily Garvin, Anya Gupta ’18, Alice Nguyen ’18, Sage Swaby ’18, Sarah Gbadebo ’19, and Heaven Smith ’19) arrived in Anaheim on November 29 for the conference, along with around 6,000 other participants – the greatest number of attendees since the conference was founded 30 years ago.

The conference boasted an impressive lineup of speakers, including Dr. Kimberlé Crenshaw, the leading scholar of critical race theory who introduced and developed the concept of intersectionality, DeRay Mckesson, an advocate for Black Lives Matter, and Ta-Nehisi Coates, author of The New York Times’ bestseller Between the World and Me.

With intersectionality as its central theme, the conference weaved together speakers, workshops, and affinity groups. It  provides a three-day program aimed to challenge the status quo, drive professional and personal growth, and develop as well as renew a culture of racial equity, social justice, and inclusion in private schools.

Hill first participated in SDLC in 2013. Ever since, faculty members and students have taken on more roles at the conference. This year, Jacobs gave a presentation on recruiting, recognizing, and retaining faculty members of color at private schools. This  was a follow-up to a presentation given two years ago at PoCC/SDLC in 2015.

Typically, 5th and 6th formers are chosen to attend the conference every year. Gupta attended both SDLC ’16 and ’17.

When asked about her return to SDLC, she expressed that her experience last year was “amazing.” She wanted to continue learning about her own intersectionality, multifaceted oppression, and to learn more from other people.

Maddie Hikida, a senior at the Dalton School in New York, emphasized the role of SDLC’s affinity groups, stating that it is “a unique opportunity to see so many people like you, all in one room.”

SDLC in particular, and PoCC in general, has inspired many changes in Hill legislation. The most recent initiatives regard diversity at Hill, such as the Inclusion Statement, Inclusion Task Force, Diversity Week, and the Inclusion Council.

Now the agenda includes future work, activities, and advocacy across the frontlines of civil rights. This work is important for organizations including Hill’s Advocates for Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (HASOGI) and Students Advocating For Equality (SAFE), is on the agenda.

“We can talk about intersectionality a lot more on campus,” Gupta said.

All participants hope to bring certain aspects of SDLC back to Hill, whether it is affinity groups, spectrum exercises, or frames for discourse.