Everyone has affinity with someone. Students have affinity with sports teams, play casts, Thursday groups, even advisories. Affinity is about a common experience; it’s about connecting with others based on what you share.
This year, junior Asialy Bracey-Gardella and senior Serena Hodges have started an affinity group called Common Ground for students of color at St. Paul Academy and Summit School. Students were invited by Gaggle email in early October to meet a few times a week and discuss race related issues, work on homework, etc.
The group’s first meeting was on Wednesday, Oct. 10 at during x-period in the biology classroom in which they planned what the group hoped to do moving forward. “It’s made as a place for people of color to come and talk about certain things that may not necessarily apply to any of the students that are white.” Bracey-Gardella said.
The group is described by members and leaders as a support group for the students who identify themselves as a person of color and who wish to share their experiences related to that identity in a safe environment. But by safe, they don’t mean free of danger or harassment, group leaders already consider SPA an environment that is primarily free of harsh or offensive disagreement, if any. Safe in this context means an understanding environment, where no one is put in an uncomfortable position.
Leaders of Common Groundinsist that the group is not about exclusion “Students of color in particular have often shared a different experience than most traditional students here, and most traditional families. For me, what I would want to emphasize is that it’s just like any other group. You know people talk about the Gay Straight Alliance or Intercultural Club…it’s very similar. It’s just being structured because it’s a unique community in our school,” Common Ground advisor Karen Dye said. Other group advisors include Upper School Chemistry teacher Carmen Vanegas and US History teacher Sushmita Hodges.
As far as affinity groups go, SPA is not alone in creating one—or several. In fact, it is a little behind. Independent schools including Blake and Breck have multiple affinity groups for students of color. “The majority of schools that I talk to have some sort of affinity group. It kind of surprises me that some schools have multiple affinity groups, and we don’t,” Dye said.
Breck has had an affinity group for five years, and they deem themselves successful due to the “chill, welcoming, serious, non judgmental and open minded” nature and environment of the group, said affinity group advisor Nailah Hill. The goal of the Breck affinity group is “to understand and discuss problems or issues in [their] school communities as well as communities outside of the school” Hill said.
Common Ground is a support group, but despite its benevolent intentions, students are not happy about the exclusive element to it all. Senior Dominic Dingess was one of the several students that found the group inappropriate. “It doesn’t seem right to me to have a student group where only people who are minorities are allowed…I mean they’re just getting together to do homework and stuff like that but it just doesn’t seem right to have exclusion within the group,” Dingess said.
Despite opposition, group leaders stand by their decision to start this possible milestone for SPA.“People can think what they like…I mean I can’t tell people what to think…but what you have to know is that it’s not made to exclude white students,” Bracey-Gardella said.
Dye added that “[The affinity group] is fully supported by [Head of School] Bryn [Roberts] and by Dean [of students Judy] Cummins. There’s a lot of evidence—statistical research, actually—that shows that schools with affinity groups have students of color that are much more successful because of that support system.” she said.
Moving forward, leaders hope to educate students on what affinity groups really stand for: to foster a supportive environment for those who identify themselves as students of color and wish to share their experiences related to this specific affinity. Common ground meets every other Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. in varying locations.