Response to Recent Racial Injustices from the C&C Administrative Team

5/31/2020
C&C Administrative Team

May 31, 2020

 Dear C&C Community, 

The recent murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, and the racism endured by Christian Cooper in our very own Central Park, are weighing heavy on our hearts. These are only the most recent crimes and injustices committed against Black and Brown people, and they come at a time when Black and Brown people are already being disproportionately devastated by the pandemic and its secondary effects. 

Over the past few days, many students, faculty, and staff have expressed significant feelings of anger, fear, and confusion surrounding the recent cases of police brutality towards Black and Brown people in our country, and the powerful words they have shared in Group meetings and via email are felt across our community. Part of C&C’s mission reads, “Believing that education is fundamentally a social process, we strive to create a vital school community that supports each child’s innate passion for learning while also expanding their understanding of communities and cultures that exist beyond school and home.” This means that one of our fundamental goals is to help students to develop the tools, confidence, and sense of responsibility to advocate for social justice beyond the walls of C&C. Even though this school year has been different in ways we could never have imagined, this goal remains consistent. 

Now, more than ever, we must join together to continue to fight against the systemic racism that exists in our society. As educators and parents of children, including young children, it is a responsibility we all share: to advance conversations about race, identity, and equity—within and outside our community, and as early as possible. 

In solidarity, 

City and Country Administrative Team 

Scott Moran, Principal
Millie Cartagena, Director of Community Life, Equity, and Inclusion
Jane Clarke, Director of Lower School
Ayesha Long, Director of Middle School
Karen Brandt, Director of Upper School
Penny L. Arnold, Director of Development
Elise Bauer, Director of Admissions
Mindy Schefen, Director of Finance and Operations