New Trier High School District posts job advertisement for “Black and Brown Club Affinity Group Sponsor”; district offers other identity-based groups including a “White Anti-Racist” club

The New Trier High School District recently made a job posting to its LinkedIn account for a “Black and Brown Club Affinity Group Sponsor.” The stipend position open to faculty states that responsibilities include the staff member to “collaborate with racial affinity group sponsors to plan and implement group sessions,” that the group “meets during rotating periods on a weekly basis,” and is “mandatory.”

The overview states that the “Black and Brown Club Affinity Group is a support group for students who identify themselves as Black, African-American, Hispanic, and/or LatinX.” The stated purpose of the group is to “provide an opportunity for students to receive support in a safe environment with others that share a similar experience.”

Listed as part of the district’s Student Resources, affinity groups “‘allow students who share an identity – usually a marginalized identity – to gather, talk in a safe space about issues related to that identity, and transfer that discussion into action that makes for a more equitable experience at school.'”

One of the affinity groups offered to students is the “White Anti-Racist” group which is for “students who identify as white and anti-racist.” The description states that the purpose is to “provide an opportunity for students to gather and provide each other support while deepening their own understanding of their role as a white student at New Trier.”

Other available affinity groups include the aforementioned Black and Brown Club, the Black Student Alliance which is for students who identify as African-American or black, the Jewish Affinity Group, LatinX for students who identify as Hispanic or Latino, Mixed Race group for students who identify as two or more races, the Muslim Student Association, Skittles for students who identify themselves on the “LGBTQ continuum,” the Transgender/Gender Expansive/Non-binary group, and the Young Asians with Power group.

The Affinity groups are also listed on the district’s mental health page as mental health and substance abuse services.