Principal at Thomas Jefferson High School wants parents to check their ‘privilege’

In an email message dated June 7, 2020, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology Principal Ann Bonitatibus told the school’s most Asian students and mostly immigrant parents to check their “privilege” and proposed race-based admissions objectives.

“I implore you to think about your own journey and discovery of race and economic advantage in America. My parents never had to teach me about what it means to be white. I never have had to worry that someone would look at the color of my skin and think I either may not be smart enough to learn or I should be exceedingly smart in a certain subject. No one has surveilled me in a store while shopping, or locked their cars or front doors out of fear when seeing me in their neighborhood. While I did not come from a family with economic means, the color of my skin has given me privileges that others do not have. Please think of privileges you hold that others may not.”

She goes on to say that the school is a “rich tapestry of heritages … we do not reflect the racial composition in [Fairfax County Public Schools].”

She also linked to several resources for countering racism and stigma on the district website.

References

Parents sue to stop discriminatory admissions at top-ranked high school The Hill, March 10, 2021