The Petition.

We believe that all members of the PDS community have a responsibility to face the hard truths of racism and discrimination in this country. That is why we are calling on the entire PDS community, regardless of race, class, or creed, to sign these demands in solidarity with their fellow Black alumni, classmates, parents, teachers, and staff, and join us in the fight against institutionalized and interpersonal discrimination. We must all demand action and accountability from the school’s Board of Trustees and administrative leaders, and we must share these demands widely so that PDS knows we will not accept performative measures as an answer. We expect that these demands be reviewed immediately by the Board of Trustees, and we demand their public, written response by August 21st.

After many hours of discussion, reflection, and research, we would like to present this list of demands to Princeton Day School’s leadership and community. PDS cannot wait to change, it must act now.

The Demands.

• Changes to the Pre K-12 curriculum that increase anti-racist education opportunities and amplify marginalized voices.

• Updates to the Standards of Conduct, Honor Policies, and Student and Employee Handbook(s) which address racial harassment, discrimination, and hate speech.

• The creation of anti-racism cultural competency education for students, faculty, staff, and parents.

• The creation of hiring, retention, and evaluation policies and programs that foster transformative diversity, equity, and inclusion.

• The commitment of resources and fundamental understanding of the needs of students of color in the areas of student life, college counseling, and athletics.

• Strategic planning and commitment to the recruitment and retention of students of color.

• The creation of a robust program of outreach to Black PDS parents and families.

• A response from the school which reflects active and ongoing efforts toward accountability and demonstrable transparency.