Members of the Moses Brown school community gathered on February 15, 2023 to celebrate the launch of the Bayard Rustin Center for Peace and Belonging. The culmination of an initiative coming out of the 2020 DEI strategic plan, the Rustin Center opened this school year and is located on the first floor of Middle House.
Rustin Center for Peace and Belonging
At Moses Brown School, the Bayard Rustin Center for Peace and Belonging is a space for reflection, listening, and understanding. Its vision honors the memory of Bayard Rustin, a Quaker peace activist, truth-teller, and champion for equality.
His clarity of purpose and fearlessness remind us that in coming together we must truly see and be seen by each other. He brought his full self to his work, and the Rustin Center is a place where all students, employees, and families can do the same.
Every human possesses a unique inner light, and our lives and communities are richer when a diversity of lights are allowed to shine. As such, we work to make our environment one in which all feel ownership and are valued, and we teach our students to understand and treasure multiple perspectives.Based on the premise that the social fabric of a community is only as strong as the health of its members, the Rustin Center is a hub where folks can come together and harness our collective spirit for the common good. With thoughtful intention and purposeful action, the Rustin Center is a home where members of our community can:
- Find sanctuary to reflect, connect, and rejuvenate
- Build community through shared pursuits
- Develop empathy and critical thinking skills
- Practice active listening, conflict resolution, and discernment
- Cultivate integrity and sense of self
My activism did not spring from my being gay, or for that matter, from my being black. Rather it is rooted, fundamentally, in my Quaker upbringing and the values that were instilled in me by my grandparents who reared me. Those values are based on the concept of a single human family and the belief that all members of that family are equal. Adhering to those values has meant making a stand against injustice, to the best of my ability, whenever and wherever it occurs.
Bayard Rustin