By the GFA Equity and Inclusion Team
Shanelle Henry, Jennifer Ferreira, Ben Gott, Katie Mack, Chris Meatto, Michaela Pembroke
Last week, GFA hosted its first-ever virtual Voices/Diversidad de Voces event. The annual celebration of GFA’s diverse, multicultural community shifted online in an inspiring program that featured joyful performances by students from all divisions, alums, and faculty.
Masters of Ceremony Allie Farber (‘22) and Anya Bettegowda (‘22), who both serve on the executive boards of the student-run clubs LEAD (Learning and Educating about Diversity) and QUEST (Questioning, Understanding, and Educating about Sexuality Today) in the Upper School, kicked things off by welcoming their audience and noting that GFA Voices is a “space for students of all three divisions, families, faculty, and alumni to share their unique talents, cultures, and heritage.”
For 90 minutes, viewers were treated to an array of live and pre-recorded songs, poetry, stories, and visual art. From the kindergarten class of 2033’s opening performance entitled “Who Am I?”, to faculty member Jeffrey Velez’s (‘10) emotionally moving song about racial violence (which he dedicated to Tamir Rice) to close out the evening, each act told important stories about identity, community, and belonging. The performances also made a compelling case for better understanding who we are by looking into our past in order to build a brighter future.
As with many other school events this year, GFA Voices not only adapted to the constraints of the moment but, in fact, thrived. And because the event was live-streamed, it meant that students of all ages could attend from their homes and that Voices likely reached a larger audience than is typical for this event. Special thanks to Director of Information Technology Tope Aiyegbo whose expertise ensured that the virtual program was an incredible success!
Even while we are physically distant, we are grateful for the opportunity to come together to celebrate community and diversity through such a wonderful collection of performances. Thank you to everyone who performed and to all of you for joining us. We’re already looking forward to next year!
Miss watching GFA Voices live? Watch the full virtual event below including performances and presentations from students across all three divisions, faculty, and alumni.