Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - Fordham Preparatory School

What is Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Fordham Prep?

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core values embedded within Fordham Prep’s Catholic Jesuit mission and tradition. These values flow from our faith in God, in whose own image and likeness each person is created and imbued with dignity. We are inspired by the vision of diversity, equity, and inclusion as articulated within the Apostolic Preferences of the Society of Jesus. These preferences invite us to walk with the excluded in a mission of reconciliation and justice, and to accompany young people in the creation of a hope-filled future. Beyond opportunities for service and expressions of charity, we believe sustained accompaniment and respectful encounters on a human level have the power to transform us and our community in radical and life-giving ways.

A Message from Randall Pedro P'17, '21, Director of DEI

A Message from Randall Pedro P'17, '21, Director of DEI

The work of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Fordham Prep is rooted in justice. Justice has the potential to be a wide-ranging abstract construct. Many people equate justice with being a "good" or "fair" person. To conceptualize justice in a way that becomes the core of our experiences, I find reflecting on Fr. David Fleming's S.J., the modern-language version of the Principle and Foundation of Spiritual Exercises, extremely helpful; "Our only desire and our one choice should be this: I want, and I choose what better leads to God's deepening his life in me." Embracing this deepening transforms us and can transform our society.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are about transforming our society to see the dignity of every individual in every interaction. These encounters should promote the belonging of each person. If a person feels on the peripheries of our community, this should move us to action and encourage belonging. This transformative justice allows God's love to follow through us to help confront, address, and remove the divisive nature of our society. To combat these divisions in our society, we hope to imbue our students with the ability to "truly see" one another as God's loving creations. This vision is the cornerstone of our mission to create "men for and with others." To achieve this outcome, we must listen to everyone's stories. We must create opportunities and environments for the different voices in our community to be the stakeholders of their experience. We cannot overlook the pain and anguish we cause when we look past a student's story. The Fordham Prep Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion program is one of the many mission-centered initiatives in our school community where we can express, "I see you, I value you, and most importantly, I love you as my brother or sister."

Mission Statement

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion program at Fordham Prep fosters an environment rooted in justice, recognizing and valuing the dignity of every individual. We aim to promote belonging through authentic interactions and the practice of active listening, ensuring that every voice is heard and understood. Our community's active participation empowers us to confront societal divisions and embrace each other as reflections of God's love.

Vision Statement

We envision a Fordham Prep community where everyone is empowered to share their stories and experience a sense of belonging as part of a collective effort to promote Cura Personalis and Cura Apostolica. Through this inclusive culture and our deeply rooted Ignatian vision, we aspire to cultivate, educate, and build a community where we see no other, promote the dignity of every individual, and recognize all as part of God's collective family.

DEI Programs

Block Party

Diversity Alliance

Community Dialogues

DBJ Workshops

Faculty and Staff Professional Development

Wanda M. Piñeiro, P'99 Award

The George Jackson '76 Initiative

"Every person, even and especially the smallest and most fragile, is loved by God and has a place in the Church and in the world."
Pope Francis

"We are to walk with the poor, the outcasts of the world, those whose dignity has been violated, in a mission of reconciliation and justice."
Universal Apostolic Preferences
of the Society of Jesus

"We don't think ourselves into new ways of living. We live ourselves into new ways of thinking."
Richard Rohr

As part of this important work, Fordham Prep has developed a four-year program for students, grounded in Catholic Social Teaching and the Four Apostolic Preferences of the Society of Jesus, that aims to ensure a student experience and environment in which young men are welcomed to our community, valued for all their gifts, personal histories and backgrounds, appropriately challenged, and protected from bias and discrimination for any reason.

It is grounded in the concepts of Dignity, Belonging, and Justice (DBJ).

DIGNITY

Helps students recognize all people are made in the image and likeness of God and so possess an equal and inalienable worth.

BELONGING

Ensures students see Fordham Prep as a place where differences are welcomed, different perspectives are respectfully heard and every individual is a valued member of the community.

JUSTICE

Inspires students to engage in serious conversation with all our brothers and sisters and to act when we see inequity.

DBJ Student Programming

Freshman Year	Building Inclusive Community Basics of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion	Sophomore Year	Kinship and Human Dignity Engaging in Conversations about DEI Applying CST to DEI
Junior Year	Setting the World on Fire: Action and Advocacy Learning how to be an advocate for justice regarding issues related to diversity, equity and inclusion	Senior Year	Revolutionary Love: Laboring for Justice Engaging Contemporary Issues Capstone Projects through Service Class Seniors assist with programs for underclassmen, e.g. Ally training, Diversity Summit, Diversity Dialogues, Ricci Nights, and more

Feeds

Meet the DEI Staff

Mr. Randall Pedro

Titles: Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Departments: Religious Studies, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Email:

View Profile for Mr. Randall Pedro

Mrs. Erica Keough

Titles: College Counselor, Assistant Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Departments: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, College Counseling

Email:

View Profile for Mrs. Erica Keough

Ms. Carolyn Wright

Titles: Assistant Director of Campus Ministry for Social Justice

Departments: English, Religious Studies, Campus Ministry, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Email:

View Profile for Ms. Carolyn Wright