On February 26, Boston Latin School families and faculty participated in the annual Families for Equity and Diversity (FEqD) Potluck.
FEqD is a parent-led group focused on education and advocacy within the school community. Since 2017, they have hosted the potluck every year organizing rounds of trivia for attendees to participate in, with the winner receiving a gift card to Park 54, a soul food restaurant. This year’s event includes a spectrum of dishes — from Brazilian chicken to Indian sour chickpeas to Portuguese kale soup. BLS Gospel Choir, led by Ms. Koriana Lewis Bradford, serenaded the attendees with their moving performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
“FEqD was one of the few ways I found to meet other parents, and the potluck was such a welcoming event during a very stressful time,” remarks co-chair Ms. Anna V. Q. Ross P’25, P’28. Not only was the potluck a great opportunity for attendees to experience food from BLS’s diverse cultures, it was also a way for families to connect and strengthen bonds.
The careful planning began before the holiday season with co-chairs Ms. Ross and Ms. Ekaette Dumel P’25 tackling the main issue of securing a date for an open dining hall, as well as availability for all members. After much coordination, the group decided on a day in February, due to the importance of Black History Month.
The chairs decided to invite some of the performers from the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration after hearing about how wonderful they were. Ms. Lewis Bradford and a few members of the Gospel Choir joined them for the dinner. Once the internal details were settled, they contacted administrators to advertise the event in the Daily Bulletin and the Timely Updates from Head of School Jason Gallagher.
The potluck has been an enduring tradition at BLS. During the pandemic, the group persevered and upheld this tradition by hosting the potluck online and organizing smaller potlucks in various neighborhoods rather than a single event in the dining hall. During another year, they assembled a recipe book for others to share and enjoy each other’s food at home.
This experience resonates with many. Ms. Rania Mekary, the parent of a BLS student, shares, “Connecting with other parents at the event and exchanging information about our child [was memorable] because it is rare to network with parents at BLS.”
In the future, FEqD hopes to have more members join them as they contribute to positive changes within the school community and beyond. They look forward to incorporating more cultural performances, cuisines and faculty representation at the potluck itself. Their goal is ultimately for all to unite at the table — whether beside an old friend or a complete stranger. As a parent, Dumel says, “I hope attendees get to taste how good the BLS community is […] and bring alive the affirmations [we] need to thrive.”