Since 2020, we have encouraged alumni engagement in MLWGS to advocate for equity and inclusiveness.
OUR TEAM
We represent 23 years’ worth of alumni, from the class of 1997 to the class of 2020. Each of us carries a unique set of privileges: race, education, wealth, and/or career options. As we work to dismantle systems of white supremacy, we are determined to use these privileges to shed light on the issues faced by historically minoritized students and educators at Maggie Walker and to amplify the voices of our peers.
WHO WE COLLABORATE WITH
We share in common the lived experience of graduating from challenging learning environments in public schools, and the belief that educational equity for students from historically underrepresented populations, including Black and Latinx communities, must be realized in order for public schools to equip all students, including those identified as gifted, for our increasingly global world.
Accordingly, we frequently collaborate with TJAAG on anti-racist initiatives that advance equity and inclusion in the admissions processes, retention strategies, and professional development programs of Virginia’s Governor’s Schools. For instance, we co-sponsored a series of interviews with 2021 Virginia gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial candidates about ways to end modern day school segregation. Together, we supported House Bill 2305 before the Virginia General Assembly, which would have directed the Virginia Board of Education to issue guidance on equity issues affecting academic year Governor’s Schools, such as admissions policies and guidelines for diversity, equity, and inclusion training.
We value these opportunities to work together with TJAAG to support our alma maters on ways to better identify and serve the extraordinary but underrepresented students of our increasingly diverse regions. To learn more about TJAAG and how to support their mission, please visit their page on how to take action.