“It is our differences that make us stronger, smarter, more collaborative, more forgiving, and leave us with a better understanding of resilience and love.”

Solidarity Week at Poly is an annual tradition that centers respect and safety for every member of our school community. Programming throughout the week encourages allyship in students and solidarity with LGBTQ+ youth, as well as being an upstander against bullying, gender stereotypes, and name-calling. The week concluded on Friday, November 15, in a culminating series of programs in which every student across all three divisions came together on the Dyker Heights campus in solidarity.

Our Upper School student leaders guided Lower School students in morning activities of close readings, collaborative art activities, thoughtful discussions about what solidarity is as a practice, and more. Our youngest students could be seen smiling all over the Dyker campus, in arts studios, the library, and classrooms, sitting in the chairs of their older (and much admired) counterparts. The special day came to a close with a group photograph of the school community dressed in rainbow colors. As all stood in the Matt Roventini Baseball Field, the crowd was addressed by Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) affinity group leader Griff Allen ‘25, whose speech was filled with gratitude, hope, and inspired us to return to our respective spaces with a newfound sense of understanding and commitment to ourselves and our community.

Enjoy these words by Griff Allen ’25.

“Good morning everyone. First, I want to thank each and every one of you for being here today. It is an honor and a privilege to host the Lower School on our Dyker Heights campus, and seeing all of us together as one connected unit is truly inspiring. 

I want to thank the leaders of Poly’s Upper School affinity groups, student government, Oasis Society, GSA, and Queer, Black, Indigenous, People of Color (Q-BIPOC) for the effort and care you brought to today’s programming. Each of you epitomized maturity and solidarity in leading and educating your peers on these pressing issues that heavily impact our community. I am grateful for your empathy and time, I am once again warmed by your compassion, and I am beyond proud to be your classmate. Seeing the way you interacted with each other and your younger peers today has strengthened my confidence in our generation to make meaningful and sustainable change to our world. 

To my Lower School friends, thank you for your thoughtful listening efforts and your willingness to learn from mentors in the Upper School. It has been a real treat to engage with you all. I hope you head back to Park Slope feeling like you learned something, and ready to apply your newfound understanding within your own community and life.

The political philosophy known as pluralism idealizes a society in which diversity is held on a pedestal, and differences in identity are valued, appreciated, and even utilized to strengthen a sense of community and belonging. I hope you will all center this perspective as your move through the rest of your day, week, month, even year. It is our differences that make us stronger, smarter, more collaborative, more forgiving, and leave us with a better understanding of resilience and love. At the end of the day, love is what this is all about. We must treat our differences as unifying factors, rather than means to separate and judge.

This discussion is far from over. Though I sincerely believe that the Poly community has improved its awareness and respect of the LGBTQ+ community within the past few years, there is still ample room for growth, and our work is never truly done. Continue to learn and grow together, always do your best to be kind, and lean on each other when times are tough. Thank you all for believing in our mission.”