Diversity Day 2024: “For the Culture”

On January 15, 抖阴MAX honored Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s impact and celebrated the School’s 33rd Diversity Day with a program themed “For the Culture.” Dean of Equity and Inclusion Dr. Rachel Myers welcomed students, faculty, and staff, noting the date would have been King’s 95th birthday. The School community gathered in Ann and George Colony Hall for the keynote session, and a musical introduction by “Maestro J” (James Racine). Afternoon workshops followed. 

Keynote Speaker Dr. Todd Boyd 

Dr. Todd Boyd, aka “Notorious Ph.D.,” delivered the keynote about the role of pop culture in America, especially the role of hip-hop, and how it affects us in both personal ways and across society. Boyd is the Katherine and Frank Price Endowed Chair for the Study of Race & Popular Culture and Professor of Cinema and Media Studies in the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts. He is also a media commentator, author, producer, consultant, and scholar.  

Hip-Hop’s Influence Expands Through Decades 

Boyd said that knowing hip-hop’s history helps to understand what it means for hip-hop to be “for the culture.” He traced the rise of hip-hop from a 1970s party in the Bronx, N.Y., 50 years ago, through the following decades. Boyd referenced musicians Kendrick Lamar, Said Lagame, Rick Ross, and 21 Savage (specifically Savage’s album, “The American Dream”), among others. Boyd said, “Rappers have used the metaphor of (King’s) dream to move through what can feel like a hostile culture. Hip-hop has given many individuals the chance to find and express themselves in the culture.” He shared how the influence of hip-hop expanded with each decade, exploding in the 1990s, and becoming pervasive by the 2000s. Boyd gave examples, including Kendrick Lamar winning the Pulitzer Prize in 2018, the 2022 Superbowl LVI half-time show featuring hip-hop artists, and words and phrases from hip-hop entering the lexicon, such as “for the culture, shout out, and dis.” 

Alum Natalie J. Egan ’96 Shares Her Cultural Story as an Afternoon Workshop 

Hundreds of students, faculty, and staff took an afternoon workshop offered by Choate alum, Natalie J. Egan. Egan, a transgender woman, shared her cultural story before, during, and after her time at Choate. She is a serial technology entrepreneur, and her latest company, Translator, Inc., provides tech tools to deliver and facilitate DEI training with real-time feedback and data analytics. Egan guided attendees through a module of the software training, facilitating an open discussion, followed by a question-and-answer session. 

Other afternoon workshop topics focused on music, dance, food, and games celebrating the unique contributions to and for the culture.