Erie County Times

Cathedral Preparatory School issued the following announcement on Aug. 25.

Cathedral Prep and Villa Maria Academy announced today an antiracism awareness and fundraising campaign, which will begin as the students return for the 2021-2022 school year. Entitled “Ramblers and Victors for Social Justice,” the two-fold purpose of the campaign is to engage Prep and Villa students on the subject of social justice and raise funds for the promotion of racial equity in schools across Erie County.

The campaign will include a variety of activities designed get to get students thinking about social justice, racial and gender equity. All Prep and Villa students will be invited to participate in an antiracism essay contest, featuring an independent panel of judges and cash prizes for the winning authors. Similarly, there will be an antiracism T-shirt design contest and fundraiser. The winning designer for each school (as judged by the student body) will be awarded a cash prize and his/her design will be printed by local businesses. The T-shirts will be sold to students and supporters in an effort to raise funds for the promotion of antiracism at Prep and Villa.

“At Cathedral Prep and Villa Maria Academy diversity, equity and inclusion are more than just words to us. They’re the hard and fast principles that guide how we build our teams, cultivate leaders and develop a school that’s the right fit for every person inside of it.  We know through experience that different ideas, perspectives, and backgrounds create a stronger and more creative educational environment that delivers better results.  We strive to build and nurture a culture where inclusiveness is a reflex, not an initiative. Where there is a deep sense of pride, passion and belonging that transcends race, gender, ethnicity and social class,”  says Chet Moffett, Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Cathedral Prep and Villa Maria Academy. 

As part of its campaign, Prep and Villa will engage with other local high schools, as well. A series of “Students for Social Justice” athletic events are planned for this Fall and Winter, beginning with the Erie High vs. Cathedral Prep football game this Friday, August 27th. The events will feature pre-game, on-field promotions of racial equity by the teams and a brief address by school officials.

The “Ramblers and Victors for Social Justice” initiative has been enthusiastically endorsed by the Erie Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

“’Ramblers and Victors for Social Justice’ is an innovative, student-centered program that our members and I strongly support because we believe it will be a useful tool in the process of creating truly inclusive schools. Racism touches students of color in every school and in turn harms the whole student body. I expect successful results from this pilot and hope to see the program expand across school districts in the region,” Gary Horton, Erie NAACP President said.

Original source can be found here.