New York Times bestselling author of the Rad Women Series Kate Schatz will be visiting Piedmont on March 31 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Ellen Driscoll theater at Havens Elementary School.
“Schatz is a Bay Area based writer, and her work specifically focuses on activism through literature, which is something that [Affinity Mentorship] is trying to promote more,” senior Samantha Huynh said.
Schatz will be speaking about her anti-racist activity book called Do the Work!, which she co-authored with Walter Kamau Bell.
“We’re gonna have a Q and A forum with [Schatz], and we’re gonna be asking questions. Some people from Affinity Mentorship and potentially other students will be in a panel format,” junior Hunter Fasteau said. “We’ll be going around and asking about 10 to 12 questions, on what [Schatz’s] work has done, what she wants to impact in the future, and all the people that she’s touched with her books and her advocacy.”
Director of DEIB and Affinity Mentorship teacher Jean Takazawa said anyone is welcome to join the community event and there is no prior signing up required. Although there is an optional form attendees may fill out through the school portal so there is a better understanding of how many people will attend.
“One of my favorite things to do when I come and I give talks is to just answer questions and be in conversation with people,” Schatz said.
Schatz will also be visiting the Affinity Mentorship class on March 11 to go through all the details and plan out the visit with the class.
“I’m also excited because [Schatz] is coming to design the time together, and I’m a firm believer in co-presenting and co-designing things. So I think our young people, our students, have a lot to contribute in terms of how this evening is gonna look,” Takazawa said.
Schatz will first be making stops at the elementary schools to introduce the younger kids to the books that she has written and what they are about.
“The reason why it’s important to have her is because right now, things feel really complicated, and people are angry at each other for things that maybe they’ve never been angry about,” Takazawa said. “So we want somebody to come and give us directives, especially for parents, to give to younger kids.”
Huynh said Affinity Mentorship invests money to have authors come and visit Piedmont, for a whole community event. This visit is important for both Schatz and Affinity mentors.
“I’m going to be coming to give a talk and have a conversation with interested community members who are trying to figure out how to navigate this especially polarized time,” Schatz said. “How parents can have honest conversations with their young people, and how students can navigate a very challenging world.”
Fasteau said he thinks it’s important, especially right now in these challenging times, for people to see a person that is very passionate about uplifting others.
“Also to see a person that’s really passionate about equity work, and furthering initiatives that also help people that are minorities, because, as much as we want to believe it, equity and equality does not exist,” Fasteau said.
