Parker Boyden
- Title
- Parker Boyden (Abstract)
- Date
- February 25, 2024
- Location of the Interview
- Zoom
- Length
- 0 hours, 48 minutes, 5 seconds
- Abstract
-
Parker Boyden is currently a student at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor Michigan, where she studies on a pre-law track. Previously Parker attended Middlesex School in Concord Massachusetts, where she served as DEI officer. During her time at Middlesex, Parker participated in and led student protests in support of the BLM movement. Parker also had a leading role in the BLM walkouts against the previous Middlesex Head of School, David Beare. Parker continues to pursue roles to support diversity, equity, and inclusion in all the communities in which she is a part of. Parker was raised in a rural town in Pennsylvania with her highly educated mother and father, as well as her younger brother.
Parker opens the interview by describing the vast locations in which she lived and found community in, a factor that contributes to her cultured background and allows her to connect and empathize with a diverse group of people. She later describes her transition from rural Pennsylvania to a socially progressive Massachusetts suburb. The majority of the interview is based around her work as a DEI advocate at Middlesex School in the midst of a racial scandal that occurred her junior year. Her narrative revolves around the Middlesex School Head of School’s decision to uninvite Nikole Hannah-Jones and not allow her to speak to the student body. Parker speaks upon the power dynamic between the school board and trustees with the students and faculty. She speaks about the process in which students banded together in protest
and then further learned from the experience. Having a leading role in the protests, Parker offers a unique perspective to the situation.
Parker attributes her personal growth as an ally to her work conducted at Middlesex school as a DEI officer. She is proud of the effort she had put forth to make Middlesex School a safer space. She continues to lead by example and strive to make the world a more equitable place for her peers. At Michigan, Parker looks for opportunities to expand her education both in the classroom and as a member of the Michigan community.
Part of Parker Boyden