This is the first episode of a three-part series that aims to provide a brief timeline of race relations at Choate. Research about the history of Choate Rosemary Hall is an ongoing process; if you are curious about learning more, visit the Archives.
The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s was fueled by a craving for justice and equality in the Black community. The movement was rooted in youth action, where young adults throughout the nation participated in various forms of protests, sit-ins, and marches. Multiple events in that time period have shaped Choate’s progress in the context of the nationwide movement.
1966
Slowly over time, Rosemary Hall and The Choate School began implementing changes to embody the values of the Civil Rights Movement and diversify the campus. Rosemary Hall hired its first Black teacher, Ms. Dorothy Betts, in 1966. It was not an easy decision: the headmistress, Alice McBee, refused to admit any Black students, but several administrators and faculty members resigned as an act of protest for the inclusion of Black community members.
Ms. Betts was a biology teacher and taught at Rosemary Hall for two years until 1968. Unlike its counterpart, Rosemary Hall failed to keep detailed records of historical events; therefore, not much is known about Ms. Betts and her time at the school. However, her brief two-year tenure alludes to the difficulty Rosemary Hall had in creating a welcoming environment for Black teachers and students.
1968
Another prominent moment was the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968. As a key civil rights activist, Dr. King passionately advocated for the equal treatment of all people, a legacy well deserving of the nation’s respect.
His death had a large impact on the Black community at Choate, as many fought to show their peers the importance of Dr. King’s work. The institution paid tribute to Dr. King in various ways, including dedicating the Tuesday after his death to educating the community on his impact and ideals.
Today, Choate Rosemary Hall continues the celebration of his legacy by hosting Diversity Day on MLK Day every year since 1991, a time devoted not only to studying Dr. King’s values but also to promoting diversity in daily life.
Before the 1968 Olympic Games, there was speculation that Black American athletes would boycott the event in solidarity with the Civil Rights Movement. While the boycott never occurred, there were still moments of protest throughout the summer games. Meanwhile, at The Choate School, students held numerous vigils and used publications to make their voices heard in response to the movement.
While Choate worked to promote equity, it wasn’t always an easy task. A column in The Choate News from April 1968, written by Harry Hurt III ’69, a white student, asserted that the “insignificant” number of Black athletes and their medal contribution at the ’68 Olympics would render a student protest to be an inconsequential mistake. In response, David Ratner ’69, a Black student, wrote an article to defend his community. Ratner disproved, fact-checked, and offered alternative perspectives to Hurt’s statements.
This interaction reiterated the need for a diversified curriculum on racial issues at predominantly White institutions like The Choate School and Rosemary Hall.
Later that month, in union with thousands of other students across the nation on National Student Protest Day, 113 Choate students maintained a silent vigil outside of Seymour St. John Chapel. For five hours, the group expressed their concerns about the nation’s current problems, from racial inequities to the prevalence of war, and their desire for Choate to take action, specifically by hiring Black faculty.
During the summer of 1968, the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) announced that they would uphold the rights of students and faculty of color to attend independent schools and work to ameliorate racial discrimination. The organization also announced its plan to assist schools that would uphold these values and dissociate from those that would not.
These announcements were clearly impacted by the Civil Rights Movement and influenced the hiring of the first Black teachers at The Choate School, Mr. Wendell Jeanpierre and Mr. Charles Todman in 1969. They taught French and history, respectively.
Throughout his tenure, Mr. Todman had a large impact on the Choate community, especially Black students. He served as a faculty advisor to the Black Student Union (BSU) and directed the Afro-American Studies Center, a resource to help educators incorporate Black history into their curriculums. As a BSU advisor, he was a trusted adult for Black students and a person to confide in. Mr. Todman’s efforts helped educate and enlighten students to new perspectives, a valued practice of Choate culture.
Mr. Todman’s work at Choate set a standard for many Black faculty to come, including Ms. Constance Matthews.
1989
Ms. Matthews began her time at Choate in 1989 as an English teacher. She quickly became involved in the community, from advising Step Club and Choate Afro-Latino Student Alliance (CALSA) to being an adviser to students of color. In the English department, she helped expand the curriculum to include a variety of more diverse texts by multicultural writers.
Additionally, Ms. Matthews served as the Coordinator of the Icahn Scholars Program, which focuses on helping middle school students with financial need to apply and attend our School.
Perhaps most impactfully, Ms. Matthews helped to spearhead Choate’s Multicultural Affairs Department, dedicated to promoting racial and cultural diversity in education in alliance with other schools across the nation. This program, reminiscent of Mr. Todman’s Afro-American Studies Center, served as an influential precursor to today’s Equity and Inclusion Department, led by Dr. Rachel Myers.
All of these initiatives, and the individuals that have led them, are part of Choate’s efforts to make students of color feel recognized individually, something that continues to grow for the community.
