A reflection from ISDenver Head of School, Roberto d’Erizans 

As February comes to a close, and along with it, Black History Month, we wrap an intentional time of celebration of the extraordinary contributions, leadership, creativity, and resilience of Black communities, and deepening of our understanding of the histories and systems that have shaped our world.

In a school like ours, this month is not separate from who we are: it is an invitation to learn more honestly, listen more closely, and practice the kind of empathy that turns knowledge into meaningful action. 

At ISDenver, we talk often about belonging and about preparing students to thrive in diverse communities. That work is not only about representation or special events. It is about building cultural competence as a lifelong skill: noticing whose stories have been centered, asking better questions, engaging with multiple perspectives, and learning how to communicate across differences with both confidence and humility.

James Baldwin captured the spirit of this kind of learning when he wrote, “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” In other words, cultural competence asks us to listen with humility, examine multiple perspectives, recognize bias and inequity when they show up, and respond with curiosity and care. When we do this well, students don’t just “learn about” others—they become more thoughtful about their own identities, more aware of the world around them, and more capable of being the kind of classmates, friends, and leaders our world needs.

This is also deeply aligned with the IB. The IB calls us to develop internationally minded learners who are inquiring, principled, open-minded, and caring, and who understand that knowledge carries responsibility. Black History Month offers a powerful lens for that mission, supporting classroom inquiry, reflection, and purposeful action. Across divisions, our learners have been diving into experiences that honor Black voices and histories while inviting students to connect past and present, explore themes of identity and justice, and think about how they can contribute to a more inclusive community—here at school, and beyond.

During the 2024–25 academic year, Ed Tech Specialist Steven Lamb partnered with Ms. Ingrid Alvarez’s 3rd-grade class to create this video in celebration of Black History Month. I’m pleased to share it with you again today.