News & Events 2002-2003

Kyle Mason ’97 Speaks about Race and Diversity

Kyle Mason, Blair Class of 1997, spoke about his perceptions of the state of race relations today and reflected on his experiences at Blair Academy as part of the Society of Skeptics lecture series on January 20th in Armstrong-Hipkins Center for the Arts. This special Skeptics speaker added to the Blair community’s commemoration and celebration the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Kyle compared his Blair experience to that of which he encountered during his years at Boston College. He explained how very different the two were and how he always felt accepted as part of the Blair community, whereas at Boston College he merely felt tolerated. Coming from the Newark Boys Choir School to Blair was an eye opener, meeting other kids who have had little to no experience with black people and other cultures. Throughout his four years at Blair, he was happy to answer questions and educate fellow students about his culture, as he felt their ignorance about black culture came from a naïveté and unawareness. At Boston College, he felt the questions and comments he received were less sincere and his tolerance for them was greatly diminished. He used his frustration to make a difference and headed up a major civil rights group on campus.

Kyle explained how Blair helped him prepare for his future. He used the small, accepting community as a sounding board to be heard and make a difference and encouraged other students to do the same. The message of the evening was to embrace our differences because the fact that we are all not the same is a beautiful thing. Kyle told students and faculty to take the time and learn about one another and that you can never be wrong to ask questions with respect and sincere curiosity. He said that changes in race relations need to start from the heart.

Kyle’s talk was followed by a brief question and answer session and concluded with a candlelight vigil in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday. Students reflected by candlelight what this day meant to them.

Return to 2002-2003 Table of Contents