Adia Guthrie ’21

Jun 4, 2019 | Seeking Excellence

Black history tells a story
The story of the birth of excellence from oppression
the birth of Beauty from ashes
The birth of Power from powerlessness

It’s crazy how some like to criticize black people for talking about the past
Since “we’re all equal now”
but can’t even see the privilege that allowed them to speak that out loud.
those are sentiments I will not allow.

Y’all must think it’s easy being black.
That our oppression does not exist.
That it does not matter We have separate lives because we are supposed to have equal opportunity
It does not matter we have separate pasts because we’re supposed to have equal futures
It does not matter we have separate schools because we’re supposed to have equal education

Equity does not live in separate but equal
Oppression will continue to thrive if all we have is equality but
From these roots of oppression grows a tree of excellence.
We are not products of circumstance but results of resilience
We’re just playing catch up in this game called life

The pressure from the oppressor will not stifle my greatness
Because from pressure comes diamonds.
From our pain comes the beauty of expression
Comes the music y’all love to bump to and the vernacular you love to imitate.
From our anger comes creativity
Because we will never be told what we can and can’t do.
There’s no way in hell we’ll sit idly by with our cards society delt.
When all we have left is hope that life is different than it is now,
We’re the ones who’ll to think ourselves out the box society put us in.
And we’re fighters, One day we will break out.

From our deprivation comes innovation
We’ve climbed the ladder shackled to the land that shackled our people once enslaved all the way up to a place of unlimited possibilities.
From our suffering comes greatness
And with our greatness comes pride which is why we celebrate black life.
We give our ancestors hope for tomorrow because on their shoulders we stand,
beacons of black excellence.

Adia Guthrie ’21
Bulldog Bash 2026
‘CARRIE’ and ‘A Monster Calls’ Receive Foxy Award Nominations
Scholastic Art & Writing Award Recipients
Q&A With US Dean Emily Sclafani
Professional Development 2026 Highlights
HOPE Fashion Show 2026 tickets
8th Grade Peru Trip 2026 Highlights
Philosophy & Ethics Spotlight: Tapping Into Our Shared Humanity
A Conversation with Petra van’t Slot on Empowering Students With Data
Spring Is in the Air With D-E 360° ACE Programming!
7th Grade ‘Anatomy of a Human’ Exhibit Highlights
D-E 360° After Care and Enrichment
Athletics Schedule
Admissions
D-E.org
D-E Today - News and Editorial Content

D-E Productions Nominated for Theatre Night Awards

Bravo! D-E Performing Arts is thrilled to announce that our musical production of CARRIE received 12 nominations and A Monster Calls, the Upper School Fall Play, received 11 nominations for Montclair State University’s annual Theatre Night Awards.  The awards,...

Read More

D-E Hosts the 2026 Student Summit on AI

The D-E Student Committee on Artificial Intelligence (SCAI), advised by Chief Innovation Officer Diana Gross, recently hosted the Student Summit on AI in the STEM Building. The event brought together students from schools such as Newark Academy and Kent Place “to...

Read More

Congrats to Cum Laude Society 2026 Honorees

Seniors from the Class of 2026 were recently honored for their academic achievements and community leadership in co-curricular endeavors, service, and other activities, at the D-E Cum Laude Society Induction Ceremony in Hajjar Auditorium. D-E Head of School Dr....

Read More

Calliope Wins Gold!

Kudos to Calliope 2025 for receiving national recognition by earning its 1st Gold Crown Award in 43 years! This is the highest award given by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA) to arts-literary magazines. “This has been the most incredible news,” said...

Read More

Service-Learning Initiatives Inspire 7th Graders

Seventh Graders recently learned about service learning first-hand from organization founders and high school students who started their own community programs. Students gathered in the 7th Grade Porch to listen to a panel, moderated by Ms. Patel and Ms. Butterman,...

Read More

Lower School Celebrates Community, Earth Day

Sporting their Spirit Day athletic team jerseys and T-shirts, Lower School students entered the gym for this week’s LS Assembly as the iconic song “We Are the World” played in the background. The song, as the fifth-grade presenters described, “is about being kind...

Read More

2026 Scholastic Art & Writing Award Recipients

The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers’ annual Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is an opportunity for creative teens in grades 7-12 to submit their artwork or written work for a chance to receive opportunities for recognition, exhibition, and scholarships....

Read More

Loading...