Kindergartner’s Great-GrandfatherWas a Dr. King Ally

Edward Crowther and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Monday was Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. On Friday Room 8 kindergartner Eva showed her class a photo of her great-grandfather, Edward Crowther, with Dr. King. Edward was the grandfather of Eva’s mother.

A well-known figure in civil rights circles, Edward was proud to count Dr. King, Bishop Desmond Tutu, and Bobby Kennedy as his allies in the fight against racism. In 1967 Dr. King invited him to give the keynote address at an anti-racism conference in Geneva, and Bobby Kennedy flew to Switzerland to meet him.

Born in England, Edward was ordained an Anglican priest in 1957. Posted to South Africa, he became prominent in the anti-apartheid movement and was ultimately deported for his activities.

After South Africa, he embarked on a worldwide speaking tour, then moved to the U.S., where he became assistant bishop of California, earned a doctorate in psychology at UC Santa Barbara, and was a fellow at the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions.

In his later years, Edward continued to participate in civil rights demonstrations, spoke at the United Nations, and wrote books on apartheid, the church, and psychology. He continued to see patients in his psychotherapy practice in Santa Barbara until shortly before his death in 2021 at the age of 92.

Eva shows the photo she shared with her class of her great-grandfather, Edward Crowther, with Martin Luther King Jr., along with a book her mother, Kimberley, used when teaching first grade.

Eva's mother, Kimberley, who taught first grade here for seven years and now substitute-teaches in the lower elementary grades, remembers her grandfather as being “very charismatic. He was intelligent, had a great sense of humor, and always had a strong presence in a room.” 

“Emotionally Nutritious” Words

I was impressed and amused by a class journal entry written by one of our third graders pointing out that her dog had demonstrated one of our schoolwide learning principles, “Try your best,” when it actually brought the ball back when playing fetch. Keeping a journal is one example of the countless creative ways our teachers help children understand and act in accord with positive values, starting in preschool. No wonder middle and high school teachers are often impressed by the confidence and character development of Meher School graduates.

A method teachers frequently use, the Nurtured Heart Approach, offers concrete ways to help even very young children identify with positive attributes. As with the third grade’s journal entries, it’s helpful to try to understand the attitudes and behaviors we want to develop and have words to describe them. What are the inspiring traits we want to develop?

Nurtured Heart offers hundreds of words and phrases that help us tune into and describe the budding qualities we see and want to develop. Some of the words, like persistent, tender-hearted, reasonable, and zestful, are considered “emotionally nutritious” words, which describe personality traits occurring in a given moment.

There are phrases that reflect more enduring qualities, like far-reaching curiosity, fierce purpose, and expansive intelligence. Teachers and parents are encouraged to use the lists and add to them or create their own and hang a copy where their children can see it, at home or in the classroom.

These Nurtured Heart words and creative activities help children be aware of their own positive qualities and their ability to see good in others—taking a strength-based approach rather than paying attention to weaknesses and deficits. Because of the brain’s negative bias, it takes a village to create an atmosphere where everyone is tuned to observe and appreciate what’s going right.

Equity & Inclusion 2024 Calendar

The Meher Schools is committed to honoring diversity. We believe that by getting to know each other, children will not only learn to respect and celebrate differences in cultural, ethnic, and racial backgrounds, but also to see the core of each person that makes us human.

While diversity, equity, and inclusion work happens daily in the classrooms, parents and staff members have formed the Equity and Inclusion Committee to further this work on a schoolwide scale. The committee meets once a month, usually the first Thursday, from 3:15 to 4:30 p.m., over Zoom.

The committee spearheads the cultural displays that you see on our first tier Hallway Gallery, plans other events like the cumbia band and the Danza Azteca group, and organizes resources for parents and teachers.

We welcome parents who are interested in attending every meeting and being involved in the core work of the committee, but we are also happy to have parents participate occasionally, when they are available or when they feel compelled to be involved in a particular month’s celebration. The planning meeting for each month takes place during the prior month’s meeting. Individuals and small groups often continue preparations in the weeks following each meeting.

Please take a look at our 2024 calendar below. If you are a current family or staff member who would like to attend, see recent Wednesday Messages for details on attending.

January:

Planning meeting: December 7 at 3:15

Focus: Pride: Celebrating the LGBTQIA+ Community

February:

Planning meeting: January 11 at 3:15

Focus: Black History Month

March:

Planning meeting: February 1 at 3:15

Focus: Women’s History Month

Focus: Disability Acceptance

April:

Planning meeting: March 7 at 3:15

Focus: Arab and Middle Eastern Heritage Month

May:

Planning meeting: April 11 at 3:15 (after spring break)

Focus: Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Focus: Mental Health Awareness

June - August:

Planning meeting: May 2 at 3:15

(may have additional meetings over summer months)

Focus: Children Helping and Being Kind

September:

Planning meeting: August 1 at 3:15

Focus: Latinx and Hispanic Heritage Month (through Oct 15)

October:

Planning meeting: September 5 at 3:15

Focus: No monthly focus. May address general topics or plan for future months.

November:

Planning meeting: October 3 at 3:15

Focus: Native American Heritage Month

December:

Planning meeting: November 7 at 3:15

Focus: No monthly focus. May address general topics or plan for future months.