Sharing Perspective and Wisdom

Author Kendra James visited Dana Hall on Sunday, September 11, for a book talk and Q&A session, followed by an ice cream social and book signing. Her visit was part of the School’s opening Community Weekend programming. James also hosted a Black/Latinx Student Union (BLSU) affinity space.

“Admissions: A Memoir of Surviving Boarding School” recounts James’s three years at The Taft School, a predominantly white prep school in Connecticut where she was the first Black American legacy student. A Dana Hall board member donated 50 copies of the book to students interested in getting a signed copy.

“Kendra James’s memoir speaks directly to the young adolescent experience in high school,” said Rachel Nagler, director of Community, Equity and Inclusion. “She writes in detail mostly from the perspective of her teenage self, mixed with wisdom that she gained with time and perspective. I hoped by bringing her this early on in the year that this blend would really speak to our students. I was hoping to convey the message that we see and care about their experiences, and want to create programming that feels designed authentically for them and is relevant to them.”

James also is an executive producer at Crooked Media and was a founding editor at Shondaland.com where she wrote and edited work for two years. She has been heard and seen on NPR and many other podcasts. Her writing has been published widely from Elle, Marie Claire, Town and Country, Women’s Health Magazine, Lenny, The Verge, Harpers, Catapult, and The Toast, among others.

Sisters Honoring All Diasporas & Enlightening Society (SHADES) tri-head N. Orr '23 said having James come to campus was a really personal experience. Orr enjoyed “hearing from an older person who I could relate to speak about her experience at an elite boarding school from an adult perspective. Getting to speak one-on-one made the experience much more unique, and it has been a highlight of my year so far.”

For fellow SHADES tri-head B. Dunkley '23, "It felt really affirming knowing that we share similar experiences and feelings even though there are years of difference in our high school experience," she said. "Hearing from someone who was in a similar position to me, who made it through and is living what seems like her best life, definitely gives me hope and gets me excited for my future, especially during this college application season."