Malikha Mallette, new talent to morning radio, may not be waking people up over the airwaves today if she didn’t attend The Dalton School, an elite independent school in New York. It’s the question that we all face. Where would we be if… we didn’t answer that call?
Malikha is moderating a panel discussion with Andre Lee at The Studio Museum in Harlem tonight, Thursday December 17, 2009.
—
I knew nothing of the world of independent schools, as they are formally called. My first introduction was near the end of the 7th grade. I, along with two Latino boys, was called to an administrator’s office. We were among the highest performing African-American and Latino students in our grade and invited to join the Albert. G. Oliver Program, which offered a chance to attend independent day and boarding schools. I neither understood nor cared at the time, but my parents insisted on exploring the opportunity. I remember reviewing the literature and list of schools, not knowing what to make of it all. After summer tutorials, preparatory classes, visiting various schools and the application process, I chose The Dalton School because it seemed laidback, was co-ed and didn’t require a uniform.
Perhaps the passage of time has allowed for a greater appreciation of my stint at Dalton in the mid-90s, but I look back with fondness. Indeed it was a culture shock, but one I quickly overcame. Greater than the racial differences were the social and economic disparities. I had attended magnet schools in the past and was accustomed to being in the minority. However, I wasn’t accustomed to the different lifestyles and types of access. As a result, most of the students of color clung together, seeking refuge in our similarities. We traveled to and from school together, ate lunch together (you know, at the “black” table as it was quietly dubbed), we spent our free time together and joined common organizations. Looking back, I wish I had formed those strong bonds with all of my classmates, but adolescence is a challenge within itself and hindsight is 20/20.
Attending Dalton gave me a different approach to thinking, a different outlook on life, and a different view of my possibilities. Even though I was a bus and two trains away from this new world, I saw a side of life to which I would have never been privy had I continued upon my original course of a public school education. No, it wasn’t always easy and yes, I often felt I carried the weight of my entire race every time I was called on to answer a question, both in and outside of the classroom. I’m sure I taught many of my white classmates about the African American experience, but I learned equally as much from them as well. And in the end, isn’t that what an education is all about?
- Malikha Mallette
