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About Us
Vicki Antonini | Founder, Executive Director
After a near-30-year, rewarding career at New York City Public Schools in varied roles as a high school English teacher, literacy coach, assistant principal and principal, I founded Brave Elephant Learning Lab (BELL) as an opportunity to hold space for those with marginalized ideas that need to be centered. Often, across sectors, the most impactful ideas to address inequity and make progress as a society gain traction only to be thwarted in a reactionary pendulum swing. I believe that we can work collaboratively to address this regression. My intention in our work together is to identify strategies for today, foster advocacy for tomorrow and to be in solidarity for always—collectively.
Statement of Privilege/Positionality
- I am an Italian-American white woman.
- I am able-bodied and mostly neurotypical (my brain functions in a way considered “standard” or typical, mostly).
- I am cisgender.
- I have socioeconomic privilege.
- I have postsecondary education.
- I fluently speak the official language of my country of origin, citizenship and location.
- I never had to worry about food, shelter, or general health and security.
I am always learning what these privileges and positionalities mean in connection to the work that I do and how I relate and connect with the people and world around me. It is my job to do the learning and, at the same time, I am open to feedback when I get it wrong but don’t expect impacted folks to do the emotional labor of correcting me. It’s my job to do the work to know better to do better (as Maya Angelou tells us).
*We all have privileges and marginalizations. Privileges don’t mean we didn’t struggle. They mean that we have benefits (often invisible to us) that don’t make life harder.
Our mission
Under construction! Iterative, collaborative, collective. Let’s see what emerges.
Land Acknowledgment
With acknowledgement that individual ownership is a colonial concept and that I live on stolen land, I reside and work on the unceded land of the Munsee Lenape and Canarsie peoples. As a white woman of European descent I recognize the legacy of colonial/settler land theft and have benefitted from the privilege of generational wealth as a result of this theft. All of Creation belongs to the collective. I strive to live in a way that honors and respects all beings while building connection and relationship. I encourage you to learn more about the land you are on and your role in reparation by visiting www.native-land.ca.