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Gray Colloquium

The C. Boyden Gray Colloquium is designed to engage St. Mark’s students in an exploration of one complex global issue annually.

Students hear from outside speakers with varying viewpoints, participate in small group discussions, write about and debate the issue, and take part in all-community events. The late C. Boyden Gray ’60, former Board president and trustee, committed $1.5 million to fund this annual yearlong learning exercise.

St. Markers, Gray believed, “should think in big terms and be inquisitive about the outside world.” Gray, a former U.S. ambassador to the European Union, White House counsel to the first President Bush, and recipient of the Presidential Citizens Medal, wished that tackling these topics in an intensive fashion would inspire students to serve their country and the world.

2024-2025 Gray Colloquium Series 

Theme: You're Never Too Young to Change the World 

Speakers: 
September 26: Melvin Adams 
October 10: Olmeca
November 7: Robert Anthony
January 30: Nasra Ayub
February 20: Desmond Napoles
April 17: Fatimah Asghar

April 17: Fatimah Asghar

Fatimah Asghar is an artist who spans across different genres and themes. A poet, a fiction writer, and a filmmaker, Fatimah cares less about genre and instead prioritizes the story that needs to be told and finds the best vehicle to tell it. Play is critical in the development of their work, as is intentionally building relationship and authentic collaboration. Their first book of poems If They Come For Us explored themes of orphaning, family, Partition, borders, shifting identity, and violence. Along with Safia Elhillo, they co-edited Halal If You Hear Me, an anthology for Muslim people who are also women, trans, gender non-conforming, and/ or queer. The anthology was built around the radical idea that there are as many ways of being Muslim as there are Muslim people in the world. They also wrote and co-created Brown Girls, an Emmy-nominated web series that highlights friendship among women of color. Their debut lyrical novel, When We Were Sisters, explores sisterhood, orphaning, and alternate family building, and is forthcoming October 2022. While these projects approach storytelling through various mediums and tones, at the heart of all of them is Fatimah’s unique voice, insistence on creating alternate possibilities of identity, relationships and humanity then the ones that society would box us into, and a deep play and joy embedded in the craft. .
 

February 20: Desmond (Desi) Napoles

Desmond Napoles is a trailblazing figure in the LGBTQ+ community, renowned for their advocacy, modeling, writing, and public speaking.

As a designer, Desmond founded the clothing brand Be Amazing NYC in 2021, then closed the store in December 2023 to prepare for college.

They have garnered widespread attention for their activism and achievements, having been featured in high-profile media outlets such as The New York Times, NBC News, Teen Vogue, and OUT Magazine.

Despite being still in high school, Desmond has accomplished a great deal. They have used their platform to raise awareness about critical issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community, including HIV/AIDS education and prevention, LGBTQ+ youth homelessness, equal rights, and diversity in education. Additionally, Desmond is passionate about promoting sustainability in fashion and addressing climate change.

Through their various endeavors, Desmond aims to promote inclusivity and empower LGBTQ+ youth. They actively seek to challenge stereotypes and promote more accurate representations of the LGBTQ+ community in the media. Desmond accomplishes this through speaking engagements, social media outreach, and community service. Desmond's impact goes far beyond their accomplishments and media attention. Their work has had a tangible impact on the lives of countless LGBTQ+ youth, providing hope, support, and resources to those who need it most. They have demonstrated that it is possible to overcome adversity, pursue your passions, and make a difference in the world, no matter your age or background.

Ultimately, Desmond's mission is to inspire people of all ages to embrace their authentic selves and pursue their passions fearlessly. Their motto, "Be yourself, always," encapsulates this belief, and they strive to spread this message of self-acceptance and empowerment to everyone they encounter.


 

January 30: Nasra Ayub

Fatimah Asghar is an artist who spans across different genres and themes. A poet, a fiction writer, and a filmmaker, Fatimah cares less about genre and instead prioritizes the story that needs to be told and finds the best vehicle to tell it. Play is critical in the development of their work, as is intentionally building relationship and authentic collaboration. Their first book of poems If They Come For Us explored themes of orphaning, family, Partition, borders, shifting identity, and violence. Along with Safia Elhillo, they co-edited Halal If You Hear Me, an anthology for Muslim people who are also women, trans, gender non-conforming, and/ or queer. The anthology was built around the radical idea that there are as many ways of being Muslim as there are Muslim people in the world. They also wrote and co-created Brown Girls, an Emmy-nominated web series that highlights friendship among women of color. Their debut lyrical novel, When We Were Sisters, explores sisterhood, orphaning, and alternate family building, and is forthcoming October 2022. While these projects approach storytelling through various mediums and tones, at the heart of all of them is Fatimah’s unique voice, insistence on creating alternate possibilities of identity, relationships and humanity then the ones that society would box us into, and a deep play and joy embedded in the craft.
 

Live Streaming

Past Speakers

Gray Colloquium Archive

Contact

Interested in speaking to our students on the current topic?

Contact
Sarah McCann.