Standout Student: Breck’s Malcolm Yearby
Standout Student Malcolm Yearby wants to change the world by leveling the playing field for everyone at Breck School.
“I want everyone to see me for who I am, not just my skin color,” said the senior.
There are only 30 percent of students of color at the school. Yearby says that was a culture shock for him when he first started attending. He wants to make sure everyone at Breck feels welcomed and inclusive. He says it’s been challenging.
“I had to be intentional about finding my place. Intentional about finding my footing as far as my identity and who I thought I was and how other people viewed me as well,” explained Yearby.
Malcolm Yearby, inspired by James Baldwin
Literary icon James Baldwin inspired Yearby to do great things. “The Fire Next Time” is one of Yearby’s favorite books.
“He emphasized the importance of education, and that was vital to unlocking the potential, you know, of the black community,” said Yearby.
But Malcolm’s a poet in his own right. He wrote about the struggles of black society in a poem called “Bound.” He is also on the student diversity and inclusion committee and was instrumental in helping to develop diverse literature in English and history classes at Breck.
“Malcolm’s voice was significant,” said Upper School Director Thomas Taylor. “His leadership was really impactful as we examined what we teach, and why we teach what we teach.”
The motivated Standout Student is still deciding on which college to attend. But one thing’s for sure, he wants to help uplift communities of color.
Breck School
