My Hook/Connection for this topic:
Photos Retrieved From: https://me.me/i/it-is-not-enough-to-be-quietly-non-racist-now-is-22824793 and http://memepoliceman.com/what-is-antiracist/
For my hook, I shared the three photos above with quotes about anti-racism. The one meme says “It’s not that I’m Racist, I just hate when someone tries to make me care about racism” and someone shared it to Facebook from the following account with the caption below:
“Dear fellow white people.
You’re not racist but you don’t want to call out that racist joke your friend made because they’re “a good person.” You’re not racist but why do People Of Color have to make everything about race? You’re not racist but you think racism is for People of Color to deal with rather than something white people should have a responsibility to dismantle. You’re not racist but you don’t want to read a book or books about racism. You’re not racist but you don’t want to be inconvenienced by trying to confront racism in yourself, others, and trying to change it in institutions. You’re not racist but Kaepernick taking a knee for the national anthem was “too much.” You’re not racist but anti-racism work doesn’t feel like it’s a part of feminism to you. You’re not racist but you don’t follow/RT/repost anything from anti-racist activists of color. You’re not racist but you find yourself discussing “PC culture” more than how to end racism. You’re not racist but you think POC often exaggerate about the racism they experience. You’re not racist but you have lots of advice for how POC can deal w/ the racism they experience daily while you do nothing to stop it.
Like most white folks, I was always taught that being a “good white person” was about not acknowledging or talking about race. But I never saw the daily, subtle ways that I upheld a system of white supremacy, not through hate, but through ignorance and indifference. Like most white people on the Left, I found it easier to pretend that racism is something that the Klan does/did, but not something that I was capable of (unconsciously) supporting. Prejudice and racial bias are inevitable due to social conditioning. What we can control is if we choose to fight that, by reeducating ourselves, examining our privileges, and seeking out ways to be better allies to People Of Color on a consistent basis. You may not be “actively racist,” but it’s important to consider the ways in which our silence and inaction allow racism to persist. What will you do to move from “I’m not racist” to being actively anti-racist?”
-By: Matt McGorry
I chose to share this status as my hook, because too often I hear people say “I’m not racist” and then follow it up with “but..”, and then a racist statement. I felt as though this article really connected to the reality check examples from the “Detour Spotting” article and how people often make statements without thinking of the consequences. While reading this Facebook status, I reflected on my own past and the way that I used to talk before I became aware of the difference between being “not racist” and anti-racist. It is easy to tell others that we are not racist, yet it is rare for people to actually stand up to our friends who are making a racist joke. We need to practice being actively anti-racist and shut racist people down when they speak hate. All three of the photos shared above stress how we cannot simply be bystanders in a situation where racism is present, and then claim that we are not racist just because we did not participate in it. We have to speak out against it in order to be truly anti-racist.
Prompts/questions I prepared to help lead the critical conversation:
- What does an anti-racist classroom look like to you? How can we promote anti-racism within our classroom and school community?
- Did any of the reality check/consequence examples from the Detour Spotting article stand out to you? Have you heard some of these statements being said before, or ever caught yourself saying/using them? (ex: “I’m colour blind”, blame the victim, reverse racism, etc.)
- How can we work towards meeting the needs of all students in the classroom? How can we create a safe environment in our classroom for students of colour?
- What age do you think we should start talking about racism at? What would be the best approach to opening up a conversation about racism with the younger grades?
- What was your biggest takeaway from this week’s readings?
- Have you ever experienced or witnessed racism in the classroom as a student? (elementary, high school, or even in university?). Did anyone stand up or speak out against it, or did the witnesses remain silent?
- Do you think that our curriculum is a roadblock in promoting anti-racist education? How could we make it more inclusive for people of colour?
Quick Summary of Critical Conversation: (1-2 short paragraphs).
After sharing my hook, we started discussing the questions that I had prepared. We all agreed that the readings this week were very sad stories and almost difficult to read. Most of our conversations led back to the “A Message From a Black Mom to Her Son” story. We found this story really eye opening, and a few of us even said that it brought us to tears. Particularly the part where the student approached a teacher who was talking to another adult, and the teacher actually said “It’s okay, she’s not like the rest. She’s not like other blacks”. This sentence was just so horrific to us, and it led to our discussion about how we should never let a student’s skin colour affect how we treat them or talk about them. We discussed how students of colour are just as deserving and capable of an education as our White students are. We cannot make assumptions about their behaviour, school work, or life, just judging by their skin colour. We mentioned how when the teacher told the other adults that “She’s not like the other blacks,” it seems as though she believes that all other black people are bad or criminals. We also thought it was sad that the other adults did not stand up for the student or intervene when that harsh comment was made. This really showed us how simply being “not racist” is different than being anti-racist. It shows the importance of how an anti-racist person would have stepped in and said “Hey, that was a really inappropriate comment to make to that little girl.” It is our job as teachers to shut down comments such as these and educate people on the effects of their words.
We also got on the topic of how as White settlers we can sometimes have biases or be in denial about the racism that people of colour face. Sometimes you find it hard to believe that people would actually say and do these horrible things to their students of colour. This week’s readings really made us realize how important it is to create a classroom environment/school environment that is a safe space and supports the cultures of all students in the room. There needs to be a zero tolerance policy for bullying and racism within the school so that all students feel comfortable enough to be present and learn, which every child should have the right to do. Brooke shared a few stories about her experiences with racism in school growing up and how her peers would sometimes doubt that she lives with intergenerational trauma as an Indigenous person with White skin. This led us back to the topic of how being a bystander is not okay and does not make you anti-racist. Actively speaking out against racist and standing up for those who need it the most is what makes you anti-racist. We discussed how there needs to be advocacy for changes in the curriculum which is mainly geared towards the White, middle class population at the moment. Our group discussed how none of us were ever taught about Black History Month at school, which is something that everyone should get to learn about.
Reflections: Think about your role as ‘host’. What did you learn about yourself (as teacher)? What surprised you? Were there any AHA moments? What did you do really well? What would you do differently?
Overall, I felt pretty good about my role as the host. I love to take on leadership roles, so being able to facilitate this conversation was really fun for me. I had prepared a few extra questions to ensure that if we finished a bit early, we could still keep the conversation going. I ended up bouncing around and asking the questions out of order because I found that most of our conversations flowed nicely into another question. For example, questions 1 and 3 pretty much go hand and hand, so I had temporarily skipped over question 2 and then we came back to it later when the timing was more appropriate. I feel like as teachers we need to accept that our lessons will not always go exactly to plan, and that it is okay if we skip things or come back to them later. We ended up having time to discuss all of the questions, so I felt as though I really managed my time well as the host. Everyone would have their chance to talk, and then once the conversation hit a quiet point, I would move onto the next question. Our conversations were really strong, but in order to keep things flowing I was able to identify when the topic we were on had been discussed enough and I would move on. I would make sure that all 3 of my group members had the chance to speak on each question. There would be times where someone had not talked yet, so I would address them directly and say “How did you feel about that ….?” or “Do you relate to this situation at all?” and then that would spark some conversation from the more quiet person. I feel like this is key as an educator, because sometimes students have something that they want to say but are just shy to raise their hand or they wait until everyone else has talked first. I think it is important to let all students get a chance to talk and to not let just one student answer every single question if they like to talk a lot. I am someone who accidentally takes over conversations a lot because talking just comes so naturally to me, so it was nice to sit back for once and just really listen to the thoughts of others. However, I did find that some of my questions were a little bit too specific, so I had to kind of explain myself on a few of them. This is something that I would definitely change for next time. I would probably ask questions that are a little bit more general about anti-racism, rather than direct questions about the readings. I realize now that some people may not have taken notes on the readings or could not remember the specific details, so next time I would ask easier questions that are easier to answer on the fly.
| Critical Reflections: How could your understanding of the readings, and the critical conversation, contribute to your teaching philosophy? (1-2 paragraphs) Having this conversation with my peers and reading the personal stories of the people in the articles has really made me realize the importance of building relationships with our students and their families. Treating your students of colour with respect and making them feel included and safe can really go a long way. We need to advocate for our students and show them that they are capable of all good things. They deserve to be at school and deserve an education, they deserve the same opportunities as other students, and they are wonderful and smart. Giving this reassurance to our students is so important for their success. If we ignore students or treat them poorly because of their skin colour, it can lead to dropping out or giving up on their dreams because they think that they are incapable of success. At the end of the day, our students will always remember the one teacher who believed in them and treated them with respect. My teaching philosophy has always been about inclusiveness, and these conversations contributed to my new awareness of what supporting anti-racism in the classroom will look like. I see the importance in educating students on Black History Month, shutting down misconceptions about people of colour, and having a zero tolerance for racism in my classroom. Being an ally means actively practicing and preaching anti-racism, not simply saying that we are not racist. I plan to educate my students on racism while I am re-educating myself. I know that I will make mistakes along the way, but no teacher is perfect. This is all a part of my journey, and I believe that we are constantly learning alongside our students. Our students are the future generation of adults and activists, so it is important that we are raising them to be knowledgeable on the injustices of the past and how to reconcile them. School is where most children learn their social skills and how to treat other people, so we need to teach them in a way that promotes kindness and respect to people of all cultures and colours. |
| Questions: What are you wondering about now?, i.e. thoughtful questions that arose from the discussion. -As an educator, how can I challenge the curriculum to be more diverse and raise awareness about teaching anti-racism? -Often times, students come to school and say things that come off as racist because they hear Mom, Dad, Grandpa, etc. talk like that at home. How do we deal with this situation and tell our students that certain words or names are inappropriate/racist/hurtful/wrong to say even if we hear people talking like that at home? -How can we communicate with parents/families about the needs of their children in order to implement a more student-centred teaching style? -How can I help my students to love the skin that they are in and feel more comfortable in my classroom? |