Ellen Berg's book recommendation, "A
White Teacher Talks About Race", by Julie Landsman, led to a series
of soul-searching comments from MiddleWeb list members.
Landsman is a 25-year veteran of Minneapolis mostly urban schools. The
book is set up as reflections about a day at her school (actually a composite
of many days). She is reflective and honest about her prejudices and how
it affects the
interactions she has with her students. She includes many short excerpts
from literature, prominent figures, and in many ways, this book feels a
lot like "Mosaic". I highly recommend it!
One quote that has me thinking..."I know there is a history of benign
racism among white teachers in all-black classrooms, but I believe this
can change."(p. x) That phrase, "benign racism," really hits
home. Even in our best intentions, we are human, and we carry with us a
myriad of prejudices and assumptions cultivated by our personal experiences
(or lack thereof...).
She definitely offers a lot of food for thought. Her voice is earnest, thoughtful,
and real. The publisher is Scarecrow Press, and I bought it at Barnes &
Noble.
Ellen
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IF YOU order it from Scarecrow Press on-line, you get a 15% discount. Go
to:
http://www.scarecrowpress.com/
and enter "white teacher" in the search.
-John
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Deb introduced the term "colorblind," an expression that will
continue to appear throughout this string.
Ellen -- I will order the book. Thanks for the tip! Maybe the label "benign"
will help folks to look at their practice. The biggest problem I have encountered
in trying to deal with issues of racial & cultural differences is defensiveness.
Colleagues keep asserting that they are colorblind and therefore incapable
of bias toward children.
Have others had experience with this line of thinking? Lots of really dedicated
folks seem to hold this point of view and it is blocking our reform efforts.
Deb Bambino
[NOTE: Deb also keeps a diary
at MiddleWeb and has addressed this subject frequently.]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stacey was intrigued by the term "colorblind." Is it possible,
she asked?
I am intrigued by the idea of being colorblind in the classroom. Can
we actually be colorblind and be effective teachers? Does failing to be
colorblind mean that we feel ill will, disrespect, uneasiness, or apprehension
towards another race or culturally different group of people? Perhaps as
concerned teachers, we need to be aware of cultural differences and the
varying experiences our students might have because of their cultural backgrounds.
The majority of my students in my very culturally diverse school are Americanized.
The student body in my school consists of working class white children,
first generation Indian and Chinese children, and many Latino children.
Within these groups are many similarities and many differences.
Additionally, among one particular group I might find more differences than
similarities concerning their 'Americanization' or the rate the children
have saturated the more obvious culture.
Maybe what we have to do is learn how to treat each student fairly and with
respect towards his or her culture. Needless to write, I am not without
my own cultural issues in the classroom. Additionally, I am struggling with
my students and their use of gay as an insult.
-Stacy
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ellen replied to Deb's comments:
Deb,
Landsman actually talks about those very issues. She says that our students
desperately want to discuss the prejudices they observe and experience while
the adults in their lives steadily sweep it under the carpet and refuse
to talk about race. I, for one, do not believe it is possible to be "colorblind"...in
fact, I think that may actually work against us in the end. My African-American
students ARE different in regard to culture, and understanding their particular
culture a little better has helped me be a better teacher to them.
I know my prejudices, and I am actively working against them every day.
We all develop prejudices over our lives....from the media, our parents,
our experiences, the way we are treated or see others treated...it's a natural
thing. The key is to confront our prejudices, make them a part of our consciousness,
and then not act on them. It's difficult, but it is essential if we want
to be fair in our treatment of everyone.
The first year I was at Turner, I was the only white person in the whole
school, students or staff. I experienced for the first time in my life what
it was like to be the minority, to be treated differently (unfairly by some),
and distrusted. Over time and a lot of proving who I am and what I am about,
I have earned the trust and respect of my colleagues and the community.
It wasn't easy, but I suspect it was easier for me than it would be if the
situation was reversed and I was the only African-American teacher in an
all white school.
My first year my students questioned me about my culture...I found their
beliefs funny, but quite sincere. My students believed that I must like
country music because ALL white people like country music...I had to set
them straight on that! One child asked me if white people smelled like dogs
when they got wet because his brother had told him that (there was no disrespect
intended...this was a very honest question...). I told him I had never noticed
such a thing, but that it might be possible for some people to have that
odor. They appreciated my honesty and willingness to talk about these things.
I do not wish to be colorblind, but I do wish to be free of the prejudices
associated with color, creed, or country. I so love the diverse cultures
of my students; they teach me more about life every day and open me up to
new experiences.
Ellen Berg
Turner Middle
St. Louis, MO
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bill Ivey wrote to say that, over time, he had reached the same conclusion
reached by Ellen -- that is impossible to be "colorblind."
I've had experience with this line of thinking in many forms, not just racial
bias, but gender, sexuality, etc. etc. etc. Over time, I have come around
to share Ellen's opinion that it is impossible to be colorblind - and thus,
to my way of thinking, impossible not have a variety of prejudices. Feminist
consciousness-raising of the 60s and 70s started me down this path, and
my experience living in a nearly 50% gay dorm (including my roommate) plus
learning about my father's work with multicultural counseling continued
the journey.
My father has given workshops in various school systems, mostly local, and
believes that if you make an effort to identify, understand and value the
cultures of every single person present, including those which have historically
dominated, you have more of a chance to reach people than if you focus only
on certain cultures.
My own belief is this type of experience would help with gender bias too,
and indeed all forms of prejudice. At my school, a recent poster display
of 9th graders' personal "9 circles of hell" consigned homosexuals
to one girl's 5th circle, resulting in a flare-up of tensions related to
prejudice in general. Their English teacher, a wonderful woman, finally
defused the situation by leading a discussion wherein students were allowed
to speak about their own personal experiences with prejudice and how those
had affected the kids' points of view. As one girl said, "We still
don't necessarily agree, but at least we understand where everyone else
is coming from." That would reinforce what Ellen said about Landsman's
ideas and kids wanting to talk about these issues.
At the same time, we can't guarantee results: part of understanding where
someone comes from is recognizing that their life experience might make
it particularly hard for them to see and/or let go of a given prejudice.
At that point, I don't see what you can do except love them and hope your
positive example affects them in some way. I have a student who said during
this tense period that no one could ever convince him that homosexuality
is ok. All I could think of to say was that I respect that he has the right
to his own opinion, but that I have gay friends and relatives and would
prefer that they not be put down in my presence. So far, he has respected
my wishes, and we continue to have a strong relationship.
I could type for hours on this subject, but have schoolwork to do despite
the fact that we have our second straight snow day tomorrow.
Bill
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joanne suggested that in telling our own stories, we will come to an
understanding about not only our differences, but also our similarities.
How I wish I hadn't been raised colorblind. I grew up in the Air Force in
the 50's and 60's. Blacks had been fully integrated, and, at least from
my childish perspective, I saw no differences and my parents taught us the
same. My family's best friends were Sgt. and Mrs. Archer. What stories they
could have told us, if only we hadn't been raised to not see their color.
Sgt. Archer was one of the Tuskegee airmen in WWII
(see http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Quarters/1350/
)
and therefore, instrumental in the full acceptance and integration of Black
men in the military. Thankfully, there are many good websites that can educate
us these days, but I look back and wonder how many firsthand accounts of
such history-making did I miss out on hearing because it was considered
impolite to notice our "differences"? Also, what a resource our
friends could have been if, during the Civil Rights Movement in the 60's,
I had interviewed them for a school current events project. So many lost
educational opportunities.
I am so grateful that we are learning to celebrate this nation's cultural
diversity. Each one of us has any number of stories to tell. Perhaps by
encouraging those tellings, we can prevent any more school killings like
Columbine and yesterday's. We have to start somewhere, whether it is celebrating
our skin color, our country of origin, our body type (the shooter yesterday
was ridiculed for being a "shrimp"), or whatever makes us unique
or different.
-Joanne
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joanne,
Thank you for the website on the Tuskegee Airmen! I absolutely agree with
you on the idea of accepting and celebrating all sorts of diversity. Height,
weight, age, and even hair types (a big one in middle school) are all features
that students use to crush or flatter one another. I hate seeing this at
school.
-Stacy
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Susan (who's a principal) found this conversation helpful when she needed
to respond to a parent concern:
I have appreciated the conversation about issues of racial and cultural
differences. I also work with many who maintain that they are colorblind
and therefore incapable of bias. They are very sensitive and as they protest
their neutrality also confirm their lack of it. Truly, it is impossible
not to notice differences and as humans we react based on our unique perspectives,
which come from experience.
When Deb wrote of benign racism, I winced. Not only did I see myself but
others. I too, will order Landsman book. Thank you to all of you who addressed
this issue and who commented that understanding cultural differences will
lead to our being better teachers when we drop defensiveness about this
issue and work consciously on our prejudices. I received a letter yesterday
from a parent who asserts that our school has a reputation of not being
racially tolerant and overlooking and downplaying the achievements of African
American students. The writer continued that we had a silently racially
polarized tone. My first instinct was to dispute these allegations. After
reading this week postings and rolling them over in my mind, I think the
more productive response is to consider honestly if these assertions may
be so in part and the degree to which they may actually exist. Then I need
to think what I can do differently. Despite my strongest efforts to be fair
to all, I have to stay open to possible failings and redouble my efforts
to ensure equity for all children in my charge.
-Susan
[NOTE: Susan Fedor also writes a diary for MiddleWeb and took up this same
topic in an entry titled "The
specter of racism."]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Mary Anne points out the importance of understanding various differences
in cultures and how these differences can affect our interaction with students
in the classroom.
This discussion has intrigued me. I think Stacy really hit a nerve when
she talked about being culturally aware rather than colorblind. I have always
tried to celebrate the diversity I find in my classroom and in my colleagues
rather than looking for differences. Several years ago, I took a course
titled "Being Culturally Responsive Educators." It opened my eyes
to differences in culture--things like Native American students don't look
their elders in the eye as a form of respect. How many times have teachers
unknowingly asked kids to look directly at them not knowing the differences
in culture? There are so many of those positive differences. Working together
we find the strength of all.
There is a fabulous book titled "Awakening
the Genius of Black Children". It again focuses on celebrating
the culture of children. I don't think that being colorblind supports anyone.
When I cast plays--I am colorblind. In the classroom--I celebrate our diverse
cultures through respect. -
Mary Anne
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Satinder Hawkins shared a minority perspective:
This is a fascinating topic. In the classes I'm taking for my master's,
the issue of being colorblind has come up a lot. I always understood this
arguement to mean that we treat everyone the same...which of course makes
perfect humanitarian sense. However, in the many readings I've done, what
becomes clear is that this issue is very much the way white teachers/people
in general approach the issue.
I myself am a minority, but the issue of race has always been uncomfortable
for me. I used to feel terrible about even referring to someone as black
or Hispanic, as if it was uttering an obscenity. However, for minorities,
there is a feeling that they are treated differently, and it is because
of their race. Their race has impacted the way the world views and treats
them.
For example, white people see images of themselves everywhere as being an
unspoken norm. They view people like themselves on tv, in magazines, in
movies on a regular basis. However, minorities very rarely (although this
is changing!) see positive self images. Imagine what it would be like if
every representation of society showed people who were black or brown! A
lot of great sociological work on this issue. I love this topic. It is such
a great learning experience for me.
Satinder
Long Beach, CA
-------------------------------------------------------------------
John shares an article that illustrates how racial issues continue to
affect what happens in the classroom.
This recent story from the New York Times seems to me to speak to the
issues of color and schools. Here's a key quote:
"One study looked, for instance, at the breakdown by state, and found
that in Connecticut, North Carolina, Mississippi and South Carolina black
students were four times as likely as whites to be in special education."
I'm less proud to report that I was born in SC and live in NC! In case you
think this is only about poverty, read on....
-John
--------------------------
March 3, 2001
New York Times
Study Points to Racial Slant in Special Education
By KATE ZERNIKE
Black students are three times as likely as white students to be labeled
"mentally retarded" or "emotionally disturbed" and put
in special education classes, where they are less likely to end up with
high school diplomas or a quality education, according to a set of studies
released yesterday.
The 14 studies, commissioned by the Civil Rights Project at Harvard, outline
ways in which black and Hispanic students receive a poorer, more segregated
education. Minority children who need special education often end up with
less than they need, they said, and many others who do not need services
are pushed into special classes anyway.
"To the extent that minority students are misclassified, segregated
or inadequately served, special education can contribute to a denial of
equality of opportunity, with devastating results in communities throughout
the nation," the authors said in a preface to the studies.
Nationwide, about 11 percent of students are classified as needing special
education, which includes students with a range of disabilities, from depression
and anxiety to autism and severe mental retardation.
Statistics have shown for years that black students are more likely to be
classified as disabled and placed in special education. But the authors
of the studies, who were spurred to do the work after complaints about special
education from black educators and parents at an N.A.A.C.P. conference,
said this was the first time the statistics had been examined so widely
or so intricately.
One study looked, for instance, at the breakdown by state, and found that
in Connecticut, North Carolina, Mississippi and South Carolina black students
were four times as likely as whites to be in special education. As the number
of Hispanic students grows, they, too, are disproportionately being put
in special education, another study found.
While the overrepresentation of black students has often been explained
as a consequence of poverty, the studies said that even among black and
white students whose parents have high income and education levels, the
black students were more likely to be in special education.
"The data shows quite unambiguously the intensity of the problem,"
said Gary Orfield, co-director of the Civil Rights Project. "Special
education and civil rights have tended to be separated to a considerable
degree. But special ed is a civil rights issue; minority treatment within
special ed is a civil rights issue."
The researchers say the problems are likely to increase as states embrace
tougher tests for graduation. Many states do not require special- education
students to take those tests, so classifying students as disabled is a way
to raise scores. One criticism of the testing program embraced by President
Bush when he was governor of Texas has been that a high percentage of special-education
students did not take the tests.
"There's a huge problem being swept under the carpet," Professor
Orfield said.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Stacy responds to the New York Times article:
I did not see mention in the NY Times article that black males, more
often than black females, are the students being recommended for special
education services. I might be wrong, but I think I read in the AAUW report
several years ago that minority females are under-recommended for special
education services.
While I was working on my MEd. at NCSU, I devoured the school profiles for
Wake County (Raleigh area.). Several elementary schools had a more than
disturbing number of their black students in special education classes.
I began this research project after a black, female student of mine from
"the country" (as my NC students used to say) had a severe language
deficit that was never addressed during her K-12 years.
By the time she reached my freshman composition class three or four years
ago, her writing was unintelligible -- I don't just mean bad writing. She
certainly could have benefited from a resource room or/and English class
with in class support. Perhaps she was neglected due to her race.
-Stacy
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Harvard Civil Rights Project has just posted their report on special
education placements at:
http://www.law.harvard.edu/civilrights/conferences/SpecEd/moreinfo.html
-John
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Satinder shared a breakthrough in racial understanding from her own classroom:
After I had done a lot of reading on this issue I tried something I've never
done in my classroom. Over the course of a lesson (dealing with adaptations
people make based on geography) I mentioned my own dark skin color.
I pointed out that most Indians (from India) are dark and much of this is
probably a result of adapting to a sunny climate. I pointed out how my (white)
students' skin color was different than mine and explained that this too
was an adaptation as most of their ancestors were probably from Europe.
Most of my students are white so I could see they were a little squirmy.
However, I did this several times (when appropriate to the lesson of course!)
over the next few months. Now, I notice that my black students are very
comfortable talking about their color. It has been quite wonderful.
We recently did an activity about the Crusades where the students had to
wear masks of various Crusaders. One of my black students colored her Eleanor
of Aquitaine mask's face black! She and I both laughed about it. I told
her that Eleanor was in fact white, but it was okay because most of the
other kids had painted the darker, Arab masks white! It feels good to be
liberated from the discomfort of speaking about skin color.
-Satinder
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Several teachers discussed terms like, "First Generation" and
"Americanized" which Stacy used earlier in the conversation:
Melba wrote:
Exactly what does "first generation..." mean? Who is Americanized,
the Latino children? Are these students Americans- born in the US? If they
are, then they are NOT Americanized, they ARE American. Regardless of whether
our students are newcomers to our country, or are not white Anglo Saxon
students, I think as educators, we should begin to rid ourselves of the
"color" thing and think ethnically diverse. We must recognize
the fact that we live in a country of varying ethnicities and should validate
our students' cultures. In order to accomplish this task, we must learn
and understand our students' customs and traditions. The U.S. is a "salad
bowl" of people from many ethnicities and not a "melting pot."
We do not need to assimilate into one culture. We can co-exist with one
another and still maintain our heritage.
Satinder replied:
I think when Stacy mentions "Americanized" rather than "American"
she is referring to a process that my colleagues and I have noticed as well.
We actually even sometimes joke about it. If you have taught a mixture of
students who are just purely and simply American alongside those students
who are becoming Americanized you probably know what this means.
I hate to sound anti-American (trust me, I'm not; I cry at silly commercials
that have the flag; people think I'm weird...) but American children are
more self centered, less respectful of adults and their authority, etc.
Children becoming Americanized are leaving traditional cultural traits such
as respect for elders behind as they become assimilated. Sometimes it's
a shame to see this, but in education in California the process goes on
all the time.
And Stacy commented:
Thank you, Satinder, for clarifying the definition of "Americanized."
I would never deny anybody the right to claim himself or herself as being
American, even if they were born in another country.
By using the term "Americanized," I am implying that many children
and adults who might be first generation or even immigrant Americans are
incorporating American values and traditions into their lives.
I would also like to congratulate you on your decision to be intolerant
of intolerance. I agree!
-Stacy
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anne shared a classroom resource that will help educators work towards
reducing intolerance:
I hope everyone is aware of Teaching Tolerance, a quarterly publication
from the Southern Poverty Law Center. It is full of successful classroom/community
efforts to combat intolerance, lots of references to other resources. SPLC
also has other resources, such as "Ten Ways to Fight Hate."
http://www.splcenter.org/teachingtolerance/tt-index.html
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As the conversation began to wrap up, Joanne wrote:
Dear Middlewebbers,
I just stumbled over some old quotes I had saved from somewhere.
I'm not against the blacks, and a lot of the good blacks will attest to that. --Evan Mecham, then governor of Arizona
We may be finding that in some blacks, when the choke hold is applied, the veins or arteries do not open up like in normal people. --Daryl Gates, former L.A. police chief.