Some St. Louis Teachers Address Ferguson With Lessons On Race
I first heard about this series as it was discussed on National Public Radio. We have all discussed and thought about the concerns and present movement within the Ferguson area surrounding the death of Michael Brown. I found myself thinking each time I read a news article or heard a news report, what are children thinking? What is being said at school? I thought this article was a great answer to those questions. Some teachers are using this tragedy as an open forum to discuss and teach about race in a different more meaningful way. Flewell, one of the teachers quoted in this transcript talks about a disturbing incident that he endured while on his way to an event to assist teachers in discussing racial understanding and healing. On his way to the event an older white male pulled up next to his vehicle and makes a gun shape with his hand and points it at Flewell and said, bang, bang, seven times. This made me cringe when I heard and read this. Flewell was frustrated. But this did not stop him from attending the night’s event. Flewell has been openly discussing racial and class concerns in his classroom. Other individuals have different thoughts about discussing uncomfortable issues with school aged children. I really agreed with what the Riverview Gardens High School has implemented. They have a nonviolent training that some of the teenagers at the school have attended. This was an opportunity not only for the children to discuss difficult racial conversations, but it also allowed them to begin to process the impending verdict. These conversations are difficult but I’ve said in other blogs that I really feel open communication and education is the first step in beginning to process racial divides. I’m glad there are schools and teachers out their discussing difficult issues in the world. Any thoughts?
Do you guys think that some teachers do not talk about the racial issues because they are white and feel they do not know where to start or how the oppressed group feels? (They do not know how to be allies so they just don't say anything at all.) I think that one thing that needs to happen is teachers and police officers need to have more cultural competence training.
ReplyDeleteThis article is refreshing after hearing at the beginning of our semester that Edwardsville School Dist. was not allowing conversations about Michael Brown's death or anything about Ferguson in the classroom. I heard from a teen that I interviewed that goes to Riverview but lives in Ferguson that Dr. King's daughter had been to her school. That's interesting. I haven't heard anything about Bernice King being in the Ferguson-Florissant high schools. I have been thinking about the children a lot, also, and wondering what conversations were going on with parents and teachers.
ReplyDeleteI agree in part with Kara that white teachers may be afraid of saying something to make matters worse in their own classrooms, but I don’t think that’s a good enough reason not to discuss it at all. Hopefully, they are getting support and training from their administrations regarding the issues that have come up and how to discuss them according to age-appropriateness for the topics. If we could raise a generation of children who are more aware and more a-tuned to racial issues, privilege, discrimination, etc and more accepting of races different from their own, something good would come of this tragedy and crisis.
Hearing that race is something that is being discussed in the school setting is awesome. I heard on the radio maybe a month ago that whenever children discussed the Michael Brown killing they are told by their teachers that they needed to talk about something else. Learning about things like race in the classroom will allow undiscovered prejudices to be helped. I mean that if children are in the home hearing their parents discuss whites or blacks in a negative manner most likely they will also think negatively of them. I think this helps everyone.
ReplyDeleteThis is pretty amazing. I think it is wonderful that these kids are receiving the opportunity to have these difficult conversations and they have teachers who are willing to facilitate them. However, I do agree with Kara in regards to teachers having more cultural competency training. I think with that type of training more schools would potentially have the ability to have the conversations about race and class.
ReplyDeleteI agree that this is an important topic that needs to be discussed with the kids but also maybe with the parents as well. I am not sure if anything like that has been done yet but it might be very helpful to have some type of meeting with the parents of these children as well to assist them in learning how to discuss this topic in the home. Also agree with Kara that the teachers probably do need some more education regarding cultural competency. That is really disheartening to hear that some of the other schools were not even allowing this discussion to happen. It does no one any good to ignore the issues that have surfaced.
ReplyDeleteThis was a great article and really an eye opener. Kara you hit the bull right on the nose. I believe teachers are not comfortable talking about the issue and that is understandable but again not an excuse to avoid what is definitely going down in history. Talking about what happened in Ferguson is not just an uncomfortable discussion for teachers but for people in general. I have had conversations with numerous of people who rather not talk about it, fearing that they may say something to make the matter worse. I love that this teacher took the initiative to open up discussion between his students. Talking about race will be uncomfortable but the more we do it the more likely change will happen. Talking about race and prejudice helps us understand one another. I've said this many times before but I believe the diversity course offered at UMSL is a course that everyone should be required to take. It opens your eyes to the things we once didn't see or understand before.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that race and prejudice are something that need to be talked about. I think it is hard to talk about race because people are afraid of sounding racist. I know personally I sometimes wonder if the things I say come off as racist or insensitive. I think people, adults and children (older children) need to go through a class teaching cultural competency. I also think we have open lead discussions about what is happening in our world and the feelings associated with it.
ReplyDeleteKylee this reminded me of something. I know I told some of you this story in class last week so I apologize that you are hearing this twice. A friend of mine, and a social worker at Dunbar elementary told me that at recess, a group of seven or so 8 year olds came up to Amy and said, "Mrs. K , you be Darren Wilson because you're white and we'll all be Michael Brown because we're black." The whole story really upset me, for several different reasons. Where are these kids getting their information from? Is racism being instilled in these children?
ReplyDeleteI think that racism is handed down and a lot of times we do not see certain things are being racist but they are. I also think that avoiding the topic of race, pretending it does not exist is a form of racism. We only perpetuate the cycle of racism when we turn our backs to it.
ReplyDelete