Racism in the Classroom

Applying racism to Pedagogy, a Teachers Guide

Evelyn, Rachel, Stephen, Jacob, Kyle
December 10, 2012

A Pedagogical Approach

Pedagogy in contemporary America has changed
dramatically over the course of history. How teachers understand
their students has affected the ways in which they engage them. As
classrooms become more diverse, problems arise of meeting the
needs of more people. Minorities especially, have faced difficulties
in receiving an equal educational experience as their white
counterparts. Though on the surface, racism seems absent, the
rhetoric in many modern classrooms creates an atmosphere that
disservices minorities and privileges the majority. Teachers have to
address this problem in their classes by re-examining their own
ideologies, so that they can adapt to the needs of every student, and
solve any conflict that arises. In this document, two specific
conflicts emerge where racial misunderstandings create hostility
among students. As a teacher one must understand the context of
both situations, and how even though both are much different from
one another, similar approaches should be taken to address them.
We address political, social, and economic aspects of racism as
well as their role in the classroom. We offer our own pedagogy in
hopes of fostering racial equality in the classroom.

Scenario One [Jacob]

An overview of the first racial conflict is as follows:

Consider a confrontation that occurred in a peer-editing session
that Andrea Greenbaum describes in a recent Composition Forum
article. In that session, Brian, a white student, was editing a paper
written by Johnnie, an African American classmate. When Brian
pointed out that Johnnie was inconsistent in how he spelled certain
words in his rendering of colloquial dialogue, Johnnie became
irate and accused Brian of blatant racism. Johnnie insisted that
Brian had accused him of being unable to spell and that he was
doing so precisely because Johnnie was African American.
Although Brian attempted to console Johnnie by declaring that he
was only pointing out a matter of inconsistency, Johnnie remained
indignant, and the other African American students in class united
in solidarity with Johnnie. At that point according to Greenbaum,

Instantly, the class divided along racial lines, with the African
American students erupting in shouts to Brian that he was racist
and that his comment was inappropriate. Not surprisingly, the
white students sided with Brian, arguing that his question was a
legitimate one and that his job as editor and facilitator was to
bring up all matters related to the text.

Greenbaum realized that she had lost control of her class, and she
felt trapped, a white women instructor caught between collective
black anger and equally collective and growing white anger.
Rather than addressing the issue head-on and turning the situation
into a pedagogical opportunity, Greenbaum dismissed class and,
sadly, never discussed the situation further with her students.
Johnnie never returned to class after that incident.

When reviewing and analyzing the complexities within the
racial incident of Brian and Johnnie, we are left with a number of
possibilities for the emergence of the situation due to a lack of
background information regarding the classmates relationship. We
would like to focus on two broad approaches to the incident, then
analyze the two fully. The first approach being an analyzation of
possible events that led up to the breaking point between the two,
while the second approach being an analysis of a one time
interaction. Both these scenarios involve the social construction of
racism in our society and how they have been educated (through
school, or past experiences) to handle such a situation. In both
situations, no matter the previous circumstances, show that the
students teacher, Andrea Greenbaum, was exceedingly unprepared
for what happened that day in her classroom. Because she was so
uninformed within racial situations it caused her to lose control of
her classroom, as well as lose her student for the remaining of the
year. Although Ms. Greenbaum failed to handle the situation
properly, what happened in her classroom proves to be an ideal
conflict to analyze, and implement a plan that will resolve future
racial situations.
Looking at the first approach, we find that there are
numerous reasons for racial tension to occur between the two
previously, just as there would be with any two individuals. Brian
and Johnnie may have had previous negative interactions amongst
each other, or have had previous negative interactions with each
others race which caused them to stereotype one another. No
matter what their previous experiences are, or what cultural
differences they may have, what happened between them in the
classroom should have never taken place. The two lacked the
necessary communication skills needed to solve a simple writing
dispute, and the teacher lacked the necessary skills to handle the
situation correctly, causing Johnnie to never return back to class.
As for the classes decision to split between black and white,
we feel it was almost instinctual for them to follow in suit of the
familiar color no matter who they thought was right or wrong. Our
social construction has segregated us into separate cultures in
which we feel comfortable in. It is for the same reasons that the
class divided in color as you find most of your friends the same
color you are, the same reason you often find your significant other
to be the same ethnicity as you. We find a level of comfort in
identifying with others who represent us aesthetically. As much as
this is a societal problem, the change for an unbiased society needs
to start with the individuals ability to assess disputes and settle
them as equals- not jump straight for the race card.
Continuing to the second scenario we can focus solely on the
situation at hand. Brian, a white student, points out to his black
classmate, Johnnie, that he was inconsistent in how he spelled
certain words in his rendering of colloquial dialogue. What
seemed to be instantaneous, Johnnie became irate, and accused
Brian of racism. While this racial accusation may sound premature,
we can not hear Brians tone, nor can we see his body language
while talking to Johnnie which makes it difficult to fully analyze.
If we consider the option of Brian and Johnnie having entirely
different cultural upbringings this could provide us with the
possibility of Johnnie using African American Vernacular English,
which Brian would be entirely unfamiliar with; causing him to
accuse Johnnie of poor grammar. Brians lack of knowledge within
Johnnies dialect, and Johnnies unappreciation for Brian not
understanding his culture could have been what led to the racial
tension. Although this may have been what led to the incident, by
no means should it have ever occurred in the manner it did.
In Rochelle Brocks Sista Talk: The Personal and the
Pedagogical, she makes an interesting and reasonable point about
situations just like the one above. In her book, Brock interviews a
young African American women, who like Johnnie, felt mistreated
in a similar situation. She poses the question, Why does it have to
be the fact that if you (Whites) learn more about us (African
Americans), then were OK? Or if you read up your history and
see, oh theyre not so bad (Brock 46). While this may seem like
an over-the-top accusation to some, we feel it could not be more
accurate. Todays culture is based so much on aesthetic appearance
that the other needs to be researched or understood before it is
accepted. We also pose a question, but rather than why, we ask
how? How has it gotten to this point? How is it that our society
constructs our youth to jump at the chance to be racist, or
automatically follow our own color even if they might be at
fault? Of course all these questions are much more complex than a
single answer or explanation; it is the very reason why we have
created this manuscript; to compile a broad range of information to
share with teachers alike in order to handle situations like Brian
and Johnnies.

Society and Economics [Stephen]
Politics, Society, Economics and their Role in minority education.

To address scenarios like the one presented, teachers must
understand racism at its core. To understand the limited
educational opportunities for minorities in America, one must fully
comprehend politic's role in determining the economic disparity
between the dominant white group and the oppressed minorities.
Martin Carnoy examines four key influences that politics have on
the economic standing of minorities in his work, Faded Dreams
The Politics and Economics of Race in America. The first element
recognizes that America is regionally segregated by race and
because of this different policies affect citizens in a variety of ways
(Carnoy 128). This means struggling minority areas may be
benefitted or more likely ignored by government policies. Second,
government economic policies regarding employment, wages, and
social policies all affect economic earnings for minorities. The
third facet deals with how minorities are helped or ignored by
judicial rulings on employment opportunities. Last is the obvious
fact that government policies define the economic boundaries for
minorities (Carnoy 129). Essentially government determines
economic opportunities for minorities through various legislation
and policies.
The U.S. government has perpetuated the economic disparity
between whites and minorities through its various functions. Tim
Wise illustrates the economic disparity between whites and
minorities by analyzing average family incomes in 2012. Wise
states "the median net worth among white families is twenty times
that of black families and eighteen times greater than that of Latino
families-a difference of over $100,000, between the typical white
family and the typical family of color" (Wise 27). Systemic racism
limits occupational opportunities and financial earnings for
minorities. Clearly politics have a major affect on economic
standing for minorities in America and this explicitly determines
educational availabilities.
Political influence on economics is so important because
economic standing is racialized and has a massive influence on the
availability and quality of education. One young student in inner-
city St. Louis explicitly affirms the link between race and
education. "the two things, race and money, go so close together-
what's the difference? I live here, they live there, and they don't
want me in their school (Wieder 15). Already the young student
realizes that whites do not want equality in education, but instead
prefer to keep inner-city students in their marginalized
community.These inner-city schools that many other students feel
trapped in provide all sorts of obstacles to learning.
Even the teaching staff is a major issue at inner-city schools.
One teacher from a St. Louis inner city school describes the
challenges they must face in the pursuit of educating the youth.
The teacher explains that inner-city schools lack funding and the
vast majority of teaching materials have to procured and financed
by the teachers (Wieder 14). This would not be a debilitating
problem if it were not for a cancerous belief that riddles the inner-
city school system and stunts teacher motivation. The students are
frequently labeled as inferior, troublesome, or simply a waste of
time. Even teachers lack faith in the oppressed youth. One teacher
describes the problem by proclaiming that some teachers care so
little that they skip their own classes or routinely show up late
(Wieder 16). A Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of
Teaching explains the trickle down effect of the teachers' dismissal
of their students. "The failure to educate adequately urban children
is a shortcoming of such magnitude that many people have simply
written off city schools as little more than human storehouses to
keep young people off the streets (Boaz 7). How can anyone
expect these victimized students to rise up and conquer their
predetermined label as uneducatable and inferior? Because of their
race, minority students are Defined as less in American society.
White students consistently score better than those in
minority racial groups across America. Different levels of
education are obtained by the dominant and oppressed group.
Many social and economic aspects affect learning possibilities in a
negative way for minorities. Because systemic racism is currently
alive and well in America, the minority group does not have a
strong economic background. Often, minority students are faced
with economic obstacles that interfere with their education. A
young boy or girl may have to be around at home because their
younger siblings require attention, or possibly the parents, or even
just a single parent, need to work and can't watch the kids. The
Snnie E. Casey Foundation conducted studies in 2005 and 2006
that affirm these claims. Teen birth rates for African-Americans
were 62% while the national average was 40% and 65% of
African-Americans were raised in single-parent families while the
national average was only 32% (Annie E. Casey Foundation 33).
Any of these scenarios divert the students attention away from
school and could hurt attendance. They may need to leave school
early because they need to support themselves or possibly their
own children. The best schools available require money, and lots
of it. The best resources and teachers all go to the top paying
school and a trickle down effect occurs. In economically oppressed
areas the schools are not nearly as good and are sometimes not
even safe. Systemic racism ensures it is minorities who most often
attend these struggling schools. All of these economic struggles,
which are influenced by race, takes away from a youth's
opportunity to learn and are accurately described in the chilling
book There Are No Children Here, an account of life in inner-city
Chicago. Alex Kotlowitz, a journalist, followed two African-
American boys, Lafeyette and Pharoah Rivers, who lived in the
Chicago projects in 1985. The boys describe their hopeless attempt
to escape the projects. The boys routinely have to hit the floor as
bullets spray through their project, which smells of decaying
animals and even decaying aborted fetuses. Reading this book in
high school changed the way I perceive poverty and its influences
on children. We believe including these texts in a curriculum will
enhance minority education and foster a greater understanding of
obstacles faced by inner-city minorities.
The quality of education that any student receives is
influenced by their social and economic standing. What types of
schools and the level of education a student receives is limited if
they are not socially or economically fit for a specific school. The
upper and upper middle class families, who are typically from the
dominant racial group, have the wealth to send their children to the
best schools in the country. These schools provide the students
with an education and a reputation that ensures they can hold onto
their position as a wealthy citizen. Other requirements of these
schools is often extracurricular activities that are not available or
realistic for oppressed minorities. These schools are too expensive
for people not already wealthy and serve to protect white privilege.
Cedric Jennings, an African-American student in Washington
D.C., describes the struggle to overcome race and class boundaries
in the pursuit of education in A Hope in the Unforseen. Cedric has
dreams of attending MIT and had outstanding grades in high
school, but he is informed to not even apply because of his low
SAT score (Suskind 96). As a minority student, Cedric frequently
must overcome obstacles that his fellow students, who are white,
do not have to deal with.
Minority students often face a social pressure that is
nonexistent for dominant white group members. Rebelling against
school and teachers is a common response to the systemic
oppression for oppressed youth. They do not want to perpetuate a
system that has othered them and placed them below the dominant
group. In reality, when they rebel they actually help perpetuate
white privilege. It is nearly impossible for anyone to gain
economic and social success without some form of education. By
rebelling, the oppressed students ensure that they will remain
oppressed. Social pressures limit the educational advancement of
the oppressed minority group. Rochelle Brock describes these
unique pressures minorities face in her book Sista Talk The
Personal and the Pedagogical. Brock describes how her
experiences as an African-American woman influenced her own
teaching pedagogy and we utilized her specific knowledge.

The effects of the political, economic, and social aspects of racism
need to be understood by teachers in order to fully understand their
classroom dynamics. Without a comprehensive understand of
major aspects of racism, it is not possible to create a classroom
environment that fosters racial equality.

Curriculum and Instruction: A Teachers Perspective
[Evelyn]

There is no doubt that cultural perspectives affect the
curriculum writers and teachers and as result the current
pedagogies in the majority of school districts reflect the needs of
Anglo-American English natives. Its crucial that teachers reflect
on some of the cultural differences between themselves and their
students. In doing so they can be better prepared for constructing
curriculums that cater to the needs of all students, they can be
prepared to address racist issues that may arise in the classroom
and they can be aware of their own actions and rhetoric that may
be racist as well.
Its vital to identify the cultural differences that may affect
the classroom construct and learning environment. An example of
how a teachers cultural perspective may affect the students they
teach is in the sense that the if the teacher is an Anglo-American
English native speaker then he or she may not understand the
struggles English Language Learners (ELL) face. For example, the
difference between learning to read and reading to learn. Although
it varies from student to student, many ELLs are at the stage of
learning to read while other students may be reading to learn. So
the ELLs fall behind.
Another prominent issue that teachers face with the
construction of their curriculum and assigned readings is the
irrelevance of the subjects or readings or writings to the students
immediate life. Many of the ELLs or minorities, or even Anglo
students may not find relevance in some of the readings if they are
not applicable to their lives. Glynda Hull and Elizabeth Moje
highlight some of the issues stating; To learn literacy well,
students need meaningful purposes for engaging in literate practice
and opportunities to use literacy for a broad range of life activities
related to goals and desires beyond the moment of
instruction(Hull). Many first generation students experience
working in the fields or some other form of difficult labor at a
young age to help their families. Their experiences will more than
likely differ from their Anglo teacher, therefor a common book
reading like Fahrenheit 451 may be difficult to read because the
students have their own idea of dystopian society based on their
current struggles. The point here is that the struggles and obstacles
that students face often set them apart from the rest, and if their
studies do not relate to their personal lives and experiences they
will likely lose interest in education.
Another example of how cultural perspective may affect the
students are the different forms of teaching and learning that occur
outside of classroom. For example in some cultures talking back or
arguing with your elders is a sign of disrespect. However in many
classrooms not speaking up is interpreted as lack of interest,
opinion, or an indicator of not having done the work. So it is
important that the teacher learn to recognize the different forms of
engagement and what is due to culture differences. These are just
some of the examples of how a teachers personal cultural
perspective may affect the students from diverse backgrounds or
races that differ from the teachers.
We believe critical pedagogy is the first step to constructing a
pedagogy that caters to the needs of all students. To name, reflect,
and act would be the first step to devising a learning environment
for all students. The major difference when constructing this
pedagogy is to tailor the particular pedagogy to the new group of
students. We would not make a standard one fits all curriculum
before getting to know the students. It is important that all the
teachers in the district are on board with the pedagogy, it would be
most effective if the teachers constructed their pedagogies together
to make all the classes relevant to each other and so they are
progressive. Also, in order to embrace the diversity in the
classroom I think its is critical to have a bi-cultural theme. CVLCC
Chula Vista Learning Community Charter Elementary, Middle and
High school has an effective system. They are at the forefront of
devising a learning environment that tailors to everyones needs.
Our Core Beliefs
Our community of learners is committed to academic, social,
civic, and character development
Integration of world class curriculum standards with the
highest achievement goals
Celebrate of diversity and challenge learning opportunities
utilizing critical thinking for all students
Establish a learning community where: learning needs are
met, resources are provided, questions are answered, and
every learners potential are unlocked
Value the acquisition of other languages to be competitive in
world markets
Children demonstrate confidence, empowerment, self-
discipline, ethical responsibility, and resiliency by
committing to academic excellence
Children involve themselves in the community and establish
awareness of global perspectives
(http://www.cvlcc.org/)
The teachers and staff all work together to develop a international
theme. This year they turned every classroom into an individual
country and city. In doing so the classroom reflects that country so
the students are consistently surrounded with images, colors and
culturally relevant information in the classrooms. This is only one
example of how they embrace and celebrate international races and
cultures. It is possible to celebrate national races and cultures as
well through similar methods. This may serve as a gateway
creating to a multi-racial environment.
Breaking Down the Curriculum
Breaking down the points above are critical to full understand
what is needed to create a learning environment that embraces the
diverse needs of bilingual and bi-cultural students. The students
need to be as committed to their academic role as students in
order for the teachers to do their job. This can be accomplished
through a variety of methods, however, the teachers at CVLCC are
able to boost their students enthusiasm and ambition by catering
the curriculum context to the students surroundings and
experiences. Additionally involving the students parents ensure
that the students are being encouraged at home as well. This can be
done through a variety of methods not limited to parent teacher
conferences, but rather through expanding to the community.
Parents can be invited to help host cultural fairs, or to be team
leaders during field trips etc. Furthermore, Embracing the ideology
that students are always learning and therefor their surroundings
are always learning experiences is imperative if students are to
embrace their role as learners, along with their teachers and parents
as instructors. Integration of world class curriculum
standards with the highest achievement goals. Children tend to
be competitive so when they are given the opportunity to be the
best they will take it, this includes scoring the highest in their test
scores. The students understand at an early age, with the teachers
guidance, that they are always striving to compete at a world level
academically. Celebrate of diversity and challenge learning
opportunities utilizing critical thinking for all students. The
structure of the classrooms and school at CVLCC as a whole
promote the embracing of diversity every day. The students are
surrounded with this notion since the start of their academic career
and it becomes, in a sense, a norm. They are constantly being
challenged in the classrooms because they realize the magnitude of
responsibility it takes to understand the diverse world we live in; it
goes beyond celebrating others cultures foods. Other schools need
to take this as an example and adopt the ideology that the district
as a whole needs to be on board with celebrating diversity not just
a select few teachers. This will allow for teachers to structure their
curriculums in a manner that also celebrates diversity daily in the
classroom. Establish a learning community where: learning
needs are met, resources are provided, questions are answered,
and every learners potential are unlocked. It is the school
districts responsibility to set their standards for meeting each
students needs. If the previous three points have been met then it
is possible to provide a learning environment relevant to each
students needs. Value the acquisition of other languages to be
competitive in world markets. Embracing a bi-literacy and
bilingual pedagogy is critical in demonstrating that the district
values other languages for a variety of reasons. To be competitive
in the world markets is important, but also to embrace other
cultures. Language is key in understanding the customs of another
culture. Children demonstrate confidence, empowerment, self-
discipline, ethical responsibility, and resiliency by committing
to academic excellence. Children are curious. We need to
maintain that curiosity lit, and not extinguish it with closed
curriculums. Teachers need to critically analyze their curriculums
to ensure that they are empowering the students creativity, ethics,
responsibility and confidence. There are also opportunities outside
of the classroom to boost confidence; music clubs, sports, drama
etc. Children involve themselves in the community and
establish awareness of global perspectives. Classrooms can
promote the importance of being involved in the community and
giving back. The two can build a strong correlation, and give
students the opportunity to apply classroom knowledge to real life
experiences; i.e. recycling, and the importance of it. Students can
visit the dump sites so they can apply their in-class knowledge to
real life situations and the realities.
We believe the main reason why racism issues occur in
classrooms in forms such as the two issues we presented (refer to
scenario 2 on pg. 10) is due to the fact that racism is not addressed
in classrooms. Being proactive would be beneficial and may prove
to help students embrace diversity instead of only addressing race
in negative forms like the two issues presented. We believe this
could be in a sense prevented if the students experience and
celebrated the differences of each student. Therefor we believe the
teachers should address race and incorporate it into their
curriculums. This has to be beyond celebrating the different foods
and flags, but giving the students the opportunity to speak freely
about their cultural differences. If the teacher creates a safe
environment and openly speaks of different races in a positive
manner this may make it easier for students to address racism and
recognize that it exists. We dont believe this can be achieved with
one main method. It is the teachers and school districts
responsibility to incorporate this mindset of allowing racism as a
topic in the school. Having established this, then the teachers can
be creative in incorporating it into their curriculums. Following Dr.
Eddys pedagogy, it may be effective to begin the class with asking
what racism is and its definition and how it is prominent in our
society. Questions to ask are; what is racism? How does the
definition differ from ethnic groups? What is colorblindness? Etc.
Considering that we are dealing with children we would need to
restructure these questions, but the idea should be maintained;
racism is prominent and it will continue to be until we reinvent the
politics of racism. Celebrating everyones culture is one of the first
steps. As Dr. Eddy stated; No minority can feel appreciated if
their [ethnic] group is not publicly accepted or viewed positively.
We believe it is critical to structure a curriculum in a manner
that allows for exploring other races. We suggest starting with the
readings, we would suggest choosing something that speaks of
other races and some issues faced. For example the book When I
was Puerto Rican tells a personal story of Esmeralda Santiago and
the obstacles she faces as a young female immigrant in the United
States, including her identity. The readings would serve various
purposes including the opportunity to openly discuss other races,
racism, and differences in cultures.
Teachers should have a pre-planned procedure. They should
have a plan of action for various situations including racism in the
classroom. We do not agree with the approach the teacher used in
responding to the issue task 2. In not addressing the issue she is in
a sense reaffirming Johnnies accusation of racism. The incident
itself may not appear to be blatant racism. We believe Brian
intended to help Johnnie with his writing. However, Brian didnt
stop to think about Johnnies background, nor the standards or the
differences in the language they both speak. The problem here is
that there is only one standard fits all; the white standard.
Additionally, the fact that the classroom became divided screams a
bigger issue. First of all Johnnie feels angry, this makes us
question if it has been building, perhaps other incident have led
him to this point. What the teacher should have done was openly
ask Johnnie why he was angry, ask him if other similar incidents
have occurred and then have Brian openly state his perspective.
We do believe she should have questioned both of them in front of
the classroom, because to pull them aside and address it
individually would not have effectively addressed the bigger issue;
the division of the classroom. Also she would be supporting the
idea that openly speaking about racism is not acceptable. Therefore
we would suggest that she open up a classroom discussion to allow
other potential similar incident to be brought up while having a
mediator. In addition to the incident and the following discussion
we would have assigned the students to write how they felt about
the situation and what they think could have been done to prevent
it and what we could do collectively as a classroom to resolve the
issue.


Scenario 2

In a small rural town on the outskirts of a large city, groups
of students would make the walk from the parking lot off campus
to the local high school. This extra parking lot was put in place due
to a rising population in the growing area. Every morning a group
of (white) students would drive their trucks (with the confederate
flag hoisted on the back) with the windows down screaming
derogatory remarks or generally mean things to students that were
people of color. The number of non-white students at the school
was very small and having rude comments yelled just made things
worse. While no one agreed with what the group of students
yelling were doing, no one really did anything either. This became
a huge issue at the school. Administration said they did not
condone the behavior at all, and would talk to the group of
antagonistic students however, no real punishment could be given
because the remarks were technically not made on school grounds
but off in the additional parking lot and on the short walk to the
school. This issue had even students and teachers taking sides and
discussing the issue but was never outwardly addressed.



Analysis of Scenario 2 (Rachel)

Racism has many definitions. This is because the way we
define racism has much to do with our personal experience and
background knowledge on the issue. While personal experience is
a valuable asset to be aware of when defining race, generally,
white people think of racism as a personal attitude or action carried
out by a group or individual. This definition is not wrong, however
it is not a correct description of what racism means. Racism is the
product of accepted but flawed ideology that is perpetuated by the
dominant group (white people) (Wise, 16). Generally, people of
color would define racism as the systematic discrimination of a
whole race(s). From the perspective of a future teacher it is
imperative that we understand these differences in definition and
the way that systematic racism takes place and do our best as
educators in order to combat the catering to teaching mainly white
culture so that we may inspire new definitions and perspectives
on race. This goal is what the analysis of scenario two is centered
around, by breaking down the situation we can pin point issues and
relate use the scenario as a metaphor related to the greater
underlying issue, systematic racism in America.
There are many issues with the second scenario, but there are
a specific few that I think are worth focusing on. The first issue is
obvious, the fact that a group of white students is publicly making
remarks toward people of color who attend the same school. What
is more upsetting is that the other students who witnessed this very
public disrespect toward the people of color did absolutely nothing
about it. This is a very important point because it is a prime
example of how even an observer who is witness injustice can be
taking part in the situation. By saying or doing nothing, the
students who witnessed these events made the actions of the
antagonistic students acceptable not by encouraging them but by
simply accepting the situation and doing nothing. A more historical
example of this would be the way that the KKK would announce
lynching in the local papers (Eddy,Fall 12). People knew these
lynching would take place and yet still did nothing to try and stop
them. By accepting the information in the paper, civilians gave the
group power to do whatever they pleased. This is a greater issue
than simply just schoolyard taunting; it is something that occurs on
every level of society. Perhaps witnesses think that by adding a
social sanction or getting involved will just add fuel to the fire,
however this is not the case. Calling attention to the any situation
such as the example in scenario two will show that others disagree
with the actions of the antagonistic group, while obvious, it does
make the antagonists understand that not everyone agrees with
them. While standing up as an observer may not change the
opinions or actions of the group it does accomplish an opportunity
for conversation to be had between the groups of people involved.
Communication especially about unjust situations specifically
pertaining to racism is crucial for progress (Eddy, Fall 12). Though
this can be a very tricky thing to balance especially in a system rife
with bias, and conflicting opinions.
The second important issue that scenario two makes obvious
is the difficulty in the right type of communication about the
events taking place in and around the school. While the
administration was fully aware of the issue with the extra parking
lot, they never outwardly addressed the issue with the whole
school. While the administration did privately speak with the group
of students who were doing the name-calling, this proved to not be
very effective because it was still an issue. Perhaps the
administration did not address the whole school as to not call out a
specific group of students in front of the whole school for their off
campus behavior, but then what about the students who were
people of color who were being called out as a specific group of
students due to their race in front of most of the school? This lack
of communication can also be expanded to the larger issues of
systematic racism.
If we take the school system as a metaphor for the
combination of government, media, and stereotypes that create the
system, which perpetuates racism in our country. I think that there
are a few parallels that we need to consider. First is that of
technicality, while the administration knew the actions were
wrong, they did not work harder to do more about the issue. By
doing this, they as powerful people in the school system set an
example of acceptance for this behavior based on the technicality
that they could not actually enforce anything outside of campus. It
seems to me that technicalities happen in the real world to
perpetuate racism as well, such as in the justice system.
Technicalities are used to ones advantage or disadvantage based on
race, like how a white man and a black man who did the same
crime do not have the same chance of being put in jail vs. another
type of sanction (Wise). Another parallel between the school
system in the scenario and systematic racism would be how
everyone at the school was aware of the issue and had their own
opinions about it but no formal conversations were had in order to
really communicate about the meaning of the situation as far as
racism is concerned. This parallels the way that everyone in our
country understands that racism is an issue yet no real
communication in a formal way has been made for years. While
everyone may have his or her own opinion, it is a concept that is
not foreign to any of us. Despite a general awareness it seems like
everyone is afraid to have real truthful conversations about racism.
Tim Wise points out that fear is major driving force behind this
phenomena. One example would be how we have a president who
is a person of color and yet white people say racism is no longer
an issue because we elected a black president when in reality,
Obama has not brought up race in a large scale way due to the fact
that it would push a hot button topic (Wise, 34). As a country we
must get over our fears about addressing the conflicts that
discussing racism will have and ultimately attempt to educate
ourselves on the topic as much as possible.
Race is always a difficult subject to discuss in an interracial
group setting because the way each person defines racism is
different, also it is difficult to for individuals to not be defensive
and to be open enough to be honest, personal and humble. For
these reasons many people (especially white people) avoid talking
about race or even acknowledging the issue. This is known as
being colorblind. To be colorblind by definition of a white person
is thought to be that everyone is treated equally and respectfully no
matter the color of his or her skin. Somehow it seems that if white
people ignore race all together they could not possibly be racist
because the issue of race never crosses their mind. However this is
tricky because colorblindness leads to simply ignoring the culture
of a race (in a general historical sense and also modern perspective
on culture assigned to that race in our country also known as
stereotypes) and more importantly acknowledging how race affects
every aspect of life for the person (Bronson, 2009). When white
people ignore race all together they are not resisting racism in our
country but actually perpetuating it by closing off communication
and the opportunities to learn about racial perspectives other than
their own. It seems the only way to change the large scale issues
such as color blindness or the bystanders who do nothing are to
educate people about the reasons why what we are doing as a
society to deal with racism is not currently working and what to do
instead.
The third issue is the most simple and also the most complex
that this scenario exemplifies. We know that the concept of racism
is based on the social construction our society perpetuates. Due to
this fact we can understand that the concept of racism is one that is
learned. This is a horrifying reality. We are conditioned to
understand our place in society based on our race (among other
factors such as gender, sexual orientation, and class) starting as
soon as we enter in to the public school system. If scenarios such
as this are happening in our school systems, whether it is in an
outward act of racial slurs or a more subtle discrimination, the
youth of our country is learning about racism in a way that only
will perpetuate the current problems our society has with the
subject. It seems that a possible solution would be to change the
way we learn about racism in our country. School systems should
have classes or sections of classes that are devoted to learning
about how to talk about racism in a productive dialogue and to
learn new perspectives so that mutual understanding on the subject
can be reached. Public schools should acknowledge racism and
ways to combat it because it is a public problem.
Some may see this second scenario as a singular event that
was due to some hicks in a rural area messing around and being
ignorant, however after closer inspection of the event it is obvious
that there is much to learn from this scenario. First we understand
that bystanders can add to a situation simply by accepting what is
going on. That non action in turn gives power to the antagonistic
group. We also can understand that we communicate not only
through words but also through action in the way that the
administration did nothing to combat the off campus issue. It also
becomes obvious that the most primary system we are introduced
to (school system) parallels the real world on large-scale complex
issues. In this way, we learn about how to react and deal with
issues such as racism from the time we enter kindergarten. If we
are learning racism, the only way to combat this is to change our
system. We must open the lines of communication and educate
people about how to understand racial perspectives with
acceptance. As future teachers it is imperative that we understand
what power we hold in our school systems and how examining a
scenario such as the one above, we can impact the way, which our
country learns and reacts to racism.


Curriculum and Instruction:

Rather than a direct classroom based situation, scenario 2
involves racism on a different level. This overt racism, rather than
covert, is a blatant example of how a dominant group separates
itself from the other. It creates an us vs them mentality and
the confederate flag becomes the symbol that is the dividing line.
This symbol is similar to that of the KKKs classic white
headdresses, or the Nazis swastika. By themselves, these symbols
wouldnt have much meaning, but since they have all been linked
to groups of people that have stood against equality, their use in
contemporary society is taboo. So why then, do instances occur,
where people belonging to the dominant group wish to continue to
use these symbols as part of their identity? The answer is obvious,
racism is still continuing today, and education needs to play an
important role in changing this. If students are proudly performing
overt racism without any regard for others, then what should be
done in the classroom to solve institutionalized racism?

In many small rural towns across America, people of color are
overwhelmingly the minority. Its not a surprise then that the
school system in these towns has failed to address the needs of the
few. Many blacks can assimilate in a predominantly white
environment, however not many are ever totally accepted. That is
why a few white students can fly a confederate flag around without
any other white students sticking up for them. It is not the schools
responsibility to forcefully stop racist behavior if it falls out of
their jurisdiction, although it is every schools duty to raise
awareness of racial issues.

As is proven in scenario 1 by the outcomes of the curriculum
of CVLCC, bicultural and multicultural students can succeed
academically if the proper initiatives are taken to raise cultural
awareness and to meet specific needs of students in the confines of
the educational institution. Like scenario 1, Specific school
curriculum designed to teach students and teachers about equality
could be a simple answer to solve scenario 2, however how to go
about teaching racism is not as cut and dry as one might think.

An example comes from Britain. There, teachers felt
inadequate to instruct equality classes because they were white and
middle class and were taught teaching methods by others who
were white and middle class. They didnt have the background, or
knowledge of different ethnic peoples, thus didnt know how to
teach the subject to any of their students. What happened in these
equality classes was that the important issues surrounding race
were muted, or hidden altogether. Even though there was an
attempt made to teach about race and racism, it really promoted
white color-blindness, and failed to solve the problems of
institutional and systemic racism. On one hand, Tim Wise might
say that any talk about race and racism is good, because it is taking
a step forward and raises awareness. This concept may be true,
because the Britain model is trying to make more positive changes
and learn from its mistakes. Their solution is to hire teachers of
different ethnic backgrounds, so that the faculty represents the
entire student body more accurately. Even if American school
systems successfully hire in teachers of color, still it is hard to say
if the problem or racism in scenario 2 will be resolved. Either way,
steps could be taken to quell the acts of overt racism, while
decreasing the effect these acts have upon the victims.
In this case, it is the teachers job to first reach out to the
students of color, so that they can hear the students problems. Too
often in school systems black students feel like they have no one to
reach out to, because no one understands their problems.
Administrators have tried to solve problems in ways that are the
easiest for them. Racial issues in schools in the past have been
dealt with unsuccessfully because of this. If a student of color, for
example was having a tough time in a specific class because of
difficulties adapting to a white based school system, the
administration would take action on behalf of the needs of the
white majority and not the minority. Students of color would be
shuffled around, moved to another class, or their problems would
be ignored altogether. It is systemic racism, and its roots trace far
back in the American education system. It is a phenomenon that
affects pedagogy today, and if teachers successfully apply this
science to their student-teacher relationships, then situations such
as in scenario 2 can be genuinely solved. Student faculty-
relationships are of utmost importance. Especially, if the black
students have no peers to turn to. The availability of support from
people of authority, can assure them that they are a legitimate part
of the student body, and that their problems are not being ignored.
Other white students also, need a welcome place to express their
concerns, so that the issue can be revealed and teachers can see the
reality of the situation. Reaching out to students who are affected
by the incidents occurring in scenario 2 is surely the first step, but
it can become very difficult introducing teaching practices that
effectively tackle racism.

The hardest part when introducing equality practices in the
classroom, is what material should be introduced to students, and
how it can solve issues of racism. A teachers rhetoric is certainly
one way to influence students, but of course literature has
historically been the way to spread ideas. This has already been
done in elementary and high schools. Books like Huckleberry
Finn, To Kill a Mockingbird, and the Scarlet Letter have been used
in many classroom settings to bring up the discussion of race.
Sometimes it works successfully, and sometimes it doesn't.
Whatever the case any talk about race and racism is good, and
these books have served their purpose in at least some minute ways
in the classrooms across America. Other authors such as Nancey
Shneidewind and Ellen Davidson have produced books specifically
for teaching equality in the classroom, and these types of books
could be the key to promoting equality in the school curriculum.
Open Minds to Equality, is a good example of how a book
can be used to raise awareness in the classroom to make a changes
in students lives before they get into higher level classes. With
their book, they wish to make classrooms more inclusive and
educational by these steps:

Step A. Create an Inclusive, Trusting Community Where
Students Appreciate Diversity in the Classroom

Step B. Enable Students to Empathize with Others' Life
Experiences and Explore Why and How Inequality Based on
Difference Exists

Step C. Help Students Examine Discrimination in the
Institutions in Their Lives and See How It Has Affected Them

Step D. Empower Students to Envision and Create Changes
to Foster Greater Equality

(Schniedewind and Davidson, 2006)

This book is aimed at upper elementary school and middle
school students, but can be used in high school settings as well.
Another important aspect of the book is its ability to teach
instructors. To solve the problem that Britain had, with this tool
teachers dont have to feel insufficiently adapted to teach equality
in the class if they are white middle class, or of a non white ethnic
background. They can use this book, or books like it as a safe
teaching aide that will help not only the students appreciate
diversity, but the teachers as well. The importance of the
introduction of this type of book as the authors put it, is that
making changes in your classroom will increase your involvement
in efforts to make changes in your school, your community, and
the broader society. This in effect could stop acts of overt racism
that exist beyond school boundaries, and the fact that students can
take advantage of this book at a young age means that the spread
of racist ideas can be minimized before students become more set
in their beliefs.
Even with new teaching tools and better teacher education,
covert and overt racism will continue to exist in American society.
People have been raised in an environment that teaches them
certain core beliefs. In equality classes, many of these core beliefs
are challenged, and that may in fact create animosity towards
people of color by the dominant group. Also, the loss of privilege
can make the privileged group feel threatened, which may in fact
be what's happening in scenario 2. Should people have the right to
express themselves even if their expressions appear to be racist on
the surface? Of course they should. The same democracy that gave
way to civil rights is the same democracy that allows neo-nazi
groups to march on Washington. To address the students who fly
their confederate flags first means addressing the society which
produced these behaviors.
White folks who fly their confederate flags off of their
pickup trucks are either doing it because they think its funny, or
because they wish the south would have won the war. They also
could be using it as a symbol of power that sends the message that
people of color are not welcome. Whatever the case, these acts
occur because the dominant group fails to recognize the situation.
Either they embrace inequality, they dont care, or they feel like
racism is a thing of the past. They put on blinders, and pretend like
nothing is wrong therefore they can ignore the problems and
shutout any voice they choose. The children of the privileged
group as a result, come to accept or ignore racism at their schools
as they do in scenario 2. It is not just students who produce and
perpetuate this phenomenon however.
Professional teachers arent always above this. They too can
construct the rhetoric in their classroom to fit the needs of the
white students above the rest. It can be anything from the way that
seating is arranged, what material is discussed in class, how he/she
speaks to their students, and who they let be the dominant voices.
It is the teachers job to destroy hierarchy, and create cohesion in
the classroom. The teacher has the responsibility because of his/her
position to make inclusion a top priority. Racism exists because the
dominant group has failed to seek a resolve and it is in the
education system where culturally experienced people can teach
how racism affects not only people of color, but white people as
well. Teaching equality in the classroom not only contributes to
democracy in the classroom, but it ensures that democracy will
improve, and continue to be the driving force behind the system
that is America.
Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, the school
administration must also be onboard with the goal to battle
systemic racism in the classroom. As seen from the example of the
CVLCC school district; the principle, along with the rest of the
school board have the same goal and that is why the school can
function as a unit. You can have all the teachers believe in fighting
systemic racism and shape their curriculums in such a way that
allows for equality. However, if the school board does not agree
with this notion, then the teachers can do nothing, they risk losing
their jobs if they oppose the school district. The Tucson School
District is a prime example of teachers battling against the district.
The Mexican American Studies course was banned and with it so
were books that shed a different light on history in the United
States; The Tempest, Rethinking Columbus: the Next 500 years,
A different Mirror: A History of Multicultural Americans, A
Peoples History of the United States: 1492 to Present, House on
Mango Street, Disobedience, Pedagogy of the Oppressed (The
Education Cause). The teachers were fired. Freedom of Speech
needs to stop encompassing only the freedom of the oppressors,
and allow the oppressed to be heard. Or where is the line drawn
for freedom of speech? If a school district can ban books that speak
on behalf of people of color?

Conclusion:

People have the right to express their views on race. As good
or bad as it may seem, in America people have certain freedoms
afforded to them that can either perpetuate, or destroy racist
attitudes. They have the freedom to hold Neo-Nazi rallies, to say
nigger and to fly confederate flags off the back of their pickup
trucks. They also have the right to speak up against a school
system that lacks in addressing sociological issues. American
people have assembled the educational system and for better or
worse, it has been an ever-changing entity. Even writing which
might seem to a teacher a simple task for his/her students to engage
in, can and has posed problems to students who dont fit the
standard definition of an American. There is a standard English
which is considered to be grammatically correct, thus correcting
someone when misusing or speaking incorrectly is not out of the
norm. What needs to be realized in these situations, is that not
everyone in the school system is a native english speaker, and their
ethnicity needs to be taken into account so that they are not only
equally included in the educational process, but also respected and
appreciated by their teachers and peers.
America was founded on racism, and its hard to deny that
racism made this country great for white people. They would never
give up their dominance just to appease an unprivileged group
because history has worked out quite well for them. To agree to
grant equal rights to people of color would mean giving up white
privilege and the power that comes with it. On the other hand,
Americas history is also full of great triumph, where people have
come together to help one another no matter their differences. In a
writing class its all about the diversity of rhetorical arguments
intermingling. Its not about one voice being dominant, or one
being left out because its different. Schools should have students
write about how white privilege has affected them, and let others
reflect on the negative ways racism has hindered them. Introduce
them to new material that can help students better interact with
each other and understand their differences. This in turn will
spread across classrooms, and into areas outside of school.
As a teacher, your students are your colleagues and they
should all be treated as humans with equal worth. Students will
fight amongst each other and that is inevitable. They will disagree,
misunderstand, and seek different causes. As a teacher one must be
the observer, engager, interpreter, includer, and peacemaker. Race
relations and talk about racism can cause a lot of turmoil, but as
Lincoln said to the American people in 1861, We are not enemies,
but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have
strained we must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic
chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they
will be, by the better angels of our nature.
The creation of a future which embraces and promotes
equality among all, begins early in a childs education. Children
will continue to learn from all of their surroundings, previously it
has been thought that educators we can only help shape the minds
in the classroom. However, it is apparent that in-classroom
instruction and pedagogy can impact the shaping of ideologies and
identification which in turn are reflected outside of the classroom.
Students are already being influenced to identify with certain
groups as seen in the division of the classroom between black and
whites in scenario one through systemic racism. This often causes
students to not be conscious of their groups of identification.
However it is our responsibility to ensure that students are
educated on the matter of identification and are informed and
conscious about their identification and division. The assisting in
creating identification early in a childs educational career is key in
tackling systemic racism. It is our responsibility as educators to
grant the students tools with which they can make their own
decisions on what group to identify with; colorblindness, white
supremacy, racism, anti-racism activism etc. In order to do so we
must address racism in the classroom, and recognize its existence.
We must grant equal opportunity to all; practicing what we preach.
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