Blog #1 Prejudice and Bias

Image by Tanisha Watson

 In these past two weeks I've learned a great deal about race/anti-racism and prejudice and bias. I viewed a film titled The Laramie Project. The film (Kaufman, 2002) has an interesting scene where a lady speaks differently than others about this small town called Laramie in Wyoming. The lady expresses how the town no longer has values and many acts of hatred are present. She explains that the  everyone in the community needs to own up to the truth, because the people of  the town shouldn't cover up or deny what Laramie has become. Yes, she is right because once the truth comes to the light then hopefully a change can take place into a more positive direction. Throughout the film homophobia is displayed and Laramie is no longer what it use to be due to a horrific hate incident that occured in the town. Unfortunately, the town has been tainted with hateful acts of racism. As I watched the film I realized that people in the world are lacking compassion for others. 

In my reading of this week's topic prejudice and bias I read an article titled Hate in Schools. The article (Vara-Orta, 2018) is very disturbing and emotionally stressful. I've learned from the article that students experience in schools around the U.S. common hate words, such as the "n" word, chants-"Build the Wall," notes that read "Go back to Mexico" and the Swastikas hate symbol on bathroom stalls. Students who are mostly targeted are Black, Latino, Jewish and Muslim. These hate and bias incidents shouldn't be tolerated and must be condemed. When such incidents are on the rise parents are concerned about their child's well being and in school. Parents are fearful because they aren't able to protect their child when their child is away at school. Students do express their desire to have more black teachers in schools when he/she are in a predominatly white school. The reason why students of color feel this way is because the teacher will be able to grasp their agony when one is experiencing a incident of hate and bias.

Along with hate and bias incidents among students there are hate incidents among teachers as well. There was one incident where the issue was brought to the principal's attention and the principal downpalyed the issue. Another incident where a teacher displayed a confederate flag on the wall of her classroom, and a teacher who showed up at a school basketball camp with a large confederate flag from his truck. When such incidents are addressed one feels targeted by the district and responses regarding such incidents are gradual and defensive. Social media (IG, Snap Chat) have many reports of hate related incidents. Also students who wear t-shirts with scabbled letters of a racist word. There are a countless number of families whose child is threatened by harmful words to harm him/her and their families. There are parents who decide to parent group to prevent hateful acts and hopefully it will make a change for the better.

In connection of this toic prejudice/bias to race and anti-racism diverse literature is esssential to educate and expose students to various backgrounds and to learn about others. Diverse literature is a positive leap to anti-racism. I highly recommend educators and future educators to have a collection of diverse literature in the classroom. If  teachers support children to read early about different cultural ethnicities then children will have a positive awareness of cultural differences from reading diverse books. Diversity is being proud of who you are and everyone can bring a piece of something to the community ("100 Picture Books", 2020).

An article from Chalkbeat (West, 2021) explains how more black male teachers are needed. Mr. George is a teacher in the Clarksville-Montgomery County school system and he can remember how other teachers would advise students on classes on what they should take the next year and pushed white students to take AP or dual enrollment courses, while students of color who have a lower economic status, a lower GPA and needed the opportunity were overlooked. Mr. George was frustrated and created his own dual enrollment course for students who may have been overlooked. The benefits of black male educators is more than academics, but a realationship built with black boys.

The article These States Require Schools to Teach LGBT History (Leins, 2019). This article explained the importance of teaching LGBT and integrating it into the classroom curriculum as LGBT history. Some states have approved it into their schools and others haven't. I feel an LGBT club is a better way to expose and educate students on such topics. The club will allow the students to learn freely about LGBT without being forced to learn as part of the school's curriculum. The LBGT club will educate students about lesbian, gay, bisexual and other people. 

As a future educator my moral obligation is to be hate and bias free, by embracing diversity. The ambience of my classroom will be welcoming and to embrace students from different cultural backgrounds. Teachers can have more diversity awareness training and district conversations about equity. I plan to promote diverse clubs to help students alleviate their problems, help them to become a vocal activist against racism and to use their voice productively to make a change.

I would like to highlight that Muslim girls and women are particularly targeted because they wear a hijab, a religious head covering and as humans we live in a society of cultural differences. Everyone must learn how to have compassion for all human beings with different backgrounds other than our own.

References

Kaufan, M. (Director). (2002). The laramie project [Film]. HBO.

Leins, C. (2019, August 14). These schools require schools to teach LGBT history. U.S. News.                     https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/2019-08-14/states-that-require-schools-to-                  teach-lgbt-history

100 picture books including black people and communities &why you neeed them. (2020, May 29).            Heise. https://www.heisereads.com/2020/05/29/100-picture-books-including-black/

Vara-Orta, F. (2018, August 6). Hate in schools. Education Week.                                                                    https://www.edweek.org/leadership/hate-in-schools/2018/08

West, S. (2021, September 17). More black male teachers needed, says speaker at memphis education         fund conference. Chalkbeat. https://tn.chalkbeat.org/2021/9/17/22680248/black-male-teachers-            needed-in-schools-memphis-education-fund-conference