Is education reform more about class or race?
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In reforming education, there is no separating race relations from economics. This is a package deal and the idea that one is more key always will leave you imbalanced. Systems of oppression won’t go away because money is given or even evenly distributed. Evenly distributing money doesn’t balance the playing field. On one hand, since the field is already unlevel, if we evenly ration money it just exacerbates present inequities; furthermore, this distribution of wealth does nothing to rid us of white privilege. I know no one wants to believe this has much weight, but honestly, how many Euro-Americans would trade to be black? Similarly, fixing race relations won’t completely quell educational issues either. I mean, because everyone at some point hypothetically has equal access, a well-proportioned representation of every people group throughout all levels of power structures in society, and social norms come to be by meshing all ethnicities’ norms as one (so as to rid stereotypes), we would still have social class issues. Class issues play out in very insidious ways. These two monsters are inseparable. This is unfortunate. Until racism ceases, you will here about it. I can promise you that. If you’re tired of hearing about it, do something about it. Have you done any research on the statistics of who makes up what we call “the poor”? That might be informative. In most cases, poor is synonymous with people of color. Finally, I’m racking my brain trying to think of one school in Portland that is predominately white which is considered poor; I can’t, but can you think of one? |
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Hey Matt, Marie here. Thank you so much for your comment to my blog. I loved what you had to say, and am sorry I didn’t get the chance to tell you. I feel the same way you do about some white students who might feel they “get it”…and not being really empowered to make a difference or a small change. It was frustrating to me that some of them looked at me as if I should understand because I look white. But really, that was the difficult part of my life…was looking “passable”…and not really being able to pass by white standards, just “passable” as a person of mixed race…frustrating.
Anyways….in class I valued what you had to say over a lot of other students because you said it with firmness but with the sense that you wanted to listen, and that you really cared, about all sides…but you understand where the majority of this burden lays.
I hope the white students in the class can feel like they have a part to play too…although I am worried they don’t. And the ones who spoke out more fiercely…I hope they understand that being angry is ok, but try to figure out where to go with that anger, or else all you are is mad!
Keep in touch!
Much love,
Marie
Hey Matt, Rachel here from PSU’s white studies course. I’ve been meaning to comment on your page for quite some time now. I want to first build upon what Marie said above. Having you in the white studies course was so appreciated. You brought compassion as well as intrinsic critique and context into the course, all of which was severely lacking from the professor. I feel like most of us got thrown into such an emotional and traumatic place that wasn’t a “safe space” no matter how hard students tried to make it so. The professor just didn’t “get it”, which brings into question whether a white teacher should be teaching white studies, at least by himself. I think this class needs to be taught by a non-white teacher in addition to a white teacher, but not solely by a white teacher. The race of the teacher does matter.
I did my best to critique his performance in detail in the required final class evaluation, “final reflections- reflective assignment 4″, at http://whitestudiesblackstudies.wordpress.com/ if you are interested in seeing a more detailed evaluation.
All in all, if it wasn’t for key students in the class, such as you, Cat, Grace, Nicole, and a few others who had the courage, critical analysis, patience, and compassion to take on the role of teacher which Heidi Tolentino discussed when she visited (she warns against teaching about racism upon the backs of her students of color), the course would have been an utter failure. I want you to know that I really appreciate you, and the world is a better place with you in it. I am so glad that you are going into teaching, because this world needs dedicated anti-racist teachers with key insight and experience such that you bring. In addition, I really appreciate your worksheet about Allies which really provoked deep personal reflection particularly for white students- as to why we are here, what our intentions are, do we really have any ideas in regards to anti-racist work, how do we do this work together across racial lines, how can we be Allies in anti-racist work? I think personal work is really needed by white students who are often taught to look outward rather than looking inward to see our role in anti-racist work (looking at white privilege). White students really need to do this work rather than always looking at the oppressed instead of our role as the oppressor.
Thank you for everything. Keep in touch!
Much love and respect,
Rachel
Hey Matt this is Jasmine. Thanks for your interest in my action project! I’m in california visiting my friend right now but i’ll probably put my research paper onto my blog and hopefully submitting it to the Vangaurd once we’re back from break.
Ha. I’m not that dedicated, I was just making the 30 second walk back from the gym to my dorms and decided to make it a run when I realized it was pouring. But when I saw you I figured you’d probably assume I was actually jogging, so I had a little laugh to myself.
Thanks for the interest, let me know what you think of it if you get a chance to read it. It turned out to be more of a persuasive paper, once I found out how beneficial affirmative action is.
Talk to you soon.
Jasmine
Whatup Matt. Dude my bad, apparently there’s this like, weird complicated procedure for me to approve comments on my blog, and I thought I was doing it but it kept not working. (Also, I’ve been slacking off since classes got out, haha.) Anyway, I finally figured it out though Very glad you found it amusing. It was a pleasure being in class with you, hopefully I’ll see you around. By the way, where’d you get everyone’s blogs? Pedro’s list has them all messed up, including mine.
Peace out,
Thomas
PS: Best believe somebody’s getting slapped if they talk about my mother, haha. Too good.
Never mind, I don’t understand blogs at all haha, apparently some comments are sent to me for approval and some aren’t. I’m glad you were able to figure it out. But word, I can’t even count how many little white kids I know that are in some kind of band because they think it’s cool. Thanks for the comments, haha.
hey matt- this is christopher. i have the white privilege blog. thanks for your comments. i wish that the election made us actually talk about race, but so far it’s just been so superficial. that is representative politics for yah. nice to see you talking about this stuff on your blog as well. you’re in portland eh? is there some good anti-oppression work going on there? i am moving there this summer. feel free to contact me: cjbalive@hotmail.com