Today, February 24th, I attended the African American Conference from 9:00 am to 11:00 am, and it was held in the Maucker Union. I was able to hear speaker Rasheed Ali and Rose Loggins. They were both so very inspiring and interesting to listen to. Rasheed talked a lot about connecting with students. He had mentioned how we can choose to be color blind, but are really? He said that research reveals that it is nearly impossible not to notice race, especially the physical features of people of color. I totally agree with that statement because even though we can look past people and see them for who they truly are, we still notice the color of their skin. I will always remember what he said just shortly after that. “Do not judge people by skin, but by content of character.” I just think of that as another way to say, do not judge a book by its cover. Once you start building relationships and getting to know your students more, you will be able to see their true character. …show more content…
She talked about how before her and her husband got a divorce, they used to fight a lot. They didn’t just fight mentally, but physically as well. She has 3 sons, and they would all be able to hear them fight. The reason she was telling us this was because as educators, we need to realize that we do not know our students’ life stories. We do not know everything that goes on back at home, so we need to be cautious on what we say and do. I love how she said, “The teacher may be the nicest person to a student that day, and they can really make a huge impact on that one student.” That made me think, if I were to give all my students a hug each day, that might be the only hug some of the children receive that day. That makes me sad to think about, but it makes me more well aware that what I do to my students matters a lot to
A popular notion says a child is born “color-blind” and remains color-blind until they reach adolescence. The problem with this concept is that people believe it to be a positive idea. However, it actually presents a damaging ideology – it suggests that race should not be a factor when trying to determine the type of person an individual is. I see it as an unsophisticated approach to view people because race is a vital part of our existence. Race is an attribute that makes individuals differ from one another, and the problem is not the differences in the colors of our skin. The problem is that we attempt to detach ourselves from the reality of being racially different. Racism will seem to inevitably exist, and in order to even try to end the malice, parents should begin teaching children about racism the right way.
I would like to say thank you for everyone coming out to west tonight, either you’re supporting your daughter, Future Falcons, or Mrs. Sinksen, it doesn’t go unnoticed. So thank you once again. I would also like to talk a little bit about Mrs. Sinksen. First, I would like to say Mrs. Sinksen is one of the most kind hearted people I have met in my life. It hit me hard knowing that the unspeakable happened to her. Bad things happen to good people, it’s truly not fair. As i’ve been getting older I realized something about teachers. Teachers don’t only teach you a certain subject, but they teach you far more than that. Teachers believe in you from the start, the day you walk into their classroom, they already see a fire in you that you don’t see
(175). I noticed that people have been conditioned to see people of color in a certain light. Some people do not know that what they see in the media is just a fabrication and that people are more complex than what they see on the
Colorblindness is a defect in the perception of colors, caused by a deficiency in specialized cells in the retina that are sensitive to different colors. The term is often used today during political discourse, often by members of some factions of liberalism, when claiming that one’s race should be irrelevant to any decision making process. It is a form of moral posturing; that one should see an individual as simply an individual, but not as part of any larger group or culture. As if this philosophy will enable us to bridge any gaps between races, this thought attempts to focus on how we are all the same, rather than how we differ. Teachers and administrators are required to complete coursework pertaining to multicultural education
I have always thought about myself as just a person. After taking this course, I think of myself as a white person. To me, being colorblind and attempting to look at everyone as just a person, were ways I avoided being racist. This course, taught by Dr. Bianca Williams, has enabled me to change my views on racism and race to a move correct outlook. I now understand that it is my duty to be able to acknowledge my race and other identities and the privileges that come with being a white, middle class, heterosexual person. I used to think that interpersonal racism was the main problem in the United States, but after this course realize that institutional racism is the problem. This course, coupled with readings from Devon W. Carbado on his piece titled “Privilege”, Beverly Daniel Tatum’s article titled “Talking about Race, Learning about Racism”, Brittney Cooper’s article on “The Politics of Black Women’s Hair” and Audre Lorde’s article called “The Uses of Anger: Women Responding to Racism”, I have shifted my views on race and racism to a more constructive and correct outlook.
As a young child, I lived life colorblind, unable to grasp the concept of race or skin color. Growing up in Florida as the only Asian in my elementary school and never being bullied for being different, I assumed everyone was white, including me. But then came that earth-shattering epiphany: I realized I wasn’t white. I started to notice that not every supermarket sold Pocky or bubble tea and that it’s not common to get money in shiny, red envelopes on New Year’s. I realized that not everyone knew how to use chopsticks, that not everyone ate rice with every meal, and that when some people spoke slowly to me, it’s not because they were trying to articulate, but because they thought I didn’t understand English.
Today the dominate etiquette around race is colorblindness. It has a strong moral appeal, for it laudably envisions an ideal world in which race is no longer relevant to how we perceive or treat each other. (77)
Yesterday my best friend, Brandon, and i went to the library located on Savannah State’s campus to study for our upcoming final exam. Even though Brandon is a caucasian, people don’t have a negative outlook on our relationship just because i am an African American. It doesn’t make much of a difference to society when we are seen together,considering America symbolizes unity. Must i remind you, it hasn’t always been this way in America. in fact Whites and Blacks weren 't allowed to attend the same school, let alone the same water fountain because of segregation. to many people this situation was looked upon as ridiculous. Why should a person’s skin tone determine where they should be allowed to go? I shouldn’t. This was going on way too long without anything being done about it. Finally someone decided to take the problem to a new extent to bring on change. Brown vs Board of education is one case that still has great significance in history. Not only did it have a huge effect on segregation, but America as well would not be the same. My surroundings would totally change if this case had not been established. Brandon would not be my best friend, and sadly without the desegregation in schools we would have never crossed paths.
Racism is an ongoing issue here in the United Stated. It is one of the very discussions that we still have to learn how to eradicate racism and its practices. Rodney Walter, in the Grounding with my Brother, gives a few controversial claims that he believes to be important in helping to combat this issue. I do believe and agree that his three claims are relevant to our time in America. He gives practicals on how we, as individuals of the black community, can help to eliminate and impact racism using our own individual strengths.
With the click of a pen teenagers commit their future four years into the hands of universities, in return they receive free education and the possibility of competing in their favorite sport. N.C.A.A. fulfills the dreams of many young adults giving them a chance to prosper and obtain something more in their life. These students get to travel and see places they have never dreamed of, and the only cost is to play the sport they love. Yet for some reason many people believe colleges are robbing the lucky, talented students. They assert that on top of a full ride scholarship athlete should also receive a paycheck. However, student-athletes should not receive wages as they already are granted privileged opportunities for playing a sport in college.
One of the most thought-provoking issues raised in The New Jim Crow is the concept of colorblindness, and how Martin Luther King’s call to create a society where people are not "judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character" has been badly distorted by
Prior to taking this course, I was taught, and therefore was under the impression, that prejudice is a preconceived notion about a group and that racism is essentially the same thing, except that racism also encompasses the idea that the group is lesser. Eduardo Bonilla-Silva states that “for most whites, racism is prejudice; for most people of color, racism is systemic or institutionalized” (Bonilla-Silva, 2010). Quotes like this force me to reflect, both on how I see myself and how others see me. Reading that quote, I felt like I related more to ‘most whites’ because I believed that racism was essentially prejudice for so long. I remember once while doing a cross the line activity, I hesitated before moving when the facilitator said “step forward if you are a person on color.” Technically, yes, my skin is pigmented in a way that would qualify me as a person of color but there is a connotation with that phrase that I felt didn’t relate to me. My first reaction to that phrase is the thought of someone who has struggled, someone who faces racism on a regular basis, someone who is treated differently because of the color of their skin. In my opinion, the more others acknowledge a part of your identity, the more apparent that part of your identity is to you, and I don’t often feel that people acknowledge my identity as an Asian American. I’ve been called a coconut more times than I can count. Brown on the outside but white on the inside. Sure I look brown, but I don’t ‘act
It is evident that no matter how hard we try to avoid it race plays a major role in today’s society. Your race and/or nationality and skin color plays a lot in how you are seen and perceived by the world. The first thing you see when you look at a person is their skin color, which just
Personally, I believe education is the key to combating racism. We must education our peers on our cultures. We must explain that “colorblindness” in society is not what’s best. Only by embracing and recognizing each other differences we will be able to break the social bubbles we live in. I’ve gained a stronger sense of racial awareness through this course. I have the ability to challenge and change other people’s ideologies and understand my own. I know because of my social position have scholarships, financial aide and the values of hard work and education instilled in me by my parents and grandparents. I’m also aware that many people are not able to gain that same access. Because of my racial awareness there is so much more I want to find out about the contributing factors that led to my family’s social position in New Orleans. It is through my racial awareness I plan to beat the system.
To help inspire the students more, Erin gave them an educational trip about the Holocaust War that the students don’t have any idea about. But after giving so much effort and time to her students, her husband eventually gave up on their relationship. They divorced, but that didn’t stop Erin to continually support her