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Many teachers have challenges teaching and relating to students who do not share their same cultural background. Getting and wanting to know your students is key.

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O. Miller

Let’s pull ourselves up by the bootstraps.  (A conundrum that is impossible)

Memory lane: After the civil war, blacks had gained ownership of over 15 million acres, which meant that they were also in control of 14% of the farms located in the United States.  So, what happened?  Oh, they were killed for it or swindled out of it.

Let’s ease on down the road.  Because of slavery blacks had learned many skills so guess what? Unions were created to freeze them out of well-paying jobs.  So, they began creating their own communities.  But guess what? Atlanta Race Riot (1906), Greenwood, Tulsa, Oklahoma “Black Wall Street” (May 31 – June 1, 1921), Chicago Race Riots (1919), Rosewood Massacre (1923), Washington, D.C. Race Riots (1919), Knoxville, Tennessee Race Riots (1919), New York City Draft Riot (1863), The East St. Louis Massacre (1917), etc.

That was so long ago.  Your right.  Let’s bring it to the 60’s.  The sanctioned beheading of our King, Martin Luther King, April 4, 1968.  The sanctioned killing of Malcolm February 21, 1965.  Now Lebron James and Al Sharpton are our leaders?  Appointed by who?

But anyway, I’m getting to the classroom, but let’s make a few more stops.  Did Reagan and the C.I.A. dump tons of drugs into your neighborhood?  Well, they sure did put it in communities that look like me to pay for off the book wet work.  That affected the brain chemistry of two or three generations. In fact, we are still feeling the effects.  Remember those 80’s.  On the news every day, this is your brain, and this is your brain on drugs.  The war on drugs which was a war on black people.  Black people were doing crack and “wall street” was doing cocaine and heroin.  But the majority of people going to jail were black. Prison became a booming industry.  The three-strike law under Clinton decimated families.  But “black folk” loved him because he went on Arsenio Hall and played the saxophone.  The media was complicit as well.  Last year 130 people died each day from opioids, but the people are portrayed as victims and addicts, as they should be, but quite different from the 80s.

Deliberate mass poisoning of black communities. Flint water crisis.  Matthew McFarland, the foreman at the Flint Water Treatment plant, was found dead at his home on April 16th, 2016. Sasha Bell A 19-year-old Michigan mother who was one of the first to file lawsuits on behalf of the thousands of children poisoned by water in Flint was found shot to death 3 days later along with her friend. They know we know, but they rather kill a few folks then have the truth come out.  Michigan, Chicago, DC, Baltimore, etc. have poison water in the communities of color.  These children are growing up with brain damage and we want them to sit in straight rows for 6 hours.

America has bailed out many countries around the world.  17 countries in Europe with the Marshall Plan. But we are supposed to pull ourselves up by the bootstraps.

I was raised by my aunt from 7th grade on.  What did she have?  A home library.  Knowledge and information.  What else did she have? A movie collection. Knowledge and information.  To learn some true history about yourself is a powerful thing.  What else did she have? A passport.  She worked for the government. I lived in Caracas for 7th and 8th grade.  There were students from 42 different countries that went to my school.  Exposure to other cultures helped to eliminate boundaries and overcome culture patterns. Built lifelong friendships with people who didn’t look like me, and some of the best teachers in the world.  9th and 10th grade lived in D.C.  Once again exposure to people from around the world and from around this country.  Some of the best teachers in the United States.

So how do we create an Anti-Racist classroom?  Let’s acknowledge the past history of this country. America is like a child that had no mother to chastise her.   Let’s teach these students to have a researcher’s mindset.  Always in search of the truth. That their history started centuries before slavery.  Always to question hypocrisy and double standards.  Michael Vick got 21 months for cruelty to animals but the cops that beat the hell out of Rodney King go free.  Colin Kaepernick was called a SOB for kneeling during the anthem by the president, but the Capital Rioters can beat security guards with the American Flag.  Children will come to recognize these discrepancies and must not be afraid to challenge them.

Finally, we must embrace technology.  We can strip away some of the ignorance and brig the world to the students if they are not able at this time to see the world.

I’m ranting, but I have had racist teachers.  I have been stopped by state troopers in Alabama, Tennessee and Mississippi that I am absolutely sure belong to the KKK.

At the end of the day, I just remind myself to be like the turtle.  Hard on the outside.  Soft on the inside and willing to stick my neck out for the right cause.

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Building relationships with students is the most important part of being a teacher. I believe that when a student feels understood, heard, seen, and loved for WHO THEY ARE, they will respond to learning positively. There were so many great points made in this article, but one thing that I left with is the importance of acknowledging the experiences of our students, as educators. We cannot ignore race!

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Our students benefit from learning about each other, about us teachers, and about everyone in the vast history and fabric of humanity. We should all take every opportunity to learn about the experiences of others and to put ourselves in their shoes. Racism has an ugly and persistent history, but we and our students can teach each other how to recognize and oppose it.

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Being aware of all the signs are important  especially during this time when racism has been exposed to our youth through media. Community organization was a key take away from me, and since my class is diverse I will apply everything I learned to make sure everyone feel equal , and respected.

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Taylor

This reminds me of what Dr. King said in his I have a Dream Speech:  "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."

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Racism is a prominent component that is STILL significant in modern existence. Unfortunately this erroneous initiative is a learned behavior that's persistently growing as we bare witness to current events. As educators, it is our responsibility to gain knowledge from FACT FINDING resources that are available as a proactive measure to steer our youths in a reflection conducive to positive light and love atmosphere towards humanity. Any human who has an impression on young minds, is expected to demonstrate proclivity against racism. Regrettably, many have an adverse reaction and consequently leaves a negative impact within the ethnic society

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It is important to get to know your students. Understand that they come from all different environments and backgrounds. Ignoring racism will only hinder it from being resolved. Knowing and respecting your students differences and making sure they know that they belong is so important. You will never reach the child if you refuse to ignore.

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For the last year our country has experienced a pandemic, social justice issues, insurrections in Washington, issues regarding police brutality, a winter storm; health care issues. As I see it race has been the common denominator in all of these problems. The issue of race has bubbled to the top of all of the problems that exist in America. If we do not stop to deal with the issue beneath the surface we will never be able to truly live in a world that is equal.

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For me, one of the biggest take-aways was the importance of community organizations. There is an abundance of local and global organizations who prioritize working towards the betterment of mankind, specifically child education and development. From experience, I know that when we expose our students to positive things that are happening around them, they, ultimately, want to be a part of that positive change. Students greatly benefit change agents (teachers) who take time to effectively educate them.

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Racism is structural and causes so many problems in all facets of life.  In an academic setting, all students should be treated as if they matter. 

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Racism is structural and causes so many problems in all facets of life.  In an academic setting, all students should be treated as if they matter. 

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It is important to recognize students for students to know that we are in their corner. We can't judge them on the basis of or color of their skin. We have to focus on the content of their character and it is our job as educators to help build their character. What is more, we can never just assume that we know. We have to take time to actually find out things about our students and make them feel apart of the classroom community.

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You can't stop talking about or ignoring racism because it raises its ugly head on a daily basis.  Use empathy when dealing with difficult situations.  Ask yourself " How would I feel if this was (your child)" How would I handle this if this was (your child).

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You can't stop talking about or ignoring racism because it raises its ugly head on a daily basis.  Use empathy when dealing with difficult situations.  Ask yourself " How would I feel if this was (your child)" How would I handle this if this was (your child).

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Develop a rapport with your students and their families.

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Getting to know each students and having the same expectation for each student is very important. Recognizing your basis plays a part and how you react to each student as well, so its best to set your basis to the side and focus on the important things and that's making sure each student gets the same level of education .

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Getting to know each students and having the same expectation for each student is very important. Recognizing your basis plays a part and how you react to each student as well, so its best to set your basis to the side and focus on the important things and that's making sure each student gets the same level of education .

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It is vital for educators to meet your students where they are which requires you to know your students and their families and to set high expectations for all students. All students deserve a high-quality education.

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It is important to get to know all of your students and set high expectations for all of them. Show your students love and praise them often.

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It is important to get to know all of your students and set high expectations for all of them. Show your students love and praise them often.

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Sometimes we have to have uncomfortable conversations. Our students know what is happening in the world, and ignoring it because it is uncomfortable can send the wrong message.

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I 100% agree with what Ellis said. It is so important to get to know ALL of your students/families and learn the background they are coming from. It is so imperative to recognize any biases. It is also important to be aware of what is going on in the community/world. Racism should not be ignored and needs to be talked about.

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This is a longish analogy- but ever since having read it years ago I have come back to it countless times. It reminds me that especially as a white educator I can't ignore race or racism ("stand still" on the conveyor belt) because when I do, I contribute to it.
" Because racism is ingrained in the fabric of American institutions, it is easily self-perpetuating. All that is required to maintain it is business as usual. I sometimes visualize the ongoing cycle of racism as a moving walkway at the airport. Active racist behavior is equivalent to walking fast on the conveyor belt. The person engaged in active racist behavior has identified with the ideology of white supremacy and is moving with it. Passive racist behavior (ignoring race) is equivalent to standing still on the walkway. No overt effort is being made, but the conveyor belt moves the bystanders along to the same destination as those who are actively walking. Some of the bystanders may feel the motion of the conveyor belt, see the active racists ahead of them, and choose to turn around, unwilling to go in the same destination as the White supremacists. But unless they are walking actively in the opposite direction at a speed faster than the conveyor belt—unless they are actively antiracist—they will find themselves carried along with the others."

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Don't ignore racism. Be honest about it. Help all students feel like they belong, are connected to, and cared about. Engage community, both organizations and students' families about their backgrounds, traditions and achievements. Be aware of and have high expectations for all students. Never stop learning about your students and how to reach/teach them.

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All I could think about was this quote from Morgan Freeman:  "The only way to end racism is to stop talking about it."

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It is important as a teacher not to ignore race and to remember that all minorities comes from different backgrounds (all does not come from low income families).Most of ALL know YOUR STUDENTS!!

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It is important to build strong relationships with students and their families and to see students as individuals and not as groups.

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The thing that stuck out to me the most in the article was the fact that we shouldn't just ignore what is going on or ignore racism. It is something that needs to be addressed and talked about in a calm and respectful setting. It is great to know each child and their background. No matter where a child comes from, each child can have equal opportunities if we help our children believe in themselves and give them the resources they need to be successful. It is good for students to know that you are there for them and care for them no matter what their background is.

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Know your students and be aware of your own prejudices so that you can be an effective teacher to ALL students who enter your class. Don't target students of a certain race or background because of your own prejudices.

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"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek." -Barack Obama
The article was a great read. I agree with President Obama, individuals must be the change that they seek.

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Build strong relationships with your students and their families. Be aware the students needs and address it.  Providing a fun, loving , safe environment for learning.

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Build strong relationships with your students and their families. Be aware the students needs and address it.  Providing a fun, loving , safe environment for learning.

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It amazes me to learn that racism is still just as prevalent today as it was when I was growing up in the 70's. Self awareness is an onion needing to be peeled no matter how many tears it brings about.

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Be self aware and identify your bias.Look to the community for partnerships!

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I agree with the article. It is important to know your students. Stop and listen to them. See students as individual people not as a group.

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It really is tragic that so many minorities are only given opportunities to attend low income, low resource schools because of where they live. Getting to know  your students and their families is a very good source for teachers. This way you can have more background information and situational information on ALL students and they all have an equal chance in your classroom