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Anne Gaines
The entire book is a wake up call from the beginning to end. I have learned some things that I did not know and other things I did not even want to believe; but the truth is the truth. The way the author puts it for me; there is work to be done in educating black and brown students. Jamila Lyiscott writes about the injustices in education for black and brown students and what needs to changed. Its about educators working together to educate all students. Educators and leaders of education need to make changes in the educational system and educate all students equally. Stop judging students on the color of their skin, what they wear, what neighborhood they live in, and who you think they are. Students that enter the classroom,teach them what they need to to know, in order to be successful beyond the walls of the classroom. that will prepare them for the world.

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Tara Welty
"It turns out that my journey toward educational justice has turned powerfully inward, a lens into my own complicated humanity". Having experienced the theme Black Appetite and White Food my experience was predominately in an educational setting. Ironically, I experienced integration and busing on a personal level during the 70's in Buffalo, which focused my lens as I pursued a career in education.

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Tara Welty
"So let me ask you this: How safe or possible is it for us to teach our children about Thomas Jefferson and Christopher Columbus without glorifying slavery and genocide?"  This statement gave me pause.  We need to teach our students the whole history with brutal honesty, and regardless of how ugly, unpleasant as it may be for some to hear and accept.

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Afterword

“I did not find out that my mother was the survivor of sexual abuse until I was 31 years old. Apparently, she had blocked the trauma out of her memory; her will to bury her past was matched only by her passion of creating a future possibilities for me her only child.”

Unfortunately, sexual violence is the harsh reality many women/men face. Heartbreakingly, statistics show that many children deal with the violence of sexual assault. This statement stood out to me because in schools across America today, perhaps even in the schools we work in, many students are dealing with this ugly truth in secrecy. At times, their behavior even illuminates the trauma they have faced or are presently dealing with. With that said, as future educators, it is our duty to become educated in trauma inform care. Being aware of red flags and signs is crucial to keeping all children safe. It is also necessary for future educators to have a positive, motivating, encouraging outlook for all students despite their poor behavior, difficulty, or academic struggles. By doing so we give students, facing all traumas, a chance to break generational cycles and provide them with tools that can change their lives for the better.

We must continue to build self-esteem within our students and show them the way true love looks like. I believe through love, compassion, and discipline, this can be accomplished for all students of all cultural backgrounds.

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Jill Conklin
" I have found that forging forward in my quest toward understanding the intergenerational  trauma in my family.  it turns out that my journey toward educational justice has turned powerfully inward, a lens into my own complicated humanity."
I choose this quote from the afterword because, this quote helped me  realize , how important my role as a teacher really is. I need to remember my own cultural influences can affect my students. Therefore, I need to be aware of my own actions. I need to be  working on my own mindset into one that is culturally inconclusive; and to have an open mind with my  students, families, and the community.I need to be sensitive to certain cultures and the fact they may have a different way of learning something. I have to build a positive, respectful , and open relationship with families from diverse cultural backgrounds. I loved this quote because, it reminds me to always self reflect and strive to be the best teacher I can be. This doesn't mean I won't have bad days but, it does mean I can make a difference in a student's life.

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Chapter 9

Jill Conklin
"You see the problem with standard forms is not that we are incapable of acquiring them.It is so often fail to incorporate the genius that is available within diverse cultures. And when i am forced to be like you than I am robbed, And you are robbed of me."  This quote was on page 83.
This is a powerful and incredibly meaningful statement to me. Teachers have to confront the issues and needs of their students. We want students to remain positive. The way we teach in our classroom could ultimately, affect the way a student perceive themselves. I want every student to feel like they will have opportunities and have the ability to reach their fullest potential in my classroom.

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No Mastery, No Problem-Titania Funderburk

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No Mastery, No Problem-Titania Funderburk

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"What if I don't have mastery over genres like hip-hop and spoken word?"..."Were you born with the mastery over the five paragraph essays?"

Educators have to be willing to learn of student interest the same way we expect students to learn curriculum. If we don't allow them to use "I don't know how" as an excuse, then we can not use that as a get out of cultural discomfort card. We have to be willing to step out of our comfort zones to reach our students to ensure their academic success.

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My teacher rapping in front of the class

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Gabriela Castillo

"her will to bury her past was matched only by her passion for creating a future of possibilities for me, her only child"

This quote is very valuable to me, we see anonymous heroes’ women, men, and children fighting in everyday life, defending social causes, making a difference in the world, even though they have had painful experiences. For them, my respect and admiration to all the victims who are now survivors and leaders in our communities.

March 8 is International Women's Day. Unfortunately, allegations of sexual assault and harassment against women has not ended. This commits us to continue support women’s empowerment movements #MeToo and Time's Up to defends rights, ending sexual violence and guarantee justice for all.

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Gabriela Castillo

“I bring in the cypher, a practice within hip-hop culture with West African roots.”

This is a valuable experience for educators, which provides through this activity a culturally sustainable pedagogical approach that involves hip-hop culture that provides the opportunity to understand and learn about diversity from another point of view. Leaving the comfort zone.
Through music, dance, or any art, these resources can also be implemented to learn about other cultures. To seek a cultural integration that guarantees equal opportunities in education.

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“Healing is not the absence of wounds.”

I really like this quote, because from one way or another we “humans” have had to heal from wounds, pain, suffer, or any type of situation we might been through. I relate to this quote because in my personal experience, I have had to heal the emptiness from missing my hometown. Even though I was born in Buffalo, I was raised in Puerto Rico and spent my whole childhood and adolescence in the island. Moving back to Buffalo was hard for me, the culture and traditions were different, school and meals were different and making new friends was hard. Healing that wound was hard but that did not stop me from being successful in life. I kept moving and here I am, a future educator that would like to make changes in students’ lives…

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"I tell them that the process toward diversity is not
just about the presence of difference
It is about creating spaces and opportunities for truly
esteeming and exploring the value of difference on its own terms” Pg. 83

I chose this quote because I think it is particularly important for many educators to introduce from one way or another diversity in their classrooms. Teachers have the responsibility to recognize and structure their lessons to reflect students’ differences. This encourage students to recognize themselves and others as individuals. Also, this encourages the appreciation of a diverse school population and brings connections within the schools. Recognizing and acknowledging our differences is part of treating students fairly and equally. Recognition of a student’s cultural differences provides a positive basis for effective learning, and provides a “safe” classroom environment for all.

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The entire afterword was very interesting to me, there was no specific quote that resonated with me but the entire section stuck with me. In the afterword she talks about how she grew up not knowing the trauma that her own mother had endured. In my family(both immediate and extended) African American/Puerto Rican, we tend to not talk about things that we have gone through and I'm not sure why. There are many things about my family that I do not know. In our family we tend to go through things and keep moving.

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“Healing is not the absence of wounds. This is why in the work of Black Appetite. White Food. it is important to acknowledge the complex coexistence of pain and possibility.”  -Jamila Lyiscott, Author & Scholar

By definition, healing is the process of making or becoming sound or healthy again. As life unfolds around us during this 2020 Coronavirus health crisis, inarguably, we vividly see—eyes wide open—the inequalities and disparities affecting vulnerable populations of people more than others. Although we are all affected—directly or indirectly—as we move about doing something that bears a resemblance to coexisting, everyone is living with some degree of pain; be it emotional through hurt or heartbreak, mental anguish, physical stressors, and so much more that we resolve as part of life. However, it’s the other side of that “complex coexistence” that Lyiscott points out. (THIS is what resonated with me in these last chapters.) It’s the balance of our coexistence; to be exact, the possibility side that we must challenge ourselves to embrace so that we can promisingly coexist in our world today. This is how we become healthy and promote the same for others.

Respectfully submitted by
Phyllis A. Walker

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Nadia Hajana

“I tell them that the process towards diversity is not just about the presence of difference.

It is about creating spaces and opportunities for truly esteeming and exploring the value of difference on its own terms”.

I chose this because it is very interesting to me the way the writer trying to emphasis and demonstrate her opinion about the diversity as the sense of equality. I really admire when she is telling educators to acknowledge the real differences in diversity which build awareness, acknowledge of all culture, believes, music and race. Diversity supposed to have space for everyone to be included and give opportunities for all to explore their values and take their chances.

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"But where do I find the hip-hop that is safe to show the youth that I work with? I like the music but it's hard to find the kind of hip-hop that does not glorify prison culture." pg 84

I chose this quote because I have been saying this for years! Hip-hop is a wonderful form of expression. Within the past 10 or so years I feel as if the music that children/teens/young adults listen to now is in my opinion destructive. The music now glorifies crime, prison culture and sex. There are a few songs that I love that are uplifting for and inspirational for children. My favorite song is "I can" by Nas. Throughout the song it reminds people that they can be whatever they want to be if they work hard!

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Why I Started Using Cyphers for Justice...

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Why I Started Using Cyphers for Justice...

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…an excerpt from Chapter 9

“I tell them that the process toward diversity is not just about the presence of difference…it is about creating spaces and opportunities for truly esteeming and exploring the value of difference on its own terms...”

Everything has value. When you realize your value—as unique as you are—you will not settle for being treated less than that by others—with their own individuality—who fail to regard you with consideration. Be mindful. Be kind. Be different.

Phyllis A. Walker

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Dorothea Daniels

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Dorothea Daniels

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Chapter 9- The Afterword Kimberly McCarley

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Chapter 9- The Afterword Kimberly McCarley

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In chapter 9 of BLACK APETITE. WHITE FOOD., there is one quotes that really resonates with me and caught my attention.

“You see the problem with standard form is not that we are incapable of acquiring them

It is that they so often fail to incorporate the genius that is available within diverse cultures

And when I am forced to be like you then I am robbed

And you are robbed

Of the fullest potential of me” (p. 83 bottom)

In a school setting there is only one standard form and if you do not catch on, it is the standard form or the highway. This means that it is possible that you could fail as a student, because there is only one direction to receive an education according to standard form. There are rules and regulations that must be followed and adhered to. It is as simple as graduating, because each degree has its own designated course studies in order to qualify a person for graduating with any specific degree according to the school one attends.

So what, if you want to be a teacher and you have hands on experience as a day care provider, empowering youth ages 13-22 for 20+ years. So what, if you have a 2 year degree in Early Childhood, Bachelor’s degree and a multitude of experience in the classroom of day cares and public schools. So what, that because you understand the struggles of a slow learners and a strong connection and rapport with students that encourages comprehension and knowledge to them in a faster way. Many people are intimidated by the state standards exams and civil service exams to receive a decent county or city job. In most instances testing must occur, for example becoming a nurse, doctor or lawyer.

Students are now required to take Common Core exams that are extremely difficult for students of all grades and culture. The teachers are astonished at the information being requested for the students. Educators admit that the standards put on the student by the Common Core requirements are intimidating and unfair.

If certain requirements are not met a person is subjected to the repercussions of being something other than what their dreams were made of. A person’s skills may supersede another person’s skills in a position that society says that someone is not qualified for according to rules and regulations. The requirement of the standard form must be followed no matter how amazing a person’s skills or talents are. Those particular people will certainly continue to be robbed of positions, opportunities, and even sharing their wealth of knowledge with students living in the same culture. These particular people are often an asset to their co-workers, as well. Co-workers often accept and share techniques on dealing with certain situations. The standard form will certainly be a determining factor in a person’s income. Is a person willing to do what is necessary or sit on the sidelines and settle for whatever?

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Jenna Rivera

"Healing is not in the absence of wounds" (pg 89).
This quote is meaningful to me because in order for one to heal, grow, or change we must be aware of the "wounds" that we have or "wounds" that exist in our society.

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Cynthia Ford
And when I am forced to be like you then I am robbed And you are robbed Of the fullest potential of me. What a powerful statement made by Jamila Lyiscott. It resonated with me louder than a drum because it is the essence of the premise of the book. To me it is saying that if I have to reinvent my culture to fit into the mainstream culture then I'm hiding my genius underneath a bushel and burying it. As educators our job is to nurture the child and the last time i checked my dictionary for that definition the word diminish is not a part of it. Our job is to build up the students not tear them down. It is our differences that make us blend together, it would be a travesty of the Universe if we all looked, talked, acted, and thought alike. How would the beauty of the tapestry that is the world display itself? As Jamila Lysicott stated in her speech at the Urban School Conference on Educational Integration, growing up as a kid in school how she was encouraged to integrate,assimilate,and erase her identity. I was appalled and shocked that she should even be persuaded to have to make such a choice. As a future educator I will embrace the uniqueness of my students and welcome and encourage them to express themselves, through their culture, language, customs, and conditions.  

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Jenna Rivera
"And for those of us who are actively committed to disrupting in-school norms, the weight of the expectations around standards and testing stifle us into the cookie cutter struggle of teaching curriculum that is painful to uphold" (pg 85).
This quote resonates with me because we are going to be the agents of change!  In order to do that we will have to push back against the norms, be uncomfortable, and create the best learning environment possible for our students.

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Chapter 9 “How many of your students do you label illiterate by societal standards, while they can demonstrate mastery over this complex form that intimidates you?”

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Chapter 9 “How many of your students do you label illiterate by societal standards, while they can demonstrate mastery over this complex form that intimidates you?”

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This statement reminds of this quote stated in the book, “We are so often fixated on the form that we want our students to master within the curriculum that we stifle the voices of our students.” Often I have witnessed, we as people, people of all colors, in this society, tend to look down upon others who lack what we deem as normal or basic skills. We ridicule, label, frown upon, and disassociate ourselves when we realize or view that others may not perform or behave to our liking/standard. This is culturally insensitive, prejudice, and beyond ignorant. In reality, these individuals we frown upon have talents many wish they can emulate. If we do try to emulate these talents or gifts, the feelings of shame, embarrassment, anxiety, and fear can overwhelm us. Now, imagine what this does to the self-esteem of emotionally vulnerable children when their teachers, whom are supposed to be protectors, make them feel this way. Quite startling is it? We, as a whole, human beings, must learn to value every individual for what they bring to the table. We must foster love and appreciation for their individualized gifts. That is what being a true educational leader is.

Toks Tinubu

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You are the young, the brave, the powerful...be the greatest, thank you!

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You are the young, the brave, the powerful...be the greatest, thank you!

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James Blunt - The Greatest [Official Video]