The following essay is a reflection on an Anti-Racism unit in gr. 8, with Ms. Galdos-Shapiro. Her students allowed us to publish their work and share their ideas. We are grateful and appreciate the opportunity to learn from them.
The two videos that I watched were Growing up Black and Conversations with White People About Race. In the first video, they asked Black people about what struggles and encounters have had with racists or cops that have stereotyped them. They also asked the Black people what they were doing at that time. For example, some of the black people were saying that they felt they had to cross the street so they wouldn’t scare someone. The other video I watched was a conversation with white people about race. Most everyone said that it was a hard topic to talk about because they didn’t want to offend anyone. During the interview, they were asked questions about race and if they thought that they themselves are racist. Many people also talked a lot about being in the dominant group and what their life is like. Throughout these two videos, there were three words that the people specifically mentioned and repeatedly talked about: race, stereotypes, and privilege. In the second video, which included talking to white people about race, they were talking a lot about privilege and race. The people in the video were talking about how since they are white and privileged, they do not have to worry about being marginalized and being in a situation where they are stereotyped because of their skin color. One person brought up the point that there were times when they have heard someone make a joke about someone’s race and they didn’t know what to do because they felt trapped. They were too scared to confront the person, but they knew it was wrong. In the first video, Growing up Black, in one of the stories, a young Black man talked about how he felt marginalized from his white classmates. One young Black man told New York Times that there have been many times when a school security guard pulled the young Black man to the side simply because he was Black. The officer would say it was just an emergency check even though all the other white students walked by without getting searched. In the video Growing up Black they interview Jumoke. Jumoke is a young black man that was a victim of racism and he talked about our society and how others talk about cops, and what they really are like. Jumoke: “My parents taught me, oh you know, ‘Cops are your friends, you’re supposed to, you know they’re here to protect you.’ But all I’m seeing is the opposite. So how can I not be afraid when I feel like I’m being hunted? When I feel like I’m there to fill a quota?” It is really interesting because this is very real. When I was younger I was told by my parents and peers that the police are there to protect you from danger, but how am I supposed to feel a sense of protection if cops are out here shooting people because of various stereotypes and base their decisions off of race? It also makes me wonder what would happen if I was in one of these situations where I was getting racially profiled by a cop. I think that there needs to be a change in the way cops are trained. I know that not all cops are bad, but what is happening now can’t continue to happen. Mothers of Black children have to be in fear and have to hope that their children do the right thing when they are encountered with a cop. They have to pray that the cop doesn’t pull the trigger on their innocent child simply because they are Black. I think this unit was helpful because it helped me understand race even more. I also think now is a great time to talk about race because of everything that happened this past summer, but also because of everything that has been happening for centuries. One thing that I really liked about this unit is the vocab because I think it really helped me understand what the words meant and how to use them. In addition, it helps me feel more comfortable talking about these topics because I now know the proper terminology that should be used. I also like our discussions because they helped me stay engaged on the topic and it was interesting to see all of the different opinions on the topics we had. I learned a lot about microaggressions and what is used to make up one because some of them surprised me. I have heard people say the examples of microaggressions and I did nothing about it because, at the time, I didn’t know it was a microaggression. I think this should be a unit next year but I would change one part of it. One thing that I would change is the reflection part. I would have one every other week instead of every week so we get more discussions and more to talk about our opinions and what we think. It would also benefit us to be able to connect ideas together and see the bigger picture. Besides that one little thing, I would not change it. The race that I identify with is South Asian. However, to understand race, we need to find out first what race is. Race is a socially constructed term that divides people based on their skin color and physical characteristics; it is not based on scientific fact and is not grounded in genetics. My family originates from South Asia, specifically Gujarat, India. To be honest, there are most times where I forget my race because it is not on my mind all of the time. It is just a small aspect about me and I don’t really think deeply about my race unless there is a religious event. It is then that I start to become more aware of my race and where I come from. I realize that my race is a big thing in today’s society because people judge me and make stereotypes based on my race, but I am lucky enough to the point where I feel safe and not always judged based on my race. In general, I still don’t really think about my race, but when I am in ELA or doing these assignments, it helps me more to think about my race and where I come from. It helps me think about my race more because the work asks questions that make you think hard about your race, but not in a bad way. It helps you engage your mind and make you really think about yourself. My participation in it has made me think more about what my racial identity is and how I am affected by it, but also how others are affected by it. Sometimes, I wonder what my life would be like if I was a different race. What is an anti-racist? To me, an anti-racist is a person that is against racism and against segregation. Being anti-racist also means that you do not believe that there is something wrong with people of color or a minority but there is something wrong with the way people perceive people of color and stereotype them. I can be anti-racist by being who I am and accepting people from all different genders, races, ethnicities, etc. These will help you be an anti-racist because you are not bullying someone or calling out someone based on who they are and what they look like. I feel that all anti-racists are doing a good thing by breaking the stereotypes of people of color. They are showing everybody that they are not the same person as someone else that is the same race. The stereotypes are so strong for some races that it is hard to break them, even for an anti-racist, because people are getting blinded by what their race’s stereotype is. This prevents them from taking time to actually talk to them. A prime example of stereotypes blinding people is with cops and the news. Cops usually stereotype Black people because of the color and think that they're dangerous. It has gotten so bad that they think they’re dangerous from every movement they do. Then, if a Black person gets shot, the news doesn’t say an innocent Black man was shot. They bring out and include a potentially bad thing about them and include that in their story so it makes it look like the Black person was the bad guy. This is how the stereotypes got so strong. “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.” MLK August 28, 1963. Hopefully, one day with the help of anti-racists, Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream will come true. By Manav
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