“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” – Aristotle***
In several recent conversations with a few teens, I was shocked to hear stories of how common it is, or was, to hear other students use racial and ethnic slurs under the guise of humor and in some cases shock value that leaves the hearers questioning whether or not the offender is trying to be funny or simply trying to get a reaction out of fellow students. Sounds crazy right? I thought so too.
On the one hand, I recognize the foolishness of some young people in thinking it is funny to tease and get a reaction from others just for the sake of doing so. I also know the seriousness of such actions, at any age… how far it can go and where it can end up.
So where do middle school and high school students go when they are feeling excluded and marginalized? Who can they talk to? And if they talk to someone, what will be the result? Will the situation be resolved or will it escalate?
Inclusion in Schools Past & Present
When I was in high school… not long ago (lol), in a predominantly white, all girls Catholic school, there was a noticeable number of individuals of color, people from varying religious backgrounds and definitely socio-economic differences were noted. There were no teachers of color there, but a mix of nuns and lay teachers, most of whom seemed rather liberal in their thinking and teaching styles. I never heard a racial or ethnic slur from anyone’s mouth. Any fights or disputes that occurred happened among individuals of the same race. I can’t say everyone just got along, but I can say, we all knew how to govern ourselves in the company of one another, whether we differed by race, ethnicity, religion or other dimension of diversity. I can also say, that while I am not naïve enough to think no incidence of marginalization or exclusion ever occurred, I do know that had an incident of blatant insensitivity among students been reported, it would have been given some type of attention to ensure it did not proliferate into something publicly damaging.
Maybe we grew up to soon after the 60s and 70s. We were more conscious of the need to be socially aware and racially conscious, a mark of Baby Boomers. Many still were not quite there, but wanted to be and in many cases, knew there was more to learn.
Since then, generations have begun to think we, as a nation, a world have arrived. When President Barack Obama became the first Black president of the United States, many individuals outside of the country’s populations of color, began to believe, we had arrived at a cohesive, diverse time in history; one in which racism no longer existed. Unfortunately, people have to understand that unless the marginalized persons or populations agree and announce that isms have been annihilated, it is safe to say, they have not and they therefore are alive and well.
So if students in today’s schools are faced with both subtle and blatant isms in this post George Floyd era, while opposers of critical race theory are on the rise in an attempt to limit any educational efforts to end segregated, insensitive promotions of hate, where does that leave our youth? How does such change occur and through whom?
What is Critical Race Theory?
Critical Race Theory (CRT) is the idea that elements of racism exist within the major institutions of society (housing market, education and criminal justice systems, healthcare and labor market), causing many of the inequities we have seen throughout history and still see today. It reasons that racism and sexism are imbedded in the laws, policies, practices and regulations of these institutions and produces differing outcomes for people, depending upon their race, ethnicity or gender. Though racism and sexism is to blame for much of the inequities found among population groups in our culture, it is not always perpetuated by individuals who are racist or sexist. Some actions and practices are so deeply imbedded in our systems that many participate in the continuation of these isms without knowledge or intention of doing so.
Some criticize and oppose Critical Race Theory stating it is an attack on American institutions and blames all White people for the racist and sexist acts of the past and present. This, they contend, creates negative self-perceptions in young people and perpetuates a problem that no longer exists in a society where they believe equity exists.
Unfortunately, this belief ignores what I said earlier, “…unless the marginalized persons or populations agree and announce that isms have been annihilated, it is safe to say, they have not and they therefore are, alive and well.” To learn more read my November 3, 2021 post, “Understanding Critical Race Theory.”
Disrupting Marginalization in Education is a Journey
One of the keys to fighting injustice and marginalization is awareness. Critical race theory opposition threatens awareness raising and thus eliminates the much needed possibility of change. The opposition, in and of itself doesn’t stop it, but political actions imposed upon schools that ban the discussion of such topics as unconscious or conscious bias, discrimination, oppression or privilege does. This means we have to work in the states where no such legislation exists.
One school in New York, showed the effectiveness of addressing the issues directly. This suburban high school of Albany NY utilized the insights and experiences of recent alumni to hold discussions with current students to raise awareness and share experiences which helped change the culture in the school. Alumni students had experienced a variety of offenses, including a Muslim student’s experiences of being asked by other students how to build a bomb, hearing a teacher tell the class that women in Muslim countries were not allowed to get an education and during the post 9/11 era, asking her if her family was part of the Taliban. The student who shared these examples indicated inability to respond to or articulate her feelings about these incidents until she was in a more diverse college setting followed by participation in conversations and learning in online learning communities following the George Floyd murder. She then developed the ability to voice her thoughts and feelings about micro aggressions and marginalization she had experienced, more clearly and implicitly.
Bias in Education Starts at the Beginning
Hindering the intervention and raising of awareness in the education system starts way before middle school and high school. Research shows unintentional bias creeping in with preschool children.
U.S. Department of Education’s 2013–14 data revealed Black children represented 19 percent of preschool enrollment, but 47 percent of the out-of-school preschool suspensions. While, White children, represented 41 percent of preschool enrollment but just 28 percent of suspensions.
Walter Gilliam, PhD, the Elizabeth Mears and House Jameson Professor of Child Psychiatry and Psychology at the Yale University Child Study Center, as well as the Director of The Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy, spent years documenting preschool expulsions. He found three child related factors that made a child more likely to be kicked out of preschool: Being black, being male and looking older than their classmates. So, if a preschooler is a big black boy, the risk for expulsion is greater!
Where Does Change in Education Systems Begin?
- Start with awareness on every level
- Employ professional consultants and facilitators to develop programming for students to include dialogue, education and behavioral intervention
- Use Young adults (alum) in student discussions so students can relate to them more easily
- Institute the use of educational consultants and teaching partners to coach and educate teachers on how to limit the influence of bias in their teaching and classroom discipline
- Be prepared to address questions and concerns from students who need help after targeted sessions – have follow up resources available, whether it be students who need to deal with their own behaviors or situations that impact them at home
- Get input from students and faculty but separately when putting programming together
- Recruit and hire diverse faculty and administration regardless of the current student population to ensure exposure to varying cultures and viewpoints
- Screen all students for gifted programs and do not rely on individual referrals and recommendations
- Don’t drop the ball, follow through on activities and enforce accountability for students and faculty
- Implement reporting procedures that work for the students and faculty and ensure the fair, unbiased address of inappropriate behaviors displayed towards students
Closing Thoughts
As I researched this topic and learned more, it saddened and angered me. I know bias exists everywhere. I know that everyone has biases. I know that it is important that we identify and become aware of our biases so they do not impact the work we do and the roles we play. In human resources, in diversity management and in ministry it was quite helpful for me to be aware of my own biases so I could be careful to put them aside as I helped and served others. Teachers usually go into the field of teaching because they want to educate our children. Bias doesn’t enter their minds, though they do have them. If no one tells them in the home, that they have biases, and no one tells them in school or communities, that they have them, at what point will they know?
There’s “a thing,” a reality actually, called “the Browning of America,” which embodies the prediction shared some 20+ years ago that by 2045 the majority of the U.S. population would be made up of people of color… non-White individuals. The 2020 Census showed that the majority of Americans under the age of 18 are now people of color, and those who identity as multiracial increased by 276% over the last ten years. With that in mind, what are we doing with education system and the other systems in our country? Change is in order to ensure advancement and innovation in this country. Racism, sexism and colorism miss the mark on accomplishing this. Now, as much as people may get excited about the Browning of America, it stands to reason that, history will probably repeat itself.
Once upon a time when racism, which operates under the guise of “Whiteness,” was threatened by a drop in numbers, our country experienced a change in who could be defined as “White.” Groups that were previously denied the privilege, such as Italian, Russian and Irish were ushered into this privileged category, thus increasing the numbers and percentages once again, so that all would be right with the hidden agenda of those who wanted to maintain the horrors and illegalities of racism. Fast forward to the 21st Century as we approach the year 2045 and the majority of the country is becoming brown in color, there is another group, a fairly large group that has been granted the privilege of marking “White” on census documents. That would be those who previously and in many cases still do identify as Hispanic. As more and more Hispanic and Latinx individuals begin to check the box of their newly assigned category, the numbers that were dropping for the White population will begin to tick back upwards. This will enable decisions to continue to be made for a population that hides a subset of individuals whose goal is to maintain the status quo, and resist any progressive change in the systemic isms that have undermined our own members as early as preschool.
Initially I asked, “…where do middle school and high school students go when they are feeling excluded and marginalized? Who can they talk to? And if they talk to someone, what will be the result? Will the situation be resolved or will it escalate?” Unfortunately, there are no real answers to those questions.
So, Where Does Change in Education Systems Begin? It has to begin with information. It begins with awareness; and I dare say, if we can make the changes in the education system, the remaining systems (housing, justice etc.) might be a little easier to tackle.