This week, I participated in the book discussion for The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas. I was anxious about the discussion. It is often uncomfortable for me to have these kinds of discussions, or teach about topics such as slavery, without feeling the guilt or helplessness of being a white male. This book was designed to make the reader uncomfortable, and it is discomfort, along with the willingness to talk about it that made this whole "Read In" worthwhile.
As a white male growing up in suburban Columbus, I was isolated from the racial tension that exists in our country, and it wasn’t until I got a little older that I understood that it doesn’t matter how I feel if there are individuals and groups of people who have been marginalized all along. I didn't know that young African Americans were taught on a daily basis how they should interact with police for their own safety. I never had to worry about that. However, ignorance is not an excuse. If we cannot acknowledge uncomfortable feelings and bring these conversations to the table, then the status quo will continue.
Today, I relistened to a podcast by Malcolm Gladwell about the hidden side to the Supreme Court decision in Brown v. The Board of Education of Topeka Kansas. It is often misunderstood that the Brown family and other African Americans in Topeka, Kansas were not upset with the education they were receiving at their school, but they didn’t understand why they couldn’t attend the school closest to them because of their race. While the Supreme Court ultimately decided to integrate the schools, they did so on the basis that the school the African American children attended was naturally inferior and the students were at a psychological disadvantage to the white children. However, once they entered the white schools all the African American teachers were fired, and the white teachers did not treat the black students the same. One study concluded that it was important for teachers to take an interest in their children, and the more prudent solution would be to integrate black teachers into white schools first (Gladwell). This episode pointed out the tragic inequality that African American students face in public education today, which all dated back to something the public viewed as a positive step for African American students. However, there is a hidden side of everything. There is still more research to be done on the topic, but the evidence is clear that black schools were considered inferior, therefore leading to a conclusion that they would have to be taught by white teachers to have any chance. Unfortunately, they were not welcomed with open arms, and we are still fighting education inequality today.
Educational inequality is one piece of the puzzle. The cycle of poverty, drugs, and discrimination is a difficult one to break and cannot happen if the majority refuses to empathize or acknowledge what has been there all along. Needless police violence and targeting of minority groups are one of the great tragedies of our time, but it is rooted in history and that history must be taught in schools and to the general public.
I don’t have all the answers, but it is a step in the right direction that we sat at a table in our school, students and teachers from different races and walks of life and have a conversation. Overall, this was an unforgettable learning experience, and, hopefully, this is the first of many constructive discussions.
Podcast Source: Gladwell, Malcolm. “Miss Buchanan’s Period of Adjustment” Revisionist History, Podcasts app, 29 June 2017.
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