Why be an Antiracist in the classroom? Because it matters to ALL children that we actively work on our biases and our conscious of them and especially how they materialize in our work with children. But it’s hard work and it’s often masked in a watered down diversity training or something less effective. There are some excellent trainings and trainers but they are not consistently available to all schools and regions. And while we are trying to figure it out, Black and Brown children are screaming for help.
In the words of Jamilah Pitts, “We may be uncomfortable talking about race, but we can no longer afford to be silent. We have chosen a profession that—like parenting—requires us to put our comforts second to those of children.”
We also can no longer sidestep or carefully confront it. For many of us that are actually old enough we have seen history repeat itself time and time again. For those that have been fighting for many years, the exhaustion of the status quo and the few spikes of change are not enough. Not to mention the loopholes that exist in all the Civil Rights Laws, that are constantly taken advantage of to keep us at the status quo. In order for us to make change, we must uplift those at the very bottom and recognize that the laws and policies that keep them there are inherently racist. And every oppressive act is a symptom of white supremacy. In fact, say it three times in a row just in case you still think it’s just classism.
None of us can no longer afford to be a neutral non-racist. We must be anti-racist, which implies action. Action to dismantle race as a social construct and all of the protections it provides for those in power. Yep! Newsflash! You have to be uncomfortable in order to transform a society. Very uncomfortable.
Right now in cities like Philadelphia, Chicago and New York City there are less than 30% of Black Educators working with majority Black and Latinx students in highly segregated and zero equity school environments that are further divided by school choice and magnets. Despite the thousands of studies that confirm that students being taught by teachers who look like them increase their academic achievement, and that the presence of Black teachers increases academic achievement for all students regardless of race and ethnicity.
Anti racism policies also include indigenous populations and immigration protections, versus jailing policies.
Now imagine what could happen if all teachers undertook a complete Antiracist Training and continue to build knowledge and understanding of race and gender studies. There may be a shift and we may stop hearing teachers call students the N word or continue to have a lack of understanding for our LGTBQ + students. Imagine if we didn’t find Black Women threatening or even worse as disciplinarians. And we stopped feeling threatened by Black boys and girls. We all had a deep understanding of Ethnic, Black, and Latinx Studies. This all happens when you are dedicated to an Antiracist approach. Or more importantly, being an actual educator committed to checking their implicit biases.
As if your life depended on it.
And as educators, we should immerse ourselves in the study of developing an Antiracist lens so that our students can actually “thrive and not simply survive” (Bettina L. Love).
“I have learned that we (POC) need a community of support...We need to speak up against racism and other forms of oppression, but we do not have to speak alone” Beverly Daniel Tatum
But please know that many of us are exhausted of always pointing out the obvious so start doing the damn work!
