It feels like all I have been able to think about for the past two weeks has been the issue of racial discrimination and police brutality towards people of color in America. I recognize that that is a privilege. I recognize that I have not had to live in constant fear that a family member will not return home from a simple errand because of the color of their skin. I recognize that the lack of pigment in my skin makes it so that police are more likely to be my protector and keep me more safe over someone who is glowing with melanin. I recognize that I will never understand the fear a person of color has as they walk down the street with a hood on their head, as they run as a form of exercise, as they make a simple purchase at a corner store, or as they are supposed to be safe inside their own home. I understand that I will never understand, but I proudly stand with black and brown people through this necessary fight for equal rights.
As a child, I don't remember being provided with a book while in elementary or middle school where the characters were anything other than white. This goes for both inside and out of the classroom. It just never seemed to be the focus of literature I came across. The most diverse these stories would get were as far as "different types of white" like "Southern" or "City-folks" or "California-living folks"-----but never did I remember hearing about anyone with any extra ounce of melanin. I heard and read white stories my whole life and naturally I was drawn to books I could relate to. Even in high school within a district strong with minorities, the only diverse book I remember reading was Monster by Walter Dean Myers. Of course racial discrimination has always been an issue, but the education system as a whole has focused heavily on meeting standards. Even in social studies classes there were often watered-down versions of what one side of history viewed, written and chosen by people who mostly did not face racial discrimination. Now that isn't to say that I did not have brilliant, "woke" teachers throughout my elementary, middle, and high school years. Those teachers know who they are and every single day they made sure to make purposeful decisions in their teaching practices to reach and connect with all students personally-----but the education system has short-handed teachers as well. There hasn't been a significant focus on teaching diversity until recent years, and as we have seen this idea become more popular in education, we still do not see education of teachers on diversity across the entire education system. While my elementary and middle school years are long behind me, this issue of equitable education continues to exist in the same district I was brought up in.
The recent murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor and far too many others to count have truly pushed me to reflect on myself as a reader and as an educator. Injustices across school districts have sparked the beginning of major change among curriculum and the way we teach and provide students with an equitable education and opportunities. There is a lot of fear from teachers across districts when having difficult conversations with our students regarding race and civil rights. We live in a society where it is very important to be politically correct and provide students with appropriate education. During a time where racial injustice is a common "theme," we as educators must be able to have these difficult conversations with students. But first we must be provided with appropriate materials to give our students the best education. This is where providing students of color with literature by authors that look like them and live similar lives as them comes into play.
The students we are growing and nurturing deserve to be provided with purposeful and rich education where they see themselves looking back at them in literature. Of course this means our delivery of education regarding Civil Rights and racial injustice needs to change. It can no longer be white-washed, but we must also keep in mind the sensitivity and reality of the topic. White men and women cannot be the only writers of this curriculum. People of color should be heard through the literature we provide our students with as the primary authors. Students being able to see themselves staring back at them does not only apply to non-fiction. This especially applies to fiction. Just as much as I was able to view people like myself in fiction growing up, students of color should be able to see and hear stories about people who look like them, too.
As we have seen over the past two weeks, there has been an influx of participants in protests, posting on social media about racial injustice and police brutality, and even purchasing books about those topics. While this is phenomenal that so many people are itching to educate themselves on the most prevalent issue in our country, we need to share stories about black and brown people LIVING, too. I've been so easily able to read stories about other white people--stories of white people LIVING. These books are overly-accessible. Now more than ever we need to make sure stories of black and brown people LIVING are shared just as much as issues of race and discrimination and even more.
I have been so deeply inspired by authors and influential figures of color always, but especially recently. I have listened constantly to the voices of the voiceless in an effort to understand and contribute to the Black Lives Matter movement. With this research and self-education I have been faced with the reality that people who look like me have made it practically unbearable for anyone with a darker pigment than our own to survive and thrive in America. The embarrassment I have been feeling because other white people have treated people of color inhumanely has been heavy on my heart and mind. As I continue to reflect and gain understanding of what white people in this country have done to suppress the lives and value of black Americans, I will continue to spread education. I am not the people who have discriminated against people of color for more than 400 years, but I will take my understanding of the privilege I have as a white person and put it towards the fight for racial equality. The realization that I can use my platform as a book influencer and educator who is white to advocate for the lives and rights of black and brown people will be the strongest weapon against the hate that is overflowing within every crevice of this country. I will not sit here silently. I will not let another day go by where another person of color is underrepresented or even killed because of people who look like me. I will continue to be a voice for my current students and all future students I will have. I will make sure that with the help of the many other educators who are filled with the passion that is burning inside of me, both black, brown, white and any shade in between, that people of color will be represented, seen, and heard. There's no more silencing. The revolution you are witnessing will be the change that we as a human race have always needed, but have never gotten.
The idea that it is so important to provide students and others with stories celebrating black lives was inspired by the author of Dear Martin-----Nic Stone. Check out her article "Don’t Just Read About Racism—Read Stories About Black People Living" by clicking on the image on the left!
For more recommendations regarding authors of color and stories of black and brown people LIVING, visit @noshelfcontr0l on Instagram!
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