In Beverly Tatum’s text, “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?, ” she focuses on the ongoing perception of “racism” in American culture.She gives personal insight from her classroom learning experiences, and additional studies.I agreed with most of the information she presented.Below I will discuss a few point which was relevant to my learning experience, personal experience, and the context in the text.
Throughout the semester we mentioned the stage of nature vs nurture and how it shapes a students way of thinking and lifestyle.In Tatums text, she believed that the impact of racism begins in early childhood years.I feel this is true, with parental guidance.For most of us in the class, our parents are immigrants and we have been taught cultural values which we live by to this day.However, for their generation having a close knit community in their country was very important.This type of bonding was beneficial for the growth.This is relevant to the Native Americans ideology of running their own school system to preserve their culture.However, isolation becomes a concern because the upcoming generations receive information which is “distorted, shaped by cultural stereotypes, and left incomplete.” If isolation exist, and stereotypical views and generalizations are forced into a child’s minds, Does that affect his or her learning ability?Ill give an example,my sister’s friends daughter, who is nine years old currently attends a zoned-elementary school.Often times, the Caucasian students make fun of the quality of her hair, since its kinky.She deals with insecurities due to this situation and makes it known to her mother.The teachers resolution to the problem: “Well straighten your daughters hair, so the other girls can see that she has good quality hair, and everything would be fine.” After hearing that situation, I was highly upset at that the teachers resolution.The student shouldn’t have to change her appearance for the other students to better understand the quality of her hair, resulting in better treatment.However, the teacher should be able manage her class in a better way.First, being in a diverse classroom, we must all be aware that learning takes place on a daily basis(while making that known to the students).Even if its an irrelevant topic, like the quality of hair.Find an exercise to generate new ideas of how stereotypes, and negativity can affect one anthers learning ability.Lastly, in order for the teacher to learn from the class, he/she must know the strengths and weaknesses of each students to plan ahead of time to have his/her students thinking of classwork and less of the instilled perceptions of colored students often forced in the mind by parents.Also known as secondhand information.
Another concern in the text was the practice of omitted information in the classroom/in society and how it can affect an individual.In my very first post, I discussed the fact that heroification exist in the classroom setting.As we grow older, we are often times shocked when new information is provided to us.This makes us think, who can we believe?how does this new-found information distort all the information leading to an historical event/person?
I agreed with parents teaching their children what they learned.However, I feel it depends on the individual to determine what in their opinion is wrong from right, in their later years of life.Another topic that stood out to me in the text was the idea that Whites received more advantages and were treated differently, in a good way.The text mention the white female sent her child to school with no expectation of discrimination against him/her in the school setting.I immediately thought of the show “Everybody Hates Chris.”Although it has exaggerated scenes, it is clear that Chris Rock once faced discrimination from one of his teachers.This show intertwines with the media and how it affects the mind of children, which is present in prior chapters of Joel Spring’s text.This show usually airs on B.E.T, Black Entertainment Television, which I assume any ethnic group tunes in(can lead to internalized oppression).However, are shows like this, putting more emphasis on the superiority of whites on a day to day basis.Mostly, in school settings?Although the show is a televised comical auto-biography about his life in the 1980’s, Is the perception of his teacher influencing individuals/students to generalize all white female teachers in general?How does this affect a preschool child entering a diverse classroom for the first time?
Overall Tatum’s text informed me with information I was unaware of; I now know the correct terminology for two types of racism.I often witness internalized oppression amongst different groups of individuals.I am also told at times “I talk proper” or I’m not from the borough I was born because of my mannerism.Instilled perceptions are lethal to the human mind, and once it is in a child’s mind, its often hard to change their perspective.My friend is also using this text for an English course at another CUNY school.I say it be used during junior high and school class levels.During this time in a students life, they are “getting to know themselves.”The information would make students aware of the issues around them and develop mentally.
