For a very long time now I have always felt that the one most damaging things that has ever happened to Blacks in this country was the integration of the schools. Some have agreed with me strongly and others have vehemently opposed my views, and while I have respected their opinions on the matter, I have not and will not change my tune.
I think removing young Black boys and girls and placing them in the classrooms of well funded and better equipped schools was a very good thing. Placing them in the hands of teachers who hated them based on the color of their skin was not. Yes, I am well aware of the fact that not every white teacher hated Black people or their Black students, but I believe those teachers were vastly outnumbered by those teachers who did.
Putting those young minds in the hands of those who hated them was one of the most damaging and destructive things ever done to Black people. It gave those that hated us the ability to make us question our self worth at a time when we were at our most impressionable, at the most vulnerable times in our lives. A teacher has amazing powers, everyone knows this, imagine sitting in a classroom where the teacher can't stand the site of you and regards you as inferior just because of the color of your complexion. Imagine that teacher feeling like they were being punished because YOU were placed in their class. Imagine how destructive that teacher could be.
I won't say this particular case in Coatesville, PA is what I'm talking about since the men the video is about aren't teachers, but being on the school board and feeling this way is just as bad, if not worse. It's a disgusting display of hatred by men who should know better, who should be more compassionate since they are the ones involved in making policy the schools in their district must adhere to. However, I also came to realize many moons ago that ignorance knows no bounds and that no matter what age someone is, their ignorance never ages and therefore never changes.
Here is the link to the video.
Early on we had this debate. It was one of our most heated, and with this post I finally understand what you were trying to get through my very naive heart. I can not image what it must have been/be like as a child to come to class day after day and be guided in such critical instruction by someone who not only failed to recognize their potential but also hated them simply because of the color of their skin. The damage that must have been inflicted would have been devastating and have ramifications for generations.
ReplyDeleteThese men - and others like them - have no fucking business being a part of any educational institution!!! Their actions are a wound on the entire educational system. My disgust is soul deep for these pathetic excuses for leaders. But the truly frightening part is that others in that community knew of their racist attitudes and said/did nothing. One IT guy out of how many others brought this to a school board member's attention?!? How many others within the system contributed to these fools being able to influence the educational system of this district???
I can not say this is the norm. My god...I truly hope not. I worked in education for 10+ years...the amazing, gracious, heart warming men and women that I was surrounded with on a daily basis inspired me like no others. They were the best of the best and gave 110% to the students and schools that they served no matter their race, gender, or socioeconomic background. The goal was to educate our precious and vital youth. I am not a fool to believe that these kind of amazing people are in every classroom, but I do believe they outnumber the racist trash. We have to do everything we can to ensure that one by one every racist is weeded out of our children's classroom.