http://www.upworthy.com/i-never-thought-id-want-to-high-five-a-teacher-for-yelling-at-a-student-but-i-was-wrong?c=reccon1
I recently watch this video on an instructor(Elliot) disciplining and yelling at her white students while multiple students of color surrounded them observing closely. At first I was confused and I just regretted clicking on this long 13 minute video, but I continued to watch for some reason. Then it hit me, this Elliot was teaching these white students what it feels like to be a student of color. Elliot would discriminate the white students based off their eye color and would attack the students for their responses. At a certain point one of the students walked out of the room, however the Elliot continued to teach her lesson.
What was more surprising was when this student came back. The Elliot paused her lesson to yell at this student.
"Elliot: “No. You don’t come back in here until you’ve apologized to every person in this room because you just exercised a freedom that none of these people of color have. When these people of color get tired of racism, they can’t just walk out because there’s no place in this country where they aren’t going to be exposed to racism. They can’t even stay in their own homes and not be exposed to racism if they turn on their television. But you, as a white female, when you get tired of being judged and treated unfairly on the basis of your eye color, you can walk out that door, and you know it won’t happen out there. You exercised a freedom they don’t have. If you’re going to be in here, you’re going to apologize to every black person in this room. And do it now ... and every person of color.”
Student: “I’m sorry there’s racism in this country..."
Elliot: “Bullshit! No, you’re not going to say ‘I’m sorry there’s racism.’ You’re going to apologize for what you just did.”
Student: “I will not apologize because it’s not a matter of race always...”Elliot: “Out.”"
The video continues on and the white students learn about being a student of color. One important point that the Elliot states is that people are different, externally and internally, but you can not ignore certain characteristics of that person to make you feel comfortable. You can not say you do not see someone as black, or brown, because then you are disregarding their culture and histories.
In terms of our PE, we can not generalize people and their stories. Sure groups of people may suffer from adversities in life, but that does not apply to every individual in that group. Empathy, putting yourself into another's shoes is the closest you can get to understanding one another, and if not you can always ask them with their permission.
I have watched many of her videos before, including the original with her elementary school students. Many interesting points are brought up in this sort of lesson/ workshop. I remember one of the women who was white tried to relate discrimination of what people of color endure with discrimination based on the way she dressed (something like piercings and guys clothes). Elliot made a comment on how that is something you could cover up, as in you could go with social norms out in public, but people of color cannot hide that, it is a part of how society defines them. It is very interesting the point she makes about not seeing color because it is a huge part of history and culture and like I said is a part of how society defines and views people. This is something I think that is very unfortunate, but must be acknowledged to make change.
ReplyDeleteI have seen this video before. For what its worth, I understand that the Professor in this video is trying to show white students how it feels to be a student of color. However, i never liked the example for the obvious reason that its an amplified couple of minutes of "what it's like," but then the students walk away and go back with the regularly scheduled day. Also, I never thought yelling at the students is the most befitting dialogue to see the level and layers of racism people encounter quite frequently, and seems more of a shock tactic for students to understand white privilege.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of GPP 105 I think it is interesting when it comes to engaging race or color in our thoughts about our practice experiences. Being that many of my classmates are traveling to other countries, I think it is important to reflect on the self-image or self-identification of individuals residing in these countries. I believe a number of classmates are doing their PE in Ghana or other countries in Africa. With that said, I highly doubt that if Ghanians were asked to explain how they identify themselves that any of them would use the their race or would self-identify as black. While I am not saying that Africans do not consider themselves black, which is sometimes the case, I believe that in a country where a majority of individuals are of the predominant race (black) that the title of race is an not a pressing issue.
For that reason, in an African country that has not had a sorted racial history and black is the majority I believe an individual would more likely identify with their state, tribe, nation, or continent before identifying with a race. In fact, I think that is why many individuals emigrate from Africa and have trouble with this racial title of "black." However, in America, Brazil, South Africa and other highly racialized nations, I understand the importance of race and how not considering race in terms of being part of person's identity would be discounting their history.