Do I Have the Full Picture?

No one on this planet is omniscient, therefore we will always encounter sides of the story that we have never heard before. Each of our stories is unique, our identities one of a kind, but we also belong to various groups across our social schema. Since everyone has an individualized perspective, I do not think any of us have the full picture. I am learning everyday about new ways in which the limited scope of my white experiences prevents me from ever being able to truly experience what it is like to live from the perspective of my Black and Hispanic counterparts. In addition, I am becoming more aware of the different attitudes that have been bred about people from other races within my own race. Despite the fact I don't know what it is like to not be white, I am not excluded from showing empathy. Through conversations, historical analysis, and self-reflection we can begin to understand what motivates the feelings that people harbor within. These conversations need to happen across separate cultures as well as within individual classes. Instead of removing ourselves from the past and boasting upon the fact that we ourselves have never personally owned slaves, we must recognize the long-lasting impact that the institution of slavery has made in our society. Our past generations have put the new generations of POCs in the position they are in today, so we cannot just move on from it. We owe it to our future children to have discussions. We might not ever grasp the full picture, but we can build relationships and learn how to make up for our empathy limiting mistakes in the present. 

Stories: Whose are told, and whose remain in the margins?

    A critical aspect of every story is the perspective from which it is being told. The side of the story that will be shared is the one that benefits those who are in power. Often times this is whoever stands in the majority. In America, it's white people. Anyone who falls outside of that category has been historically marginalized, and although the political climate in the United States is evolving, the education system still lags far behind, trapped by traditionalist values. 

    From what I have experienced, Teachers are becoming more aware of these perspectives. Numerous courses revolving around cultural diversity, and cultural communication competence have been added to our college repertoire. This makes it evident that the leaders of our education, the people who decide what teachers need to learn to be successful, know that certain students have remained marginalized by oppressive systems and it has to be changed. However, if we walk into a modern classroom we will see that many of the outdated lessons we were force fed growing up are still being passed down to the present generation. As of 2018, under eight percent of high school students were still unaware that Slavery was the main cause of the Civil War. Another example is a video that went viral over the past thanksgiving holiday, where an elementary school was still enacting out the false and culturally insensitive story about pilgrims arriving on the mayflower and sharing a peaceful dinner with the Indigenous people. 

    The stories that paint the white guys in a better light are the ones that are still being shared, because it is how the curriculum is written. Any attempts by educators to change it have been thwarted. Governor Greg Abbott has made motions to ban the teaching of critical race theory in Texas. The same has happened across various states in the nation, particularly in the southern states. We know whose stories remain in the margins. They have been screaming at us for the past decade to pay attention! The real question is how do we find ways to incorporate their history with all of these obstacles in the way? This shows why it is important for us as teachers to be politically involved. We need to turn to the people who have created these obstacles, the curriculum writers themselves, and demand a change.