This weekend, a professor had us discussing readings on a forum with our cohort-mates. Because this is a class on diversity in the middle school, we discuss many hot-button topics. In the context of one such discussion, a comment was made concerning the media's attention to school violence and violence in society in general. Without getting into too many details, the comment has struck up hurt feelings around a sweeping statement on the history of white people in America.
After speaking with a two white colleagues and friends in this class this morning, I was a bit shocked and saddened to see how deeply the remark cut them. It cut them deeply enough to make them feel alienated from the rest of the class, as other remarks along the same vein were made in the online discussion. The whole cohort concept relies on the fact that we will feel like a "team" of new teachers, a support system meant to make everyone better. If any one is left feeling alienated, I don't believe the cohort, as individuals and as a whole, can be successful, so I'm look forward to a civil and honest discussion soon, so everyone can come to a new understanding, and possibly acceptance, of the other side, in the interests of personal growth and growth as new teachers. However, as this is still fresh, I want to discuss this now, as I don't think this phenomena of deeply set racial tension and even prejudice among teachers is uncommon, especially in schools where the racial balance tips largely in favor of one group over others. First, let me say that I can only speculate on the underlying causes of this tension and prejudice between teachers. I have no hard facts or evidence. Only personal experiences to inform me here.
With that disclaimer out of the way, I think teachers bring "life baggage" into the school and classroom. This doesn't necessarily mean that teachers are automatically prejudiced against some students and teachers or that when it does happen, it is malicious. It simply means that their experiences in life sum up into their values, thoughts, words, and actions. A major part of most "life baggage" is cultural experiences, including race. Thinking back on my experiences with race issues, I probably have a relatively rosier experience than most other people of my race. I went to school with a diverse set of kids, and keep the company of a diverse set of people. Diverse races, religions, values, et cetera. On the occasions that I did experience racial prejudice and tension, I could isolate the experiences. It didn't make the experience less hurtful when living through it, but it did make continuing to live past it easier knowing that the experience of prejudice and tension was largely an isolated one.
No sweeping generalization of one group of people could come from my experiences, because I could thinking of several counterexamples to the bad experiences. From this I learned that a person's genealogy does not necessarily reflect within the person standing in front me. While my "life baggage" has a diverse set of experiences and views, others don't, especially when they come from places (both literal and figurative) and families that carry a heavy historical burden. For example, slavery is an issue that burns to the core of some black people here in America. The recorded mistreatment of black people (by various groups of people, including other black people) through time has carried over into this generation. For some people, it is easier to put historical baggage where it belongs. For others, they continue to deal with it, especially when their own circumstances and experiences recall those that happened in past times. Mind you, this doesn't just occur with members of a "wronged" race/ethnicity. I know of white friends who were shocked and horrified to discover that some of their ancestors were slave owners. Some of these friends feel the need to "make up" for what their ancestors did, just like some ancestors of slaves feel it is their place to make the ancestors of the slave owners "pay" for what they (the ancestors) did.
Part of the racial tension/prejudice in schools comes from these types of attitudes on history. Some people are trying to make amends for history, while others are trying to exact revenge. However, the people who revenge "should" be exacted upon are long dead and gone, as are the people who "should" get amends. The other thing is that our generation was not involved in historical events, and as a result, making amends/exacting revenge is not our place anyway. It is okay for a person's history to make up a part of life baggage; in fact, I encourage this practice, as it makes us all more aware people of what's going on in the world. It also helps us to become more open to diversity. However, historical events shouldn't make up the bulk of it. This is especially important for teachers, as our students get to see some of our life baggage. If most of your baggage consists of racial mistrust and fear, your students see it and take it into themselves. In largely homogeneous schools, the students are not exposed to diverse experiences. They vicariously experience a bit of what their teachers did.
While I won't dare to presume to know what either the commenter or my other colleagues have going on their heads, I will say that I think what I've discussed comes into play in the larger phenomena going on here. This is not to be taken as an excuse or justification for racial prejudice. This is a posting that aims at understanding what lies beneath racial prejudice, so that we can begin healing the wounds caused by the baggage some of us carry. I'm interested in hearing other perspectives of this issue. While it is not talked about often, racial tension/prejudice between teachers is important enough to merit serious, civil, and honest conversations. The more we as teachers are aware and active of what we bring, baggage-wise, into the classroom, the better we serve all our students, but especially those without access to diverse viewpoints.
