The Other
Last week, I played a TED video in my English classes for 9/11. In it, two mothers talk about their unconventional friendship--unconventional because one of them lost her son in the WTC, while the other woman's son was accused and convicted of conspiring to commit acts of terrorism on the WTC, Pentagon and Capitol. I asked my students to do a freewrite on what they thought of the relationship between the mothers, and also who they consider an "Other"--what group they can't imagine getting along with--and what it would take, if anything, for that to change.
In my first class (freshman English Honors) several students responded, the ones who always respond. Their answers were mostly expected. Some said the relationship was very important and positive. Others (a couple of guys) said they would never be able to be friends with someone whose son was responsible for killing their family member. That they would want to murder the killer and couldn't forgive. Most of the students said there wasn't anyone they considered an Other, that they get along with everyone and see all people as being on equal terms. One kid said he saw stupid people as Other and he couldn't talk to stupid people. In the back of my class, there are three boys who always sit together--two brothers and one of their friends. Since they were whispering to each other as usual, I called on the friend to ask if there was any group that he saw as Others. He said that he'd rather not say, and I considered leaving at that, but I urged him to share and after a few seconds he did.
He said that although he didn't feel this way about all people in this group, that there were some people he could never get along with--black people. That there are some black people who are just dumb and insist on being a certain way, like gangsters and that those people would never change and he would never get along with them. Now I have three black students in my class, and just about everyone in the class erupted at his comment, some of the more vocal students rushing to raise their hands to respond, others calling out why that was terrible, and some just appearing shocked at his pronouncement. I asked everyone to be quiet and tried to talk to him more. I said that I wanted the classroom to be a safe and respectful place and that everyone was entitled to their opinions.
Then I called on a couple of students to respond, and we ended up in a conversation about gangsters and mafia and the KKK and skinheads. Then someone asked if the Black Panthers weren't just like the KKK, and I did my best to explain the difference--that just because a group is comprised of people of mostly one race doesn't make it a hate group. That the KKK is a hate group because it believes that all black people are inferior and that violent action should be taken against non-whites to ensure the continuing dominance of the white race. That even if some Black Panthers took violent action against whites, it was primarily a political group struggling against unfair treatment, poverty, and police brutality against blacks.
I capped the discussion there and we opened up our books to continue reading The Odyssey aloud in class. Then something interesting happened: one of my black students, who never speaks in class, raised his hand to volunteer to read. Three weeks in and I'd only heard him say "here" when I called roll. And he began to speak. I don't know if any other students thought much of this occurrence, but I certainly did.
He said that although he didn't feel this way about all people in this group, that there were some people he could never get along with--black people. That there are some black people who are just dumb and insist on being a certain way, like gangsters and that those people would never change and he would never get along with them. Now I have three black students in my class, and just about everyone in the class erupted at his comment, some of the more vocal students rushing to raise their hands to respond, others calling out why that was terrible, and some just appearing shocked at his pronouncement. I asked everyone to be quiet and tried to talk to him more. I said that I wanted the classroom to be a safe and respectful place and that everyone was entitled to their opinions.
Then I called on a couple of students to respond, and we ended up in a conversation about gangsters and mafia and the KKK and skinheads. Then someone asked if the Black Panthers weren't just like the KKK, and I did my best to explain the difference--that just because a group is comprised of people of mostly one race doesn't make it a hate group. That the KKK is a hate group because it believes that all black people are inferior and that violent action should be taken against non-whites to ensure the continuing dominance of the white race. That even if some Black Panthers took violent action against whites, it was primarily a political group struggling against unfair treatment, poverty, and police brutality against blacks.
I capped the discussion there and we opened up our books to continue reading The Odyssey aloud in class. Then something interesting happened: one of my black students, who never speaks in class, raised his hand to volunteer to read. Three weeks in and I'd only heard him say "here" when I called roll. And he began to speak. I don't know if any other students thought much of this occurrence, but I certainly did.