Taking it All Home!

YouTuber Franchesca Ramsey defines “Ally” as, “A person who wants to fight for equality of a marginalized group that they're not a part of.” and says the base way to be an ally is to, “Realize that you are going to make mistakes and apologize when you do” (2:32)  In addition, at 3:00 she made a powerful point in explaining that “Ally is a verb!” Saying that you are an ally is not enough, you need to also act on it as well. This video, in addition to the links she added into the description box, provide us with excellent resources going forward.

Teaching at the Intersections, from Teaching Tolerance by Monita K Bell. (2016) was the perfect article to summarize everything we learned in this class.  This reading opens on a black ninth-grader, Nicole. “Nicole’s teachers know very little about her life. When they look at her, they see an African-American student who isn’t doing well. They also see a typical example of the deep racial disparities that exist within absenteeism and dropout rates nationwide.But a teacher who took the time to peel back the layers of Nicole’s identity would see another characteristic—her socio-economic status—and a more nuanced understanding would emerge...To fully and adequately support Nicole, an educator must see her situation through an intersectional lens: recognizing that race-, gender- and class-related circumstances are contributing to her achievement issues.” (pg. 1)  The article eloquently defines intersectionality as, “the social, economic and political ways in which identity-based systems of oppression and privilege connect, overlap and influence one another...In Nicole’s case, the problems she faces aren’t just about her multiple identities, but stem from the multiplied oppressions that accompany her particular combination of identities: Her situation reflects the experiences of low-income people more than affluent people, girls more than boys and black students more than white students. Specifically, Nicole must navigate parents who work long hours outside the home plus the standard that, as a female, she must care for her siblings plus low expectations on the part of her teachers...In the classroom, educators can use an intersectional lens to better relate to and affirm all students—like Nicole—and to help young people understand the relationship between power and privilege through the curriculum. ” (pg. 2)

In another school, Christina Torres’ ninth-grade class read and discussed To Kill a Mockingbird, presenting the perfect moment to delve into intersections of race, gender, and place. “We’ve done a lot of different discussions about femininity and what it means to be a woman,” Torres recalls. “But to push that further, we also discussed what that means for Scout, as a little girl who is white, versus Calpurnia, who is black, and what does it mean for both of them to grow up as women in the South. Especially for Calpurnia, who would say [to Scout and Jem], ‘Kids, don’t do that. That’s what Negroes would do.’” (pg. 3) When I read this, I thought back to my Sophomore Honors English class in high school when I first read To Kill a Mockingbird and even found the paper I wrote on the book as a budding social justice warrior. As we discussed in class, people feel seen when they are represented in books, television, and media, and this novel does just that. ”When we stop seeing our kids as whole people—as whole, nuanced people, with context to gender and race and class—we stop seeing them as real people.” (pg. 4) states Christina Torres a 7th and 9th grade English Teacher.

Lastly, the reading discusses a transgender student’s experience of discrimination based on bathrooms. “Thee case of G.G., a 16-year-old transgender student in Gloucester, Virginia, whose school prohibited him from using the men’s restroom...But, in April 2016, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the dismissal of G.G.’s Title IX claim and ruled that the district court must reconsider G.G.’s injunction against the school board.In this case, the school’s reaction to the combination of G.G.’s sex assigned at birth, gender identity and gender expression—important elements that make G.G. who he is—directly contributed to the discomfort and stigma he experienced at school when it came to using the restroom.” In this case, G.G.’s sex assigned at birth, gender expression, and gender identity all intersect for him to get the justice he deserves. I can connect this issue to Rhode Island College’s campus, because up until very recently, we did not have many or advertise any gender neutral bathrooms on campus. It was not until I worked with Student Community Government, Inc. as Vice President to write this resolution in order to make change happen on campus and create inclusive excellence for all!

Finally, I would like to leave you all with this amazing Ted Talk. Thank you all for an amazing class, you all made my first Education course one to remember.