Light and Love
As this day comes to a close and I prepare for another day in the classroom with my young students, I cannot let it end without addressing its significance. Every January, we take a day to honor the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life and teachings with a day of service. People across the country come together with organizations to serve their communities. In reflecting on how far this country has come, it is truly beautiful to see people from all walks of life come together to honor the legacy of a man dedicated to equality for all and unyielding service to mankind. Today has also served as a reminder of the progress we still need to make as a society.
There's a quote by Dr. King that has always resounded with me: "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." As President Obama's second term comes to a close and we approach the Iowa Caucuses, it has been quite interesting to see presidential hopefuls attack each other politically and personally. What's even more interesting are the subtle, and not so subtle, instances of racism and bigotry that seem to continuously permeate the debates. I will never forget President Obama's victory in 2008, not for its historical nature, but for the bold way that racism reared its ugly head in this country. For eight solid years, formerly closeted racists have taken freedom of speech to Jim Crow heights of disrespect, disguised as party loyalty and political disapproval. Even as racial tension continues to heighten, the Simpsons joke of Donald Trump being a contender in the Presidential election has unfortunately become a serious reality, which speaks more to the state of racism and hatred that permeates this country than any Black Live Matter organization could express.
I see this same racism and hatred within the educational system. A significant aspect of Dr. King's teachings concerned equality in education; he understood that education was key in combatting ignorance. Racism isn't just willfully hating a particular group of people solely on the socially constructed concept of race; it is also holding on to biased opinions about members of certain races. Racism is lowering your expectations for "our" students because you believe that "they" are academically inferior to other students. Racism is deeming certain qualities exotic and intriguing because they differ from your perception of normal, and then pointing out those differences to an already self-conscious 11 year old girl who looks up to you because you are her teacher. Congratulations, she now thinks she's abnormal. Racism is hiding behind white privilege to avoid dealing with the real issues of your minority students because you can't be bothered to try to "understand them." Racism is covertly removing African American history or Native American history or Hispanic American history from the curriculum.
We are still living in darkness and hatred. As I navigate my twenties, my goal every day is to live in purpose. My goal is to live in light and love. My goal is to be a light and to be love for those who cannot see past the darkness and the hatred. Am I being ambitious? Yes. Can I still make a difference. Absolutely. Dr. King was ambitious. He was 26 when he led the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Adults in their twenties were the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. Maybe it's time for a new group of leaders to emerge.
There's a quote by Dr. King that has always resounded with me: "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." As President Obama's second term comes to a close and we approach the Iowa Caucuses, it has been quite interesting to see presidential hopefuls attack each other politically and personally. What's even more interesting are the subtle, and not so subtle, instances of racism and bigotry that seem to continuously permeate the debates. I will never forget President Obama's victory in 2008, not for its historical nature, but for the bold way that racism reared its ugly head in this country. For eight solid years, formerly closeted racists have taken freedom of speech to Jim Crow heights of disrespect, disguised as party loyalty and political disapproval. Even as racial tension continues to heighten, the Simpsons joke of Donald Trump being a contender in the Presidential election has unfortunately become a serious reality, which speaks more to the state of racism and hatred that permeates this country than any Black Live Matter organization could express.
I see this same racism and hatred within the educational system. A significant aspect of Dr. King's teachings concerned equality in education; he understood that education was key in combatting ignorance. Racism isn't just willfully hating a particular group of people solely on the socially constructed concept of race; it is also holding on to biased opinions about members of certain races. Racism is lowering your expectations for "our" students because you believe that "they" are academically inferior to other students. Racism is deeming certain qualities exotic and intriguing because they differ from your perception of normal, and then pointing out those differences to an already self-conscious 11 year old girl who looks up to you because you are her teacher. Congratulations, she now thinks she's abnormal. Racism is hiding behind white privilege to avoid dealing with the real issues of your minority students because you can't be bothered to try to "understand them." Racism is covertly removing African American history or Native American history or Hispanic American history from the curriculum.
We are still living in darkness and hatred. As I navigate my twenties, my goal every day is to live in purpose. My goal is to live in light and love. My goal is to be a light and to be love for those who cannot see past the darkness and the hatred. Am I being ambitious? Yes. Can I still make a difference. Absolutely. Dr. King was ambitious. He was 26 when he led the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Adults in their twenties were the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. Maybe it's time for a new group of leaders to emerge.
You are an inspiration to continue the good fight. Our children and their education matters and low expectations for the students serve no one. Don't be discouraged by colleagues who don't share the vision. If you don't believe you can change the world, you definitely won't.
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