message to a black boy
i really didn't want to go to work this morning. it's that time of year when the kids start acting totally insane, we have state testing and i have a terrible case of spring fever, but as always i brought my ass in. i was greeted by my student TM who was in my room before i even got there. TM is a trouble maker, one of the kids i constantly have to keep an eye on. he's always in detention, always fucking with somebody or doing something he shouldn't be doing. he hates school and wears a wristband that says so. he can be argumentative and lazy, so much so that he won't even try hard at the things he enjoys outside of school.
and he's probably my favorite student.
he truly has a good heart and he's scary smart, the kind of smart where he can do and be anything he wants if he puts his mind to it. so i've invested myself in him. i talk to him the way i imagine myself talking to my son, about choices and being a man, particularly about being a black man and the struggles that go along with it. i try to show him that it's possible to be smart without being corny.
this morning when i saw him he was his usual self, we talked about the nba playoffs and how we both weren't looking forward to the state testing that was going on today. but right before he was about to walk out he turned told me that yesterday after school he and two of his friends were walking home when two police cars rolled up on them. the officers stopped them and patted them down for weapons because they "fit the description". i immediately thought of Sean Bell. how could i tell TM that this was an isolated incident and that he wouldn't have to worry about it happening again? what could i tell him to do to prevent being perceived as a criminal? and how could i tell him the police actually want to protect him too?
i'm not one of those who say, "fuck the police". i have family members in law enforcement and i've given thought to being an officer myself. i KNOW there are good cops out there. but after recent events i just don't know how to make him see that...
and he's probably my favorite student.
he truly has a good heart and he's scary smart, the kind of smart where he can do and be anything he wants if he puts his mind to it. so i've invested myself in him. i talk to him the way i imagine myself talking to my son, about choices and being a man, particularly about being a black man and the struggles that go along with it. i try to show him that it's possible to be smart without being corny.
this morning when i saw him he was his usual self, we talked about the nba playoffs and how we both weren't looking forward to the state testing that was going on today. but right before he was about to walk out he turned told me that yesterday after school he and two of his friends were walking home when two police cars rolled up on them. the officers stopped them and patted them down for weapons because they "fit the description". i immediately thought of Sean Bell. how could i tell TM that this was an isolated incident and that he wouldn't have to worry about it happening again? what could i tell him to do to prevent being perceived as a criminal? and how could i tell him the police actually want to protect him too?
i'm not one of those who say, "fuck the police". i have family members in law enforcement and i've given thought to being an officer myself. i KNOW there are good cops out there. but after recent events i just don't know how to make him see that...