Poor schooling and not being particularly interested or aware in reading more or of watching more.
I don't think we learned about this in my school, and I attended a predominantly black school district, with an almost completely black school board and several POC in high admin positions.
What I remember learning in school was MLK's I Had A Dream speech, Rosa Parks, and the desegregation. That's about it. We were young, too, when we learned this. Once we were in high, we had US history (but only up to I think the Civil War), a world cultures class, a civic class, and European History (up to WWI). I wouldn't be surprised if some of my classmates didn't know that.
This. And elementary school teachers usually chose to do that work. They expect that's the job that they signed up for and get paid for.
I did not sign up for being an elementary school teacher and I resent the time and energy some folks suck out of me with 101 level questions again and again and again for years from the same person. When I am able to, I write them off.
But it's not always possible to write them off when you need their support and approval just to survive, and that is awful - watching your time and resources bleed away on 101 and 101 because you can't say no because you need what they've got.
But it's not always possible to write them off when you need their support and approval just to survive, and that is awful - watching your time and resources bleed away on 101 and 101 because you can't say no because you need what they've got.
Thank you for sharing it. You did so at a time when I really needed to read it, to hear it. I've been writing a bit about privilege on my blog this week, and now realize just how much I've mis-stepped. I'm a bit ashamed of myself for my initial reaction, because when I saw the title of the link, I sort of silently patted myself on the back for knowing exactly what it referenced before reading the whole piece. Then I read it, and just...felt terribly ashamed for how I've tip-toed around the true heart of the issues of privilege and oppression.
I, for one, appreciate your 101. When you've been indoctrinated to ignore such issues for 30 years, it takes hearing it many, many times to undo some of that. <3
When you've been indoctrinated to ignore such issues for 30 years, it takes hearing it many, many times to undo some of that.
Mm. Point. And that too is privilege. I cannot think of many things that were *important* that I had the luxury of assessing as something that I could afford to be so careless with. I have my own set of things I should know better - time management, self care, confidence...but care and nurturance of others?
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I don't think we learned about this in my school, and I attended a predominantly black school district, with an almost completely black school board and several POC in high admin positions.
What I remember learning in school was MLK's I Had A Dream speech, Rosa Parks, and the desegregation. That's about it. We were young, too, when we learned this. Once we were in high, we had US history (but only up to I think the Civil War), a world cultures class, a civic class, and European History (up to WWI). I wouldn't be surprised if some of my classmates didn't know that.
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I did not sign up for being an elementary school teacher and I resent the time and energy some folks suck out of me with 101 level questions again and again and again for years from the same person. When I am able to, I write them off.
But it's not always possible to write them off when you need their support and approval just to survive, and that is awful - watching your time and resources bleed away on 101 and 101 because you can't say no because you need what they've got.
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Oh, yes.
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I, for one, appreciate your 101. When you've been indoctrinated to ignore such issues for 30 years, it takes hearing it many, many times to undo some of that. <3
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Mm. Point. And that too is privilege. I cannot think of many things that were *important* that I had the luxury of assessing as something that I could afford to be so careless with. I have my own set of things I should know better - time management, self care, confidence...but care and nurturance of others?
Thanks for sharing what you just did.
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