Antiracist and Antibias Teaching in the School Community

 

Diverse learning is challenging not because there are not enough people qualified to do it, but due to the lack of proper resources and inspiration to continue antiracist and antibias teaching projects. Resources are important to save time and energy, by using patterns already proved successful. The inspiration of other educators following the same path is an encouragement in the hardest moment when there is no support for continuing among parents and other educators and even a clear opposition to an antiracist and antibias teaching.

Educator and social change activist Liz Kleinrock created a very useful collection of resources aimes to offer A Guide to Antibias and Antiracist Work in Your School Community. Those expecting to get a theoretical explanation of the pedagogical processes may be disappointed, because the book is mostly packed with example and testimonies of the regular experiences of the everyday teaching. Which is exactly what teaching is all about: teaching is rather a process than a corpus of theories and methodologies that should be followed blindly. It has to do with being able to adapt to a reality always on the move. 

This reality is adapting and complex and the role of the educator to create both the change and the premises of change. Therefore, the book collects different perspectives and suggests different angles to deal with white supremacy and antiracist education, from a standpoint that rather encourages empathy and understanding instead of accusing and a black-and-white worldview. An important pre-condition of such a process is the idea of unlearning according to which certain concepts and stereotypes acquire through mainstream education or family upbringing can adapt once faced with different arguments. This implies also including the representatives of the mainstream involved in the process of mentality change while avoiding the ´savior´ mentality.

The book is a great tool that may help teachers and educators to plan their lessons and understand different perspectives and points of views. It has a humble take, of someone who will never cease to learn and to adapt, because the aim is less to receive appreciation of the flawless planning but to dramatically push forward the limits of the narrowminded mentalities.

Rating: 4.5 stars

The Condition of Conditional Citizens

This quote from Conditional Citizens by Laila Lalami aimed at describing her experience as a Moroccan-born American citizen applies though to any other non-local conditions (including and particularly in Germany), both from the point of view of their contribution to the overall society than to the limitations and resent they experience on a daily basis:

´Immigrants continue to contribute to America in a million different ways, from growing the food on its tables to innovating the technologies its citizens use every day. Some are exceptional in their fields, while others work in the fields, doing jobs that few nations are willing to take because of their low wages. Whether documented or undocumented, immigrants commit far fewer crimes than native-born citizens. But whenever on offense, particularly a violent offense, involves immigrants, the entire project of immigration is called into question. The problem is, the nativists may say, they don´t assimilate´.

One can write novels and memoirs about how does it feel to carry the weight of your passport on your shoulder, every second of your immigrant life. No matter how educated and fluent you may be in the language, most often than not your identity and allegiance will be questioned, either by your colleagues or the neighbour next door, curious why strange sounds are heard from the other side of your door.

I may allow myself to describe this eternal condition as a Non-belonging.