Why NOT Teaching African-American Studies Critically Hurts All Students (and their families)
This video of three white high school girls playing with black paint and spraying it on one of their faces is precisely why we have to talk about race in our schools and teach African-American/American history critically. Two of the girls are students at St. Hubert Catholic High Schools for Girls near Philadelphia. I imagine some will see this video and conclude that the girls were “just joking around, however inappropriately.” Others will blame the parents and say this is about good or bad parenting.
I would say both things are true. Clearly these girls were having fun. Clearly they thought they were being funny. And there’s no doubt that it is inappropriate at best. The thing is, the history of racism against Black people in this country is not funny. But it makes sense that young people make light of the history when we teach it as only a problem America faced before they or their parents were born, and when we teach racism as a problem all about how individual people treat each other.
What is in the video?
Allow me to back up a moment and explain exactly what’s going on in the video for those who can’t view it. Two white girls are spraying black paint on the face of another white girl who seems to be a willing participant in the shenanigans. The girls are screaming things like:
“It’s February.”
“Know your roots.”
“You’re nothing but a slave.”
“You’ll do my laundry after this.”
“I’m black and I’m proud!”
Having Real and Hard Conversations About Race
This isn’t just about parenting. I believe most white parents teach their kids very basic principles like we’re all created equal, that color doesn’t matter, and we should treat people the way we want to be treated. My guess is these girls heard some version of these values from their own parents, and certainly from their schools. The problem is neither those parents nor the educators are adept at having real and hard conversations about race. The truth is, none of us are trained to have these conversations and most white people are particularly unpracticed. Where would they have gotten such training? Even cross-racial relationships (if Black people are to be believed in our conversations amongst each other) are rife with problems that come up when we try to be honest with our white friends about our experiences. This is precisely why we have to be willing to have these conversations and teach the truth about our American experience with race- past and present.
Race In America is Arguably Our Most Enduring Problem
Of course it’s uncomfortable. I’m willing to bet those girls are feeling pretty uncomfortable and embarrassed right now. I’m willing to bet their parents are feeling some kind of shame. Here’s the thing: it’s not about blame and shame. It’s, in part, about building a skill set of critical thinking, of compassion and empathy (not sympathy and pity), and it’s about critical thinking and applying that to problem solving. Isn’t that we want for our kids and future leaders? Race in America, arguably our most enduring problem, is a great place to start.
By the way, the way we’re doing things now spares the feelings and fears of white parents at the expense of Black students (and other students of color) who we are literally teaching to just sit down, shut up and swallow their discomfort. We are teaching kids of color to pick their battles based upon protecting white adult comfort. That is a fundamental problem in a society that claims all lives matter.
*Image courtesy of a Twitter post