after reading lauren’s discussion blog post I conclude that we each ultimately made the same final point in our reactions to the reading but I believe she went slightly more in depth with a multitude of examples from the reading, I learned a lot from her response. lauren made an excellent point about one of the more identifiable quotes from the reading, “it bees that way sometimes.” she analyzed how the quote revealed a march larger and more complex perspective of how black women have come to accept a society that does not serve them. i thought lauren’s focus on this quote and how she framed her response around it showed that she was reading between the lines and taking time in her response to truly understand the nuances of language within different cultures or groups. i didn’t pick up on that when reading so it impressed me that she also connected her points to various minority groups as well. she also shared that she had a nurturing group of individuals she was similar to that she relied on in her past, something I did not have other than with my siblings. despite this difference lauren and i both acknowledged how we have had vastly different experiences from the women in the readings, though ultimately through life experience and analyzing the readings we understand the importance of peers or mentors who can validate, relate to, and help you work through your shared experiences.
video analysis:
In Taryn Coe’s Ted Talk about her practices to be an anti-racist teacher I saw arguments being made that would have dismantled issues in Kynard’s essay. Kynard and her students spoke about how it was because of the educators and the educational system that they felt stereotyped when acknowledged or not acknowledged at all. Coe discusses the multiple steps educators can take in order to avoid and eliminate these emotions of doubt within minority students and their expectations of their learning environments. I specifically like how Coe acknowledged that it isn’t the job of these minority students to be the educators of their peers and to lead the way for diversity and inclusion. She explicitly puts this responsibility on educators and other adult leaders in the academic realm. If we are aware of the complexities in America and the obstacles they have created for people not a part of the white race then we are able to not allow history to repeat itself or continue into today’s society.
It isn’t easy as a student to also be an activist, at least not for me. But ways that I have found to incorporate myself into these missions is to constantly be not only educating myself but allowing other people to educate me if they so choose. Many times it isn’t about doing something, it is about giving the power and respect to others to empower them to find justice for their own communities.