Reflection Essay

From an early age I was aware that teachers treated students differently based on race, ethnicity, class, and gender. From K-12, I attended racially, ethnically, and economically diverse public schools. Some of my classmates’ parents had Ivy League educations and others were had little education. Interestingly, among my classmates, there were both educated people and uneducated people on welfare. The teachers’ prejudices were always clear though; the upper-class, white, blonde-haired kids were the favorites, and the children of color were always the ones in trouble. There were only two Black teachers in my elementary school—and they were not regular classroom teachers; one was in the resource room and the other was in guidance. In sixth grade

I was often the only white student in my classes. I did not feel special or privileged, but I often felt more prepared than my classmates—many of whom were immigrants and slightly older than me. No one there, including me, had the privilege of attending a fancier college or living the dorm life. Most of the students were working. I was raising my children while in college so they attended the on-campus daycare where they were the only white children. The child care center had an Afro-centric, Black Power curriculum and leadership. My 4-year-old son was never allowed to play the drums before the daily libation, although he asked every day. He later studied percussion seriously and majored in music for one year at university. Only recently did he tell me about this exclusion. Many of the girls at the daycare were fascinated by my daughter’s straight silky hair, which they called blonde—even tough she is really a brunette. Every day when I picked her up, there would be one girl or another touching her hair and skin. My children may have appeared to be oddities at the center, but I never regretted giving them that experience. I wanted them to experience diversity. I wanted them to know people of color. Also, this was my daycare center. I was not going to run away. The unintended lesson they learned was that things are not really equal or fair.
CCNY was not my only experience of being in the minority. I teach at a college with Black leadership and a majority Black student population. I think the best way to maximize learning and a positive school culture is to encourage diversity and to build a strong school culture where every member contributes and belongs. This way, personal misunderstandings and divisions are minimized. Culture is personal, especially when people leave their communities or when communities clash or