"Momma, it's that little girl." This is coming from a 9th grader. I met the young lady by happenstance. And who knew that the young lady's mother would turn out to be one of my daughter's friends. The little girl she was talking about was me..I'm short, and the 9th grader was very tall. I smile, because she remember me from visiting her school.
It just so happened that I was in Heritage Office when three young ladies, and she was one of them, entered the Principal office.
I leaned back in the chair, ready to go, until...
One of the young ladies stated they were sick and tired of being called the N--Word. I look over at the principal who probably at the time wished that a hole would have opened in the floor for him to disappear in. Wait a minute, as I sat up in my chair.
I suggested that the door be closed to a person ready to exit...to give these young folks some privacy. These were some tall folks who I thought at first were juniors or seniors. I was wrong. I learned these young folks were only 9th and 10th graders.
These are not miniature adults, these are young students, who were sick and tired of being called the N--Word. Young folks attending school in an environment that places them as a minority.
A minority without power.
No African-American teachers to go to give your grievances. No African-Americans staff members to give your grievances. No African-American adults to give your grievances, just each other, young 9th and 10th graders, children dealing with an adult issue. Children need adults to fight adult issues, especially when in isolated.
Isolated in an area that was designed to keep them out...African-Americans and others. Residential isolation. "Theoretically the Negro needs neither segregated nor mixed schools. What they need is education. But he (the Negro) must remember that there is no magic either in mixed schools or in segregated Schools. A mixed school with poor and unsympathetic teachers with hostile public opinions and no teaching concerning Black folks is bad," according to W. E. Dubois.
Bad, says Dubuois.
Yeah bad, and I felt bad for those students, and worse after I began to read articles leaving out these students true experience in their school environment.
Charles Silberman wrote in Crisis in Black and White, that it's not about changing the heart of folks. Silberman writes that these folks know exactly what the American Creed says and means. But its their actions that tells other that they are unwilling to share. That is why there are racialist policies that support hiring only raced whites folks, residential segregation, and dual system schools. Where children will be called the N--Word, and adult will only sigh.
It's by design.
I don't need to look at myself and check my thinking. I know that America is a racist system. I know that many African-Americans are attempting to compete, but raced whites keep moving the finishing line..just ask Tiger Woods.
Those young students entered the Principal's office with dignity and pride. These students were demanding that adults, non-African-Americans put a stop to folks calling them out of their names and treating their demands as being inferior request to others demands.
Gary Orfield writes an article about the Indianapolis School System. Some folks need to read it. And before, I close, let me say this, we don't have to got back to slavery to understand that African-Americans were denied their rights. In the State of Indiana, during the 1920, the Klu Klux Klan reign supreme to insure that African-Americans did not enjoy the same privileges of those who are raced white in America.
So, raced white folks, until you start marching in the street for these children, I don't need to start to look at me, I need to continue to make sure that I keep my eyes on some of you, as an Adult looking out for the best interest of students.
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