How do we escape racism?

Racism Defined (according to dictionary.reference.com)

1. A belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race  is superior and has the right to rule others.

2. A policy, system of government, etc., based upon or fostering such a doctrine; discrimination.

3. Hatred or intolerance of another race or other races.

The United Nations Definition

The UN does not actually define racism. However, it does define "racial discrimination":

According to the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination,

the term "racial discrimination" shall mean any distinction, exclusion, restriction, or preference based on race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin that has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life.

This week I want to talk further about Beverly Tatum’s book Why Are All the Black Children Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?. My post last week was also about this book. However, I decided to stick with this book for this blog simply because I wanted to further delve into one of the discussion questions.

Above are definitions of racism and racial discrimination. Both of these definitions are familiar to me. They are definitions that I grew up with. Beverly Tatum defines racism as a system of advantage based on race. I had not thought about it this way before. She further explains that racism is not simply based on racial prejudice. Rather, it is an entire system that involves “cultural messages and institutional policies and practices as well as the beliefs and actions of individuals” (Tatum 7). Active racism, as defined by Tatum, is made up of intentional acts of racial discrimination. It tends to be very blatant. When a person engages in active racism he or she has identified with the idea of white supremacy and is moving with it. On the contrary, she says passive racism is less obvious. This type of behavior includes no explicit effort to be racist. However, these people engaging in such activity are not actively opposing racist behaviors.     I would first like to say I agree with her definitions of active and passive racism. However, when the question whether we agree with Tatum’s arguments concerning whether people of color can be racist I am very tempted to say no. I don’t agree with Tatum because I feel strongly that anyone can be racist. I think that the amount of melanin we have in our skin should not be the determining factor as to whether we are considered racist individuals or not. Tatum holds the belief that only whites can be racist. This is in part because of the way she defines racism as a system of advantage. I think you cannot limit racism to just that though. I admit that there is white privilege and agree with her point that we need to get over this sense of white guilt. Nonetheless, I think she over simplifies.

 If you were to ask me, though, before I read this book (or any of the other books I’d read for this class) if I was racist, I would have probably been offended and would have said “absolutely not”. However, after this reading my answer probably would not be accompanied with as much conviction. Tatum argues in her book that since I am white I am part of a dominant, more privileged group and consequently am a racist individual because I’m not actively working against the perpetuating racism. I understand what Tatum is trying to get across and agree on many levels. After reading this book, I realize that I haven’t paid attention to many of the advantages or opportunities I have been granted simply because of the fact that I am white. However, Tatum doesn’t address the issue of how to get past racism. She explains that fear is a limiting factor, but once we realize our own racial identity and understand it and have meaningful conversation we can then move on. Yet, she doesn’t then address her definition of racism. How do we get past this and work for a better tomorrow per say if the dominant group isn’t changing. I think that Tatum’s examples almost seem to portray the minorities as lesser to whites almost as though these minority groups limit themselves by comparing themselves to whites. I feel like diversity should be the goal and its through meaningful, productive conversation that we should be able to achieve this. There should be no dominant group that is compared to. I think a consciousness of the pervasive, internalized racism that is occurring will help us to overcome some of the racism and feeling of victimization of minority groups.

So, after reading Tatum’s arguments I can’t help but feel as though she does not exactly present a solution that addresses the underlying issue of white privilege. There should be no “norm” race. I agree that conversation is a key component to change. I know personally I will pay more attention to white advantage, but at the same time I can’t help but feel that racism pervades in other countries as well as our own and is not a situation where just whites being racist towards all others. Rather, I think it is something that can go both ways. It can’t be simplified down to a system that is difficult to change. Rather, it should be based on distinction, prejudice, and discriminatory actions or comments. I think Tatum’s definition points out some good points that we all need to recognize, but she needs to go further with it and develop a better method to inspire change. I also think that she can’t narrow the focus of the definition of racism to such an extent that discriminatory behaviors across numerous races are not considered racism because they are. Racism is something that we need to understand because it still exists and is a major issue today. 

Just a little clip about racial stereotypes.

Stereotypes exist and can influence our attitudes about racial identity. We need to achieve an understanding to move towards change.

Is racism still an issue?

https://encrypted-tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRIAco4Ja_n_WvC9plmXq7q8d0aAhEwxmCTCM9IcqpxaBSqFPikcg

Growing up, I admit, I did not think racism was still as much of an issue in today’s society as it is in reality. Often, up north where I went to school, the teachers framed the concept of racism as a thing of the past. It was typically just referred to as an issue between whites and blacks. So, while I was young, I never opened my eyes to truly see the many dimensions of racism. However, as I grew up, I began to understand the definition of racism and saw examples throughout society. So, while reading Beverly Daniel Tatum’s book, Why Do All The Black Kids Sit Together?, I appreciated the fact that she began the book by defining racism. She explained that it could not be defined simply through prejudice since prejudice is a preconceived judgment. Rather, racism is a system of advantages that involves beliefs and actions of individuals, as well as the structure of and institutions within our society. Racism is based on race and culture. Dr. Tatum said “In my view, reserving the term racist only for behaviors committed by whites in the context of a white-dominated society is a way of acknowledging the ever present power differential afforded whites by the culture and institutions that make up the system of advantage and continue to reinforce notions of white superiority.”

Dr. Tatum’s underlying premise of her book deals with the fact that many people hesitate when it comes to speaking to children about racism. This tends to be because of an underlying fear that they will create problems or even make “colorblind” children more conscious of these racial differences. From simply my personal experiences with our education system, I have found that none of my teachers until college truly addressed the issue. When I moved to North Carolina my eyes were opened to an even greater extent. I found that there is much more racism and at local events people’s unfiltered comments never cease to shock me. Where my family owns property now is in a rural part of North Carolina and here, because of a lack of education, I have found that too many people are racist. For instance, when we moved here we were even warned by neighbors not to go certain places because there were regular KKK meetings. However, I realize that this is not even the extent to which racism occurs. The KKK meetings are an easy example of racism to point out, but there is racism that occurs in the work place, and many other areas of society. The next thing Dr. Tatum discussed in this week’s reading was the concept of identity. Often when we think about identity we think of what sets us apart from others. She explains that dominant groups hold the power, yet they do not really understand the experience of those in the subordinate groups. On the other hand, the subordinate groups are very well informed about those in the dominant groups. The aspect that seems to be lacking in all of this is awareness. People feel guilty when they realize they are having a negative impact on the lives of others for the most part. So, when it comes to racism I think we can relate Appiah’s idea that conversation helps people recognize differences. It seems that what is lacking is an understanding of the experience. In an educational environment, starting as early as preschool, children begin to notice their differences. However, conversation among children and their elders, such as parents and teachers, will help create an understanding. Dr. Tatum explains that often adolescents of color are more likely to explore their racial identity. Regardless, though, all children explore their identity in many dimensions, including, but not limited to, politics, values, religious beliefs, educational plans, and even gender roles.

When Dr. Tatum presented the question in the book title “why do all the Black students sit together in the cafeteria? She explained that there are five stages to racial identity development. These were: pre-encounter, encounter, immersion/ emersion, internalization, and internalization-commitment. During these phases, people will experience numerous emotions ranging from anger to apathy. This entire concept was very easy for me to rationalize and understand. Basically, what I understood to be her point was that those students sat together to create an oppositional stance away from all that was “white”. When doing this, they are operating based on stereotypes. However, every individual does not go through all of these stages. As we all know, everyone is different and their coping skills differ as well.

Since I don’t have enough time to discuss the entire book, I am going to jump to the ending, which I really liked. Dr. Tatum seemed to give a prescription for people to give them a sense of what they can do to make a difference. She, like Appiah (in Cosmopolitanism), things meaningful, productive dialogue will be most helpful. Deep conversations will help to raise consciousness and hopefully will eventually lead to social change. People tend to be silent because they are afraid. They are afraid they are naïve or offensive. Racism can hold us back and prevent growth and development of society. It also can alienate us.

                I think this would have been helpful for me as a child. Eventually, I came to an understanding of what racism is and how prevalent it is even today. However, I look at the children at I Have a Dream and now especially after reading this book I can’t help but wonder about their understanding of racism and what they are taught both at home and at school. From what I have experienced, the children do not judge one another based on appearance or ethnicity. However, I do wonder what goes on within the classroom and simply outside of I Have a Dream in general. I hope that as I experience more during my weekly volunteering I will come to a better understanding. 

Is cosmopolitanism the answer?

                I have to admit that when I first started reading Cosmopolitanism by Kwame Anthony Appiah for this week I didn’t like it very much. I felt that many of his ideas were self-evident and I didn’t like the way in which he presented it. It did not seem like he was presenting a very novel concept. However, his examples grew to intrigue me, especially when he got on the topic of witchcraft. As the book progressed it grew on me, which I guess is good considering I am presenting on it this week. Appiah presents cosmopolitanism as “universality plus difference” because “this neglected and attractive tradition of thought deserves serious attention as a habitable middle ground between liberalism and relativism”. To Appiah, cosmopolitanism’s two main ideas are that 1) we have obligations to others that are bigger than just sharing citizenship, and 2) we should never take for granted the value of life and become informed of the practices and beliefs of others.  

                In The Examined Life film we watched earlier in the semester Appiah covers a lot of his same ideas as he does in the book. In his short, seven minute segment, he explained that humanity is faced with the challenge of how to learn to be responsible for other citizens in the world. We have obligations that stretch beyond our family and friends. Humans share a moral nature despite there being a conflict of values across cultures. However, we cannot be partial to the local group we associate ourselves with. Yet, simultaneously, we cannot abandon this tiny, local group. We simply need to be global citizens.

                In Appiah’s book he delves further into those issues. Early on, he points out that people are different and there is a lot to learn from our differences. To me, this seems like common sense because we should never expect people coming from numerous backgrounds in society across the world to converge on a single way of life. I find that in the context of my day to day life there are conflicts in beliefs and values, especially in the classroom setting at UNCA. One of the aspects of education at UNCA that I truly respect is the openness in the classroom and how many of the professors push for more of a conversation-based learning environment rather than simply lecture their students. As a student, it helps me to see how varied the value and belief systems of the students and professors are here at UNCA. The exercise where we discussed the purpose and meaning of life on the first day of class is a perfect example of this. It is these types of activities that open my eyes to new ways of thinking. This is part of the reason why I respected and appreciate Appiah’s point that the objective to seek meaningful dialogue about values between and among cultures to avoid sinking to a stance of cultural relativism. We need to realize that humanity will not agree on a set of universal values. According to Appiah, agreement is not the ultimate goal.

                One of the specific examples that stood out to me dealt with illness. Appiah explained that the Asante people seek to explain illness through their belief in witchcraft. Asante people rationalize this through the belief that there are people that dislike them. On the other hand, in Manhattan, people turn to science to explain their illness. They have a general conviction that their illness can be explained. So, the question is, do we have to choose between these interpretations? To this, Appiah says there is no simple answer. In a sense, I agree with him. However, personally, I tend to agree with the Manhattan mindset. That could be because of my upbringing and educational background with science.

                Appiah later discusses values relativism, which I found interesting. People split values from facts about the world. A common response to alien values is to dismiss these values as primitive and irrational. This stems from a lack of understanding. Disagreement about values comes from a failure to share a vocabulary of evaluation, giving the same vocabulary different interpretations, and giving the same values different weights. Regardless, our focus should not be to resolve this disagreement. Rather, we can and should live together without agreeing on what our universal values should be. Appiah uses the issue of abortion to further explain his point about disagreement over values. People with different perspectives on the issue tend to be in agreement about the sanctity of life, yet they disagree about things such as when a life begins and why life is precious.

                I would like to jump to a point farther along in the book, since I know I don’t have enough time to discuss the entire book, deals with cultural property. I agree with Appiah’s point that countries should not claim any works of historical significance belong to them because in a global culture, these works don’t belong to any single country or culture, but rather everyone. He raises the question, whose culture is it anyway? I found this interesting and had never thought of it this way before because in many of our humanities classes and classes in the past we have always associated these things with an area and I have always thought of these things as property of a particular culture or area. However, I realized that that does not have to be how it is.

                I am now going to switch the focus of my blog though because I want to discuss this week’s tutoring session at I Have a Dream. In previous weeks I have thoroughly enjoyed spending time with the children, but I have found that each time I’ve come to look forward to it more and more. I worked with four children this week and it was extremely rewarding. When I finished two of the children each came up and gave me hugs. However, my experience with one of the kids stuck with me because of their exceptional interest in learning. Working on their homework was enjoyable; however, it was reading with them that stood out. The child asked so many questions throughout the short seven pages we had to read. At the end, they insisted on continuing to read, but we had run out of time. I was asked numerous questions ranging from “Is that really how someone would respond in that situation?” to “Have you ever been there?” The experience really gave me some insight into how this child thought. This experience is truly a gift and eye opening. After this week’s reading I also am more interested in learning about the variation in beliefs and values that people have, including those of the children at I Have a Dream. 

The Underlying Wealth

http://tribes.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/AfterSchool.jpg

“The real wealth of a nation is its people. And the purpose of development is to create an enabling environment for people to enjoy long, healthy, and creative lives. This simple, but powerful truth is too often forgotten in the pursuit of material and financial wealth” (Nussbaum 1).

This quote in the opening lines of Martha Nussbaum’s book, “Creating Capabilities: The Human Development Approach” really stood out to me not only because of the truth and meaning behind the words, but also because it brought me back to the first day of class. It wasn’t that long ago that, as a class, we sat around and discussed our beliefs regarding meaning and whether life had a purpose. Personally, I believe we ascribe meaning to different events, people, and other things that affect our own lives. The reason I think we do this is to motivate ourselves and give ourselves a purpose. As humans, we often want to have an end goal. I truly believe everything happens for a reason just based on what has happened in my own life and consequently, though I know I may not have all the reasons figured out yet, I believe there are reasons that exist and usually that is enough for me. So, I personally tend to see wealth differently. Being an economics minor though I do understand that the typical definition of wealth is economic and has to do with an accumulation of an abundance of resources.  However, this is not how it should be. We tend to overlook that fact that Gross Domestic Product (GDP)  may increase each year, but it’s only a number. Relying on our conventional economics and development will fail because in the process any balance necessary for human well-being is lost. Development needs to embrace all aspects of human existence. Furthermore, I think we need to realize that without the people the material and financial wealth amounts to nothing. It is our natural resources and people that seem to really define a nation.

Recently, in some of my economics classes this semester we’ve discussed economic theory, which tends to involve simply an exchange of money, but there is so much more to quality of life. We have to integrate family values, morality, culture, health, the environment, education, and so many other aspects that are extremely important.  There are so many human values that GDP is unable to express. Some of these include health, a clean environment (clean water and clean air for example), love, hope, and even family. Economics suggest that people are better off when the market forces create an efficient economy. What I’ve found this correlates with John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham’s utilitarian idea of the greatest good for the greatest number. Economically, this means the greatest number of people consumes the greatest quantity of goods. However, Nussbaum does a very good job in bringing to light particular examples in this book, which I particularly enjoyed because it narrowed the big picture. Having a face and anecdote made it simpler to put the issue into perspective. So, Nussbaum uses an example of a woman, Vasanti, to drive home the point that an increase in GDP per capita does not reach her life or solve her problems. That is not to say that increasing wealth is a bad thing though. That is not the meaning to take away from the reading. Rather, what I derived was that increased wealth is in fact good as it may allow government to fund and adopt policies that could make a difference in the lives of poorer, oppressed, or struggling people, such as Vasanti. That, however, is not usually the case, because distribution of that GDP is not taken into consideration. Subsequently, what does that leave us with? It’s easy to come to the conclusion, from other readings and experience volunteering with the I Have a Dream Foundation , that despite increases in GDP, there is a significant percentage of people deprived of opportunities, especially when it comes to basic education.

Now looking at education from the perspective that we are lacking in the sense that we have focused for too long on an approach that defines wealth in terms of the amount of money people have, when we need to be focusing on individual achievement in terms of the opportunities that present themselves to people.

Nussbaum’s outline of the Capabilities Approach (also known as the Human Development Approach) was very interesting and I think that its key points are important. There needs to be emphasis on the fact that the key factors affecting quality of life are plural and distinct, meaning we cannot reduce them to one single metric without distortion in some sense. This “approach takes each person as an end, asking not just about what the total or average well-being but about the opportunities available to each person. It is focused on choice or freedom. It thus commits itself to respect for people’s powers of self-definition” (Nussbaum 18). This should be a focus in many of the schools. After only volunteering a total of two times thus far with the I Have a Dream kids, I am seeing a general interest in learning. Many of the kids I have read with are excited to read and talk about their favorite authors, books, and express eagerness to accomplish a lot in their lives. They want to be successful and thanks to programs like I Have a Dream, they have that opportunity. However, it does not seem like they have that same support in school. When talking about classes, many of the children I have talked to seem to dislike their teachers. When I say this I am not saying that the teachers are bad. I remember when I was younger I was not always the biggest fan of all my teachers. Though, my point is that they do not seem to have a lot of incentive coming from the classroom inspiring them to do their work. It seems to be the I Have a Dream Foundations incentives, such as the dot system with rewards (sleepovers, treats, etc…) and punishments (sentences, less play time, etc…) motivates many of the kids. There have been a few instances where the kids I am tutoring do not have the opportunity to get through all their work before they leave and the disappointment in their faces is obvious. The kids show the same enthusiasm as we saw last week in the Waiting for Superman film. It is our education system that is failing these motivated kids. In working with these children I am seeing how their development and achievements are going to benefit them to a greater extent than GDP or financial wealth.

Superman doesn't exist...

                As far into my college career as I am, I would have thought that I would have learned much more about our education system and its underlying dysfunction. Nevertheless, until now, I have not gotten the opportunity to delve into this subject to such an extent. I have not yet had the chance to start working with the students at the I Have a Dream Foundation, so I have not yet had the opportunity to relate my class experiences thus far with the children at the school. What I can say though is that even previous work I did with the children at the Builders Club in Polk County revealed problems in our current education system. My experience working there was incredibly educational. It made me recognize my initial arrogance that I was part of a more privileged class and consequently was truly a humbling experience.

                 Filmmaker Davis Guggenheim opens his film Waiting for Superman with a few lines that are enough to remind us each of our own childhood. “Every morning it's the same. Juice. Shoes. Backpack. The morning ritual, and with it comes the uneasy feeling no matter who we are, or what neighborhood we live in. Each morning wanting to believe in our schools, we take a leap of faith.” The routine is broken down to the basics and one that many of us can in fact relate to. In this powerful film, Guggenheim interviews several students and their families to give faces to the issues at hand. It makes it more personal, which I appreciate.

Too often, society avoids education related problems. We simply throw up our hands, overwhelmed and unwilling to take action. People tend to see the system as impossible to fix. I think part of the issue is us as individuals. Problems are avoided. Everyone assumes it’s up to someone else to come up with a solution or that their individual action will not be enough to make a significant difference. However, I don’t agree with this at all. Helping others seems to be an innate characteristic in most humans. Morals and ethics shape people’s actions and people want there to be equality in educational opportunities. However, they don’t always follow up.

Geoffrey Canada’s recollection of his childhood in the film was poignant as he explained that one of the saddest days of his life was when his own mother told him superman did not exist. He thought that even in the depths of the ghetto superman was going to come and save them. His mom thought he was crying at the shock of the truth as a child would when they first found out Santa didn’t exist. Rather, it was more than simply a feeling of disappointment. He felt crushed and cried because there was no one coming with enough power to save them. From the perspective of many of the disadvantaged children, the world seems like a cold, heartless place. They feel as though they have been given the short end of the stick, yet they do not understand why. Honestly, why should they? At their ages, it is surprising to me that they have experienced such extremes of the harsh reality we have come to accept as life. For example, one young boy, Anthony, had his own father die from a drug overdose and never got the chance to know his own mother. He, along with the other children, comes from a family that lacks educational accomplishment. All the parents in Waiting for Superman want the best for their children and are willing to undergo sacrifices in their own life in order to help their children do better for themselves. Though, many of them are struggling to keep their jobs and do not have a strong educational background. For example, in the film, the parents of one of the children, Daisy, both admitted to having to drop out of school for money issues along with having to help their parents by joining the work force. Many schools have become drop out factories and the parents and grandparents of these children that the film followed are scared that they will be influenced to become involved in things they should not.

http://blog.eboardsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/superman2.jpg

                Many people simply choose to “wait for superman” because the education system is so complicated. Parents feel stuck and despite the consensus that it is unfair, they seemed to agree that it is a consequence of their social status and where they live. As the video explained, there are both federal and state funding and laws regarding education. The mess of conflicting standards and mixed agendas leaves us with a tangled mess where many of the steps taken to improve schools have consequently impeded beneficial progress. Guggenheim suggests that the biggest obstacle to real reform is that according to the contract, because of unions, they can’t pay teachers based on their performance. I agree that this needs to be changed. I understand tenure was put in place to protect teachers, but it seems to be reducing their motivation to teach. Without good teachers, the school as a whole will suffer. Children tend to view education as a way to escape their circumstances, so isn’t keeping poorly performing teachers around failing the children? Personally, I feel like though our intentions are good and we want the children to do well, our regulations and tracking of the children don’t really enforce that train of thought. It’s simple. We aren’t doing enough.

                Where I think programs such as the I Have a Dream Foundation succeed is in their presentation of learning. They find different ways to make learning fun. Also, they make it interesting and relate it to other areas of the child’s life, so that learning does not only take place within the classroom.

                This summer, I traveled abroad and in Trinidad and Tobago, Costa Rica, and Panama I was lucky enough to assist in some of their educational programs. Once I arrived, I was surprised and impressed by their integrated learning system. That is not to say that all the schools there are designed in exactly that fashion. However, it did impress me that in some of these less developed countries there was so much learning both in and outside of the classroom. I think this experience is why I found Bill Gate’s comments particularly interesting in the film. In a nutshell, his point was that “we cannot sustain an economy based on innovation unless we have citizens well educated in math, science, and engineering, and if we fail at this we will not be able to compete in the global economy.” 

http://www.nma.tv/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/superman.jpg

                This picture resonated with me and I couldn’t help but add it to my blog. Guggenheim pointed out that based on statistics, the U.S. has fallen behind many of the developed countries. Yet, there is one category where many U.S. students fall into the number one position and that is their ego and confidence. Despite having some of the poorest scores on their standardized testing, when asked how their performance was they respond with unmatched positivity and confidence that they did exceptionally well. So, what does this say? Personally, I believe that it just proves even further that education in the U.S. needs much more attention and support. Despite the complexity of some of the larger issues regarding system redesign, progress can be made in other ways, as is seen through organizations such as the I Have a Dream Foundation and Builders Club.

Simply stated, I believe we have to stop waiting for that heroic figure (Superman) to arrive, and local communities have to become active. As the old saying goes, as long as there is will, there is a way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UX8czAijqGg&feature=related

Educational Injustice

"An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” ~ Martin Luther King Jr.

Today is a day we choose to remember Martin Luther King Jr. and his teachings, so I chose this quote not only because of its significance to today, but also because of its relevance to our class. I hope that throughout this volunteering experience I can continue Martin Luther King Jr.’s teachings and be a positive influence for the kids at the I Have A Dream Foundation, helping them to reach beyond the confines of society’s structural setbacks. In several of the books we’ve read thus far, along with previous experience, it’s become apparent that “social class differences in children’s life experiences can be seen in the details of life” (Lareau 35).  In Lareau’s “Unequal Childhoods” the parents treat their children different based on their economic constraints. The variance in perception of the government and educational institutions is significant among the social classes.

Part of the reason this class had such a great appeal to me connects back to previous work I have done. Our education system is broken and in the past I have worked with troubled children in a local school program called Builders Club. It drew my attention to the fact that these children didn’t have the same resources I had in terms of schooling at that age. Builders Club started each day as summer school, then by mid-day we did arts, crafts, and numerous physical activities / games with the children. Some of the children came from wealthier parents, while others came from poorer backgrounds. Some children were abused, starved, and were facing other hardships in their lives. The children truly taught me a lot and really took to me as a positive role model. For me, it wasn’t simply about teaching them, but also learning more about myself.  In the mornings, I helped teach. During this time, I found that many of the children acted out and when they were told to do something they would intentionally ignore the teacher or do the opposite, as a statement. I was assigned to a group of approximately eighteen first graders. They were all from poorer backgrounds and objected to the organization and structure within the school setting. These children were accustomed to little supervision and as Lareau points out in “Unequal Childhoods”, “for working-class and poor families, the cultural logic of child rearing at home is out of synch with the standards of institutions” (3). Many of these children “appear to gain an emerging sense of distance, distrust, and constraint in their institutional experiences” (Lareau 3). Since I did not simply act as a teacher, the children grew to trust me and talk about their issues at home. I became accustomed to hearing their comments that they didn’t have to go to school since their parents did not go, or even that they didn’t have to listen to the teacher. They didn’t believe the teachers were there to help them. Rather, they saw school as a place that they got in trouble. If they asked questions about assignments they felt as though they would be punished and told they hadn’t been listening. School was a struggle for many of the children. They opened my eyes to the differences in backgrounds and availability of resources based on socioeconomic status. However, hearing their daily comments inspired me to be a role model and prove to them how important education is, as well as listen to them (something many people don’t seem to do in our educational system today). During the afternoon camp was when I truly bonded with the children. It was the time I spent getting to know them as individuals, playing games with them, and helping them with their homework. By the end of the camp, I learned a lot not only about myself, but about them and their daily struggles.

I truly love organizations and programs such as Builders Club and the I Have A Dream Foundation that are trying to help give children the educational opportunities they have been lacking. However, Builders Club has since been discontinued in my county at home because so many people in the community saw it as a waste of local funding and didn’t recognize the importance of the program. This mindset is too common and it was difficult to witness firsthand. It makes me appreciate programs such as the I Have A Dream Foundation and I am excited to be involved.

As Kozol states in his “Shame of a Nation”, “a segregated education in America is unacceptable” (316); I agree with this statement wholeheartedly. This volunteering experience will help me to show these kids that they can succeed in school and achieve great things despite not having all the same resources I had throughout my education. When Jazz and Danielle came in on our first day of class, I was simply excited to work with children, but once they discussed our jobs and what their goals are with the program in depth, I realized how much this struck home with me simply because of the amazing, life changing experience I’d had working with kids previously.

Kozol’s goal is to bring to light the fact that there is such a disparity in the expenditures for education. Despite the close distance between many of the schools, there is too much of a difference with counties spending close to double what others have and this can affect preschool opportunities and even affect statewide testing grades that begin in grade school. In New York City, in 2002, “only between a quarter and a third of children in the district had received even a single year of preschool” (Kozol 51). There is a direct correlation between property taxes and the spending on resources in the education system. The property taxes are what determines funding for the local schools, when it is a neighborhood system. So, when the property taxes are higher, the school is better funded and therefore able to pay for better extracurricular programs, teachers, and other resources that would further improve the education of children. Furthermore, when property taxes are lower, this typically means the population is of a lower socioeconomic status, and thus those in poorer schools are not performing as well. Basically, Kozol’s point is that we need to find a way to even out property taxes because the way the system is set up now sets schools up for failure. It’s been a continuous cycle of failure because of the lack of adequate local funding.

From reading the books we’ve read thus far, along with both my previous experience, I can’t help but be excited to be involved in the I Have A Dream Foundation of Asheville.