As a child growing up I can say everything I learned, I learned from my mother. She use to always tell me, "society doesn't owe you anything and whatever you want to be it's up to you to strive for it and be the best that you could possible be." I do believe that children learn from parents, family, environment, t.v. and literature. But as a parent it's up to you to educate them on life. When I was between the ages of 10-12 we lived in Long Beach Califronia and at that time they started bussing minotities to all white schools. I didn't know what to expect but I did feel said because,I was leaving my friends and neighborhood to go too a school that I knew nothing about. At that time my best friend was mixed black and white and as children we don't discriminate, to us we were children just playing together and having fun.
Well I went to this school and it was about eight minority students. Four African American students, two Spanish children and maybe one or two Asian children and at that time I wanted to be friend everyone but majority of the white students didn't want to be our friends. White children would come up to me and ask me the dumbest questions like, why is your skin so dark? Do you guys take baths? Or why is your hair so nappy? White children at that school would go as far invite the whole class to their birthday party and not ask me. Keep in mind I am the only black student in the classroom. I felt so long and miserable most of the time and I felt as if they where ganging up on me, but I tried not to let that get to me because my best friend would be their by my side into she was told to chose to pick what side she wanted to be on because she also was tired of being single out because she was my friend.
Well my best friend chose to hang with the white students and she started calling me names, and she wouldn't sit by me. I was so hurt and angry that I did the only thing I could think of was to lash out at everyone who tried to hurt me. I actually bacame a bully and I would beat up anyone who would say nasty remark to me, or if they wouldn't let me play at recess with them, I would take the ball and hold it into the bell rung and I dared anyone of them to come and take the ball. Well one of my teachers caught on what was going on and she recommended for me to go too counciling at school to be able to control my anger and she would talk to me atleast three times a week and inorder for me to control my anger she came up with an incentive. If I wouldn't fight, or lash out at the other students by the end of the week I would recieve stickers that would go towards my party at the end of the month. Well that worked because she gave me the option of inviting who I wanted to attend my party, of course I invited the student's who where having a hard time adjusting to the school and If it wasn't for that council and my mother preaching to me that those children don't know any better, they are being taught that from the people who are closest to them and the whole world isn't like that. Those two people in my life at that time showed me the right way to be and without them, I don't know where I would be right today because of the anger and hatred I had in my heart towards white people.
Today, I must say I am a stronger women because of my mother and the values that she bestowed in me. to love and respect all people beliefs, heritage, race, and culture.
This subject is very touching to me especially as a child growing up in an area were racism was still going on and during my research, I looked at Eastern Europe area Dublin Ireland where right to day racism is still going on. over their the school system is ran by Roman Catholics and if you are not of Irish descendant minorities have a hard time getting into schools being that majority of blacks over their are Muslim, members Evangelical, Protestant Denominations, or no religion. The government let the school discriminate on the basis of religion and according to the Catholics and their solution is to open up all black schools for black children to attend. I see from my readings that racism is still strong and going strong in certain parts of the world. If only they knew of the harm they are creating, instead of making this world a place for everyone to live in harmony and being to have the same opportunities as anyone else.
P.S. As you read my blogger, I hope I have not affend anyone and if I have please except my appology. I am just speaking from my heart, retelling stories that happend in my life.
Source:
Rachael, September 3, (2010). Xenophobia and Racism Affect Black School Children in Ireland
Thank you for sharing your story. I can tell you are a very strong person, I can not really relate to your story but I don't know if I could've taken the higher road like you did after talking to your councilor. I see a lot of children at my school who are going through some similar issues and I only hope that I can influence them like you were influenced.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Amy about taking the higher road. The thing about the higher road in the long run actually solves the problem. physically fighting just brings more fights. Sounds like you had an educator that cared and did their job. So many children are suffering because of racism and bullies today. So many teachers don't want to get involve for whatever reason. Thanks, for share your story.
ReplyDeleteRacism can be a stressor on a child that stays with them forever. Not all stress is bad, it can serve as a catalyst to do great things. My youngest daughter was, many times, the only black child in her classes. She was smart, articulate and popular with many of her classmates. She suffered reverse racism fro many of the other black children in her High School. They would ask her, "Why do you talk White". She told them she didn't know language had a color, she was using correct English. "Why you always hanging out with them white people?" She would tell them she hung out with her friends and their color didn't matter. I raised her to be proud of who and what she is and to have an open mind. Looking today at those kids that stressed her, none and I mean not one has graduated from college and she is now pursuing her Masters Degree. All have children out of wedlock, not my daughter. I love my blackness and I instilled that in her but I also instilled a love of learning and knowing who you are. If more parents just did that racsim couldn't and wouldn't be a stressor we'd have to worry about.
ReplyDeleteDenise, thanks for sharing. Your story is part of my story and to read Stephanie's comments and some of the statements made to her daugher were the same made to me. Parents need to educate their children and bestow upon them that we are all alike, with the exception of skin color--we all go about participating in the same daily routines and struggles and that no one is above anyone else. If we we would just communicate to each other we could learn so much from one another.
ReplyDeleteAs a child I grew up in a neighborhood as the only. When I spoke to my mother about mean children and having no friends. She would tell me I was not at school to make friends, go read a book”. I thought she didn’t care about me. On Sunday we had dinner together as a family and talking about the news of the week. At those dinners I learned that when we moved into our childhood home neighbors moved out. That my four older sisters took a school bus with other black teenage to a beach that was still labeled as for whites only. That one of my sisters got into arguments with her teachers and principle because she told them when they said racies inappropriate things to the class. We watched the news to see black children being bused across town to segregated school. While whites screamed at them, threw glass bottles and paint at the school buses as they drove bye. That my parents purchased my first childhood home in the all white neighborhood because they believed that was the where the best schools where. Today I’m 47 years old and grew up in Peabody, Massachusetts. My sisters are all success in the fields of education, engineering, medicine and of course law. When graduated from high school in 1980, my parents purchased a home in an area named the Estates and yes they were the still the only.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you shared the things you went through. It made me emotional because I could just imagine how you felt as a child. Not getting invited to the birthday had to be really hard for you. Some children are still like this and its so sad. Children act like their parents or people who they are around. Great blog!!!
ReplyDeleteI was placed in advanced program classes in the second grade and eventually ended up being the only black girl in the room. I was nervous at first, and treated like I didn't belong, but very quickly showed them that I was brighter than most of them. I can say that those years helped me become a better person. I ended up going to other student's homes and parties. I lived in the projects so I was exposed to a totally different type of life. I even had an Irish friend who came to visit me a few times.
ReplyDeleteThank you for all your comments. They were geatly appreciated. I feel sorry for closed minded people because in every culture, race, and ethnicity we all have something unique and special to share about our heritage.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the great posts you have during this course. I am so glad to be able to communicate with people who are different but share a mutual love for educating children.I enjoyed reading your posts and appreciate you reading mine. Best of luck to you!
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