As a Black Educator in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica for the Summer, I realize how little of the world our children are exposed to that uplifts and shares the stories and cultures of Black and Dark indigenous people all over the world (Not just in America). From my own experience, I never knew there were Black Costa Rican people. I never knew about Afro-Carribean LatinX, people despite spending 8 years of my education learning Spanish. I wonder how different my learning experience could have been if my teachers would have exposed me to the diverse people and cultures of Spanish speaking people around the world, especially those that looked like me. I may have actually learned this beautiful language feeling more connected and tied to its origin and its people. But now as I pass these beautiful Black faces in the grocery store and on the beach, I can’t help feeling so disconnected from people who look just like me but I can’t understand. Yet somehow, when I was in school, I always knew that my education presented more barriers than bridges with its Eurocentric historical narrative that wiped out most of the world’s Black and Brown people from its books.
So as I spend this time abroad, exploring the newness and history of a people I’ve never been exposed to, I contemplate the continuation of these barriers for future generations as America now wants to block more young people from conversations about racism and Black narratives in classrooms. How will our children learn about the richness and fullness of Black cultures and all that they have done if we don’t keep these discussions alive in our classrooms? As my favorite intellectual radical, James Baldwin, once said, “I love America more than any other country in the world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.” America’s classrooms have been vastly shaped with a sterile and nostalgic patriotic lens of half-truths that simply impair our students from leading as Baldwin did. Sadly, recent efforts have been pushed in numerous States and local school boards to further deny the full truth of America’s history from students. Unfortunately, the fake news of the day is if you love America, then you should NOT criticize Her. But that is the furthest thing from the truth. It is actually more imperative to our democracy that future generations interrogate and critique our systems, challenge past and present narratives and push for better and more diverse narratives in the future if we hope to preserve our country and democracy. Thus our civic learning experiences and all our learning spaces, especially for Black and Dark youth, must be safe refuges for critical inquiry, meaningful interrogation and research, new narrative creation and shared collective action if we are to improve our democracy. If we say we love America, then we must do what love requires and challenge Her to be the best version of America she can be. Therefore, we must not seek to ban or deny our collective truth, but expand our knowledge of it and invite more diverse perspectives and narratives to open up our world; not close it off. That is why Teach X is hosting a Collective Virtual Conversation, “Underexposed: A Moment in the Sun” on Monday, July 19, 2021 at 6PM to reconcile our past history and explore a new narrative for our future generations. What stories will we share? Who will tell them? How will we build in this moment as a community of thought leaders, educators, students and people? Right now, history is watching what we do next. It is wondering in the words of W.E.B Dubois, how will we bring Black and marginalized people across the world back “into the Sun” for more than a moment so they can be seen, heard and celebrated. This is our moment as educators, school leaders and the larger community to fight for the truth, diverse narratives of our shared history and for future generations to have the privilege to do the same at home and even learn about the rich cultures of far away places like Puerto Viejo. That moment is now. RSVP today HERE!
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AuthorEducator, student advocate and community activists. Archives
October 2021
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