Quotes:
"In some cities, the public reputation of a ghetto neighborhood bears little connection to the world that you discover when you walk the streets with children and listen to their words."(pgs. 3 and 4)
Kozol goes on to describe the incredibly bleak surroundings he discovered in this particular section of the South Bronx in New York City. The destitute reputation of this neighborhood seems to mirror what life is like there. Living in Providence, a city that certainly has a less than stellar reputation in some circles, I found myself thinking about how this quote relates to my own city. While the schools are struggling here and many people are living in poverty situations, I have never found the reality of the neighborhoods here to come anywhere near approaching the almost apocalyptic conditions described by Kozol in this reading. As a matter of fact, I find Providence to be a diverse, integrated, and safe place to live and walk around.
While I am not unaware that there are people here living under very difficult circumstances, the conditions of despair are nowhere near as universally pervasive, even in the poorest neighborhood. It was depressing to read of a place where there simply seems to be no hope for any of the inhabitants. Although, there was only a passing mention of the school system in this section, I can only imagine that trying to get an education in that neighborhood is virtually impossible.
"`The day is coming when the world will be destroyed,' he finally announces. `Everyone is going to be burned to crispy cookies.'" (pg. 10)
This quote from the seven year old Cliffie brings home the reality of what I referred to as apocalyptic conditions in the last passage. There is a wisdom, almost a wry humor, expressed in the words of this very young boy living in this utterly despairing environment. They also convey a poignant reminder of why people in the most dire circumstances often turn to religion as a way to make sense of the world around them. These words, even though they express a feeling of hopelessness, almost give me a glimmer of hope for the youth living in this environment.
"`Evil exists,' he says, not flinching at the word. `I believe that what the rich have done to poor people in this city is something that a preacher could call evil. Somebody has power. Pretending that they don't so they don't need to use it to help people- that is my idea of evil.'"
This quote from Mrs. Washington's teenage son, David relates to Lisa Delpit's descriptions of the structure of power in "The Silenced Dialogue." Delpit's last principle related to power states that, "those with power are frequently least aware of-or least willing to acknowledge-its existence. Those with less power are often most aware of its existence." David is clearly very personally aware of the existence of an oppressive structure of power. He doesn't seem willing to believe that those with power are subconsciously unaware of its existence. Rather, he seems to be of the opinion that those in power are very aware of the situation, and only "pretending" that it doesn't exist so they won't have to help those on the opposite end of the spectrum. How could he feel otherwise, living in the situation he lives in, and knowing that nobody is doing anything to improve the situation.
Reading this excerpt, I initiallly found myself thinking that Kozol must be exaggerating the conditions for effect. However, when he cited the murder rates and some of the specifics of the conversations he had, I started to think that this description was, indeed, very real. The style of the piece was certainly different than the others we have read so far. While Johnson's, Delpit's and Macintosh's writings were more sociological and academic, this was much more of a narrative, telling a story and creating a setting. I won't say that it was a difficult read from an intellectual perspective, but from an emotional standpoint, I found it very difficult. I'm sure that was the intention, and it worked on me.
The simple question that I would want to share with the class is, as prospective teachers with backgrounds, presumably, worlds apart from this setting, how would we go about teaching in a school located amidst this kind of despair?
To give my take on the question you pose at the very end, I'd say with your mind, heart, consideration, and patience. All of this you know already. To be teachers we cannot be afraid of people.
ReplyDeleteBeing human is to be able to speak, to think, to convey our thought, ideas, and emotions. It is to question.
Being human is to feel an insanely wide array and confusing bunch of emotions. It is to laugh, to cry, and to kick something out of anger.
To be human is to be here physically, with good health or without it. It involves every goofy or graceful step we may take. It is to appear beautiful, plain or ugly (or sometimes all) to others. We get injured, feel pain, and see death.
To be human is to live together in a social group. In our families, our neighborhoods, of friends, or schools, etc. It is to learn to be around one and other and hopefully, to work together.
A teacher is the overseer of a roomful of humans trying to grow and development. They are working out what they feel, think, look like, and the roles they play. They are trying to suss out who they are and who they want to be. It will be our jobs to listen to them and offer guidance with honesty and good intentions. It doesn't matter if we came from a similar or different background. Out of 30 kids we may have a similar story to just a handful. But we are compassionate and thoughtful individuals who are there to listen to the needs and respond with appropriate solutions. All that and some skill based instruction. You have a natural talent for care. I'm sure you'll absorb all the different students' backgrounds up with intellectual curiosity.