by Dominique M., Assistant Editor-in-Chief Everyone is familiar with how teachers are supposed to operate in a classroom setting. They are the mediators, the lecturers, and ultimately, the decision makers on what is discussed in class. In other words, the professor has the power to create conversation on any and everything: including racially controversial topics.
Discussing why we shouldn’t ruin the reputation of a caucasian student who wore blackface to a party, for example, is something that a teacher is able to present. In the past generations, students were extremely obedient towards authority, specifically teachers, as opposed to our current generation. Maybe that fact stems from the social climate at the time or maybe it stems from the teachings of parents. Nevertheless, the problem remains of whether this compliance should be called obedience or silence in the midst of discussing racially insensitive topics. Now, let’s picture that you are the only Hispanic student in a room full of caucasians. Your professor begins to talk about President Trump’s desire to build a wall to get rid of filthy Mexicans. The first question we should ask ourselves is: should the teacher be able to talk about this in class? Given the demographics of the class, does this not represent an unfair bias against the only Hispanic student in the class? Should the student have the right to get upset at the teacher? Should the student have the right to be angry with their fellow students’ comments? According to the teachers’ rights as the leader of the classroom, this topic is fair game. But should it? When will it begin to cross the line of offensive classroom topics? Maybe the purpose of the classroom is already unfairly biased against minorities. In primary school we often discuss explorers and settlers who discovered “new” land in the Americas. We learn how they cultivated the land and made America what it is today. However, what we don’t learn is how they stepped on any minority who got in their way, in order to accomplish their goal. The discussion on minorities is always limited, but that isn’t attributed to a lack of minority history. It is attributed to a lack of desire by teachers to discuss the realizations and faults of our country. So, when you are sitting in class absorbing the offensive speech from your teachers and fellow classmates, assert your feelings. Don’t let society’s concept of obedience keep you silent. Yes, this system has been broken for awhile, but maybe your statements in class are just the push the teacher needs to shut down a racially insensitive discussion.
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Author's NoteWelcome to The Torch: Reborn, your multicultural newspaper. Archives
December 2018
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