TPC Expectations for To Be Free Understanding and Eliminating Racism By Thomas Peacock and Marlene Wisuri

Book should read and reflections for each chapter completed by March 5th. Use the following format for each Chapter. Please keep all the chapter reflections in the same document. Expand as needed.

Chapter 1: We Are All Related Key concepts/perspective of the chapter o While there are distinct ethnicities, humans have too much in common to be divided into races. Any such divisions would be completely arbitrary. o Adaptation to different environments can account for a lot of differences in appearance skin color, body shape, eye shape, etc. o Ethnocentrism (people of any given ethnicity believing they are superior to people of another ethnicity) is a BIG problem, especially among people of European descent. The feelings are normal, but the way white people have acted on those feelings throughout history are NOT. Something I had not thought of before. o Four types of racism (p. 23): unintentional racism, institutional racism, overt/in-yourface racism, and internalized racism. I have witnessed and explored all four kinds, but had not considered dividing racism into categories until now. How I could apply this information in my life and or in my teaching o The Activities to Promote Understanding at the end of the chapter are interesting I could certainly apply those in my classroom. o As I learned during my ESL student teaching, it is important to treat my students ethnicities as something special and to treat my own the same way. In the Newcomer Center at Century, I did an autobiography project with the kids, who came from more than a dozen different countries. I completed the project, too, and we celebrated my European heritage the same way we celebrated each of the students heritages. Questions/concerns/other o I love the quote from Robert Coles on p. 24: In this life we prepare for things, for moments and events and situation We worry about wrongs, think about injustices, read what Tolstoy and Ruskin has to say Then, all of a sudden, the issue is not whether we agree with what we have heard and read and studied The issue is us, and what we have become.

Chapter 2: Who Am I? Key concepts/perspective of the chapter

A persons identity is often centered around race and our constructions of what it means to belong to any given racial group. o Each of us has multiple identities, and they dont just have to do with race. Students may consider membership in an extra-curricular group or on a sports team part of their identities (Im a band geek). o Because whites have had so many privileges and because our society still values light skin, many white teens are unaware of race. Students of non-European descent and ethnicities, however, are keenly aware that they do not fit the norm. Something I had not thought of before. o Interracial marriages werent legal until 1967 wow! That wasnt very long ago. Weve come a long way in a short time. How I could apply this information in my life and or in my teaching o I can encourage students to be proud of themselves because of AND regardless of their ethnicity. Although ethnicity is an important factor in self-identity, each of us consists of so much more than just that. Questions/concerns/other o The references to Mariah Carey and Halle Berry at the end of the chapter were great. Kids will connect with celebrities a lot more quickly than they will with some author they know nothing about.

Chapter 3: Racism Throughout History Key concepts/perspective of the chapter o History is also a great teacher; history can help explain why we are where we are today. And perhaps most important, knowing our history might teach us to not walk down that road again, to avoid the mistakes those before us committed, and, using our past, to grow beyond our history. (p. 40) o Guilt and anger are natural reactions to the role our ancestors played in the rise of racism, but it is also important to realize and accept that WE had nothing to do with it. o The U.S. has a long, sad history of racism, starting with Columbus and continuing today. Our record includes slavery, genocide, internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII, and lynchings. In order to make all of it worth something, we need to learn from those mistakes. Something I had not thought of before. o I didnt know that Columbus and his men had enslaved the Native Americans. I believe it I just never knew. When white historians write the history books, I guess they tend to leave that part out. How I could apply this information in my life and or in my teaching o Langston Hughess poem Harlem is printed on p. 52 I am using that poem as a basis for my American Lit class. We talk a lot about the concept of the American Dream and how it looks different to each of us. Were just finishing up A Raisin in the Sun, which deals with a lot of the issues addressed in this book so far.

Questions/concerns/other o None

Chapter 4: Unconscious, Unintentional Racism Key concepts/perspective of the chapter o Our society has built-in prejudices and privileges. Because our founding fathers and the early settlers were all of European descent, our country was literally constructed with the belief that white men were superior to people of other ethnicities and even to women. o White privilege exists, especially in the U.S. o Unconscious, unintentional racism results from misinformation and stereotypes about people of color. (p. 65) Something I had not thought of before. o Honestly, there wasnt anything. How I could apply this information in my life and or in my teaching o The only way to get rid of white privilege (or at least make it less harmful) is to acknowledge it. Its hard to change the entire school system, which privileges those of us who come from written traditions and have grown up with English as our first language, but I can make a difference in my classroom. Questions/concerns/other o None

Chapter 5: The Missing Stories Key concepts/perspective of the chapter o Historically, the U.S. has tried to enforce assimilation into the dominant culture, but many groups of people were ignored completely or stubbornly refused. o Institutional racism exists in rules, policies, staffing, laws, values, and accepted ways of doing things (p. 69). o The stories of people of color are sometimes missing, only partially told, or told inaccurately in many schools (p. 75) o Cultural conflict can occur when there is incongruence between institutional culture and an individuals culture (p. 75) Something I had not thought of before. o We really do have a gap in the education system when it comes to stories about Native Americans and their experiences. We should be valuing that cultural history, not sweeping it under the rug! How I could apply this information in my life and or in my teaching o I love the idea of a mosaic A mosaic is a wonderful blend of different colors and textures, each adding to the beauty of the whole (p. 68) o Multicultural lit

As a department, we ARE working on including more Native American lit to our AmLit course. Stacy is testing some pieces on her kids now, and I will try some with my kids in a few weeks. Questions/concerns/other o How can I get this far in life and still be somewhat shocked to realize that Cleopatra was black? It makes perfect sense (I knew she was African), but it terrifies me that I have been raised to believe she looked like Princess Jasmine from Aladdin. o Theres a blurry line between including other ethnicities and religions and upsetting the system entirely (not that that would be a bad thing just a messy one!). Why do we still have days off of school for Christmas and Easter, but not for Ramadan or Cinco de Mayo?

Chapter 6: In-Your-Face Racism Key concepts/perspective of the chapter o In-your-face racism comes from all directions: through the media, in sports, in schools, as jokes told between friends. And it doesnt just come from the mouths of strangers. Sometimes it comes from people you know, trust, and even love (p. 77) o Stereotypes, sports mascots, racial profiling, and ethnic jokes all constitute racism. o White supremacists have been active throughout our nations history, through organizations like the Ku Klux Klan, and they still exist today. Something I had not thought of before. o Ive always thought of the KKK as part of history not as the type of organization that still exists today. Im learning more and more that tolerance and acceptance are as young as I am. How I could apply this information in my life and or in my teaching o Im teaching To Kill a Mockingbird to the 9th graders right now, and we have been talking a lot about discrimination, not just in terms of race, but also in terms of gender and socioeconomic class. I address the issues in such a way that students KNOW these things are wrong, but can also start to accept that they are a big part of our cultural history. Questions/concerns/other o I like the end of this chapter The truth is that all forms of racism are equally harmful. All racism is based on ignorance, misinformation, and lies. All racism hurts to the bone (p. 85)

Chapter 7: The Best Scouts in the Cavalry Key concepts/perspective of the chapter o Oppression exists in many ways. Internalized oppression happens when people who are oppressed oppress themselves or others from their own group. (p. 90)

White as right / the fear of freedom / denying a part of oneself / the crab bucket / self-oppression o Anyone who is being abused is oppressed (p. 90) o Internalized oppression sometimes stems directly from being subjugated to racism if enough people say it, it must be true Something I had not thought of before. o Self-doubt and self-criticism are natural, but they can get blown out of proportion like anything else. It seems to me like such large-scale internalized oppression might come from generations of non-existent self-esteem or even depression. How I could apply this information in my life and or in my teaching o We need to build each other up, not tear each other down. As Ive said before, I cant control the system, but I can control my classroom; in my classroom, there WILL be respect. Questions/concerns/other o Ive always been somewhat fascinated by the Holocaust and have watched multiple documentaries about Jewish prisoners and/or German Nazis but I never realized that some of the guards were Jews, too. Again, this is something that makes logical sense, but simply hadnt ever crossed my mind. It kind of baffles me.

Chapter 8: To Be Free o Key concepts/perspective of the chapter We have made huge strides toward tolerance, but the song for freedom is still being sung (p. 101) The next step starts with us. We need to acknowledge racism and talk about it, or nothing will change. We need to remind ourselves that all of us share a common mother, ni-mama aki (Mother Earth). We are all related (p. 109) Something I had not thought of before. The shift from oppression to acceptance really is just beginning. My perspective has always been that the civil rights movement was something from history and that racism doesnt exist in my life; my studies at St. Olaf and the time Ive spent in the classroom have opened my eyes to the fact that my perspective was always skewed. How I could apply this information in my life and or in my teaching Keep an open mind and an open heart! Questions/concerns/other Mahatma Gandhi was infinitely wise. What a perspective When I despair I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fail. Think of it. Always. (p. 101)

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