"Racism" 5/24
All our writings confirm that institutional racism continues in our society.  The overt, hostile racism of the past, (although not completely gone), has been replaced with subtle, ingrained practices that still discriminate against minorities.  Tim Wise (2003) asks if a fish really knows what water is if it's so much a part of the fish's world that it can't really define it or distinguish it from anything else.  So too, with internalized racism, we cannot always recognize it for what it is, especially those of us from white middle class backgrounds.

  Clearly there is an undertow of attitudes in white middle class America that are always happy to reallocate money away from the education of inner city youth, toward more affluent communities. In the name of freedom, efficiency, even fairness they have clearly prevailed in the last 30 years.  I believe this has been one large factor that has contributed to the process of "re-segregation."   Another factor that is talked about in our readings, is the subtle and insidious racism, whereby we do not account for or understand cultural differences or socio-economic differences. As white middle class Americans who are sympathetic to minorities achieving equity, we need to examine these subtleties and work toward being sensitive to them.  We, as teachers can help to move society forward. The backlash and result of re-segregation, that appears to benefit white middle class society, is not an ultimate benefit to them.  Ultimately, society as a whole will benefit from desegregated schools. Why?  Because this will, in turn, help create an integrated society where all individuals have the opportunity to realize their potential to the fullest extent. This will create a more efficient and effective system for all.

At my volunteer placement, one can clearly see the line between the white teachers from middle class backgrounds and the students and aides. The school is segregated, not just because the student body is primarily black and Hispanic, but because there are primarily white teachers. The culture with power prevails in the classroom over the minority cultures.  Clearly, we as teachers cannot be fully cognizant of all aspects of the students' culture. Trying to be sensitive to their needs takes an effort in itself. Then on top of that, being aware of cultural differences is a monumental task. As reflective and culturally aware teachers, we must work on this, being open to learning new things about the various cultures that we serve.