Week 1
Break out of the Bubble!
Break out of the Bubble!
In today's first class we had a big intro to “Being a champion for equity, diversity, and inclusion in the classroom and in the wider community, and had a huge download of information from Dr. ABC. We spent time in groups going over case studies that showcased some pretty egregious examples of racism on the part of educators, inflicted onto racialized students.
My gut feeling during this, and other parts of today’s class was, “but I know this!!!” It all just feels so literal and obvious! And also… common sense? This was my gut reaction, and slightly after this feeling I had a reaction to my reaction, where I would think “Ok now don’t be complacent! Break out of your bubble of like-minded opinions of your peers!” To me, the case studies read as though they were from decades ago, but then I remind myself, No it’s out there!! I know logically that racism still persists and exists in blatant ways, widespread and spreading ways.
A moment for positionality: I grew up in Toronto, relatively downtown (St. Clair West) with teacher/artist parents. I generally had friends from different backgrounds and cultures than me growing up. I’ve done two fine art degrees and most of my friends are artists or adjacent. I am very familiar with the language of anti-racism, anti-colonialism, queer and trans rights, anti-capitalism, prison abolition, etc. That being said, I recognize myself as a very privileged person, and it is my responsibility to try and uplift those without my privileges. I feel weird writing all this out, because rarely do I ever have to write about this stuff… which is another aspect of my privilege!
I feel discomfort, but maybe not in the way I expected to. These conversations aren’t new to me—it feels a little bit like going "back to basics". Still, I have to remember that not everyone has had the privilege of being in diverse spaces where people actively advocate for marginalized groups, like in the arts community I’m a part of. It’s important to consider the environments we’ll one day be working in as teachers.
I also recognize my privilege as a white, middle-class, cisgender person. I can very much fly under the radar in situations of discrimination or outward racism, like what we discussed in the case studies. These issues haven’t affected me directly, and while I hope I’d step in if I witnessed them, the truth is that I don’t have to! If I’m having a bad day or feeling anxious, it’s very easy for me not to act. Obviously we need to manage our own health first and foremost, but to a point. It is also our responsibility to get to a place in our own lives where, yeah we might be having a bad day, but we can still step up for someone who is having a worse one.