Teaching Racial Sensitivity Is Not Insane, White Supremacy Is

We can never solve a problem without facing it. When a black school board member tells me that she would always get stopped at a grocery to show her receipt after self-checking out while others would not get checked, we need to pay attention. Yes, there are gaps due to socio-economic status, but it must also be taught that a significant source of these differences lies in racial injustices in our society. Work places need to be made aware of the importance of inclusion and diversity. Schools are, of course, important as children grow in a society where racism has become too banal. When we have a president who says, "If you were a certain person, you had no status in life. It was sort of a reversal, And if you look at the people, we were paying people hundreds of thousands of dollars to teach very bad ideas and frankly, very sick ideas,", the more we need to teach our children as they grow up to recognize and respect their own and those of cultures, the more we need to show our children that we have biases, and the more we need to tell our children that in spite of differences, we all have the potential and equal worth. Teaching racial sensitivity is not insane, white supremacy is.

Above copied from NPR

Racism is rampant in education and we must address it. The UNESCO enumerates the following:

• School disciplinary policies disproportionately impact Black students.
• Teachers’ expectations differ by students’ race.
• Students from ethnic and racial minority groups are more likely to be labelled ‘at risk’.
• Education attendance and attainment correlate with race.
• Racial discrimination takes place among students.
• The returns to education differ by race.

Systemic racism exists in our schools and one way to combat this severe affliction is through a basic education that recognizes the malady and inculcates a spirit of inclusion and diversity. This is an important step toward education for all. There is no room for racism in equity in education.