This article to me represents an issue that I have seen brewing for quite sometime now.
Tensions arise at Davis High after group suspension
Local activists point to a lack of African American teachers at school as indication of racism
By: Timothy Jue
(californiaaggie.com) A contentious meeting that resulted in the suspension of Davis Senior High School’s Black Student Union and a subsequent march by students and local activists protesting racial inequity in the city’s school district is marking renewed efforts to bring awareness to the lack of minority teachers in the Davis Joint Unified School District, according to some community members.
On Mar. 1, Davis Senior High School Principal Mike Cawley placed the 30-member BSU on hiatus until May. The decision came after several students and parents expressed dismay at the school’s decision to appoint Mel Lewis as the new adviser to the organization during an on-campus meeting that turned into a heated dialogue, The Sacramento Bee reported.
Some students and parents felt that Lewis, a Trinidadian immigrant, would not be able to represent African Americans’ concerns. The president of BSU, 17-year-old Fatima Loeliger, who is of Somali and Caucasian descent, also reported that she received similar criticism.
Currently, there are about 60 African American students attending Davis High, but there are no African American teachers. Local activists worry that the absence of African American teachers on the high school campus is leaving black students without a staff member to culturally identify with, and depriving students of different ethnicities exposure to African American culture. (more…)
Now I am not going to elaborate too much on my response here simply because I want to hear what others have to say on this.
Throughout my life (especially living out here in Southern California), I have seen many examples of folks of ALL races excel in school oftentimes without having teachers of the same race. Demographics alone tell us that Caucasian teachers outnumber all other races. Yet under that demographic, many thousands of excelling students of ALL races have been produced. Despite the fact that the school did appoint a Haitian teacher to lead the student group, according to these parents, African-American teachers are needed to represent “African-American” concerns. So now we are actually left with two questions:
1) Are Black teachers an necessary requirement for student success?
2) In most Black discourse regarding racial identity, most folks who originate from countries with roots in African culture are considered “African-Americans” in this country. However in certain cases (like this one), these same groups are NOT considered part of African-American culture. Why the inconsistency?
1. not necessarily.
2. Lack of anything better argue about.
Here is the funny thing. As a toddler I attended an all black nursery school including teachers, all black elementary school including teachers (private School). While my high school was integrated I managed to only have been taught by black teachers. I made a conscience decision to attend a lily white university and not pick any professor that I thought were black. I wanted to experience white people in an educational environment in an effort to prepare my self for the work force. So while I don’t think that you must have an black teacher teaching black students it does make for a since of familiarity for that student. I would be interested in why there are no black (american) teachers in this school.
This school is located in a part of N. California where the income range is middle to upper-middle class. Northern California is VERY expensive and tends to have a fairly large White/Asian population. Blacks in that part of that state are heavily concentrated in metro areas like Oakland. From the way it looks here, Davis is not an exception here.
1. It is folly to think so.
2. It might be the whole linguistics thing.
A person close to me says often in reference to others in varying circumstances, “You might be my color, but you aren’t my kind.”
In my city there was black man who went was taught by our school system. (Yeah, he was a star basketball player too.) He soon was enrolled as a government teacher. He also taught Af-American history. Many blacks in our city become teachers or otherwise involved in related organizations to the system itself. Right now I am at a computer center run primarily by blacks, supported by the city public library, with one of the head volunteers being a black woman who teaches at the high school. Many black kids come here after school. Our school district is about 30% black. I see “60 students” and wonder what percentage of that represents of the total student body. Half(robust recruitment!) of them are in the black student union. Are the parents of these students also coordinated as well as the kids? Imagine just 30 of the kids’ parents forming a ‘black parent union’…and just one with the impetus to actually become a teacher.
The noise is there…but where is the vision?
And I do hope the union isn’t about color, but kind(ness).
1. No.
2. There is no inconsistency. Many non-American Blacks don’t think of themselves as African-American.
The funny thing I have noticed over the years is that when “non-American” blacks encounter racism, they are included in the “Black -American” struggle. When they come to this country and are successful, they are considered the “other dark meat”.
1) No.
2) Indigenous Black populations frequently distinguish themselves from foreign-born Blacks on account of cultural ignorance (see, ‘Is Obama Black?’ op-eds). Interestingly enough, some indigenous Blacks also disassociate themselves from other Blacks — regardless of nationality — ‘Blackness’, and any term connoting African heritage for the same reason.
I like the other dark meat comment. That was funny.
The funny thing I have noticed over the years is that when “non-American†blacks encounter racism, they are included in the “Black -American†struggle. When they come to this country and are successful, they are considered the “other dark meatâ€Â.
For Blacks, it depends on if the non-American Blacks have no problem with American Blacks or not. If there is a problem, they fall into the “other dark meat” category.
For white people, it seems to be ODM across the board.
Sad “Black” pecking order:
1. Africans.
2. Jamacians/Haitians (they battle it out and one “battle” I saw was funny and sad at the same time.
3. Black Americans.
1. Ask a student. Is it necessary? No, but its important to know what encourages a student and what peaks their interest. How does a student respond to teaching styles and personalities. It’s just like the church you choose. Some like to hoop, and some like to holler, some just give it to you straight with no chaser. What’s your preference? Maybe the Davis High is looking for a new approach to the teaching and mentoring methods they receive.
2. I believe the differences and separations come from the differences in culture. Black culture is part of American culture. Someone originating from Africa, well, they identify first with their African culture. Not to mention that some Africans or West Indians make it a point that it be known that they are not African-Americans in the sense of originating from the US.