Really interesting conversation with a students yesterday. We were talking about some science topic (weathering/erosion/destructive natural events) when a students stopped me..
"You know Mz Drummmons, the thing is...white people, they're just on a higher level"
"what?"
Well, black people, they ain't like that, they just on a lower level, they don't think like that...."
As the conversation progressed, I was blown away. One of my brightest students (not a slacker by any means) was telling me and she truly believed that black people aren't as smart or as talented a white people. Is this a product of her culture? Has she been fed this lie through her life? I would almost expect this from a students who was doing poorly and looking for an excuse, but here was a talented young lady from a family who values education saying because of skin color and whatever factors you choose to mix in with that, her race was not as gifted as another.
I hated that moment. I ended up talking to her about it for a while and telling her all the reasons I disagreed with her. I wanted her to see that no matter what she's heard and no matter what she sees around her that this was NOT because of race.
How can we make these students see that even though they come from a place where goals and aspirations are few and menial jobs and living in housing projects are common that they aren't bound to the life of those around them??
tough
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