I met recently with a parent who expressed concern about a program offered at one of our schools which involved children reading and learning about skin color.
The purpose of
the program was to explore and address questions children often have about the
differences, including skin color, they observe in others. Consistent with the
district’s strategic priorities and goals to promote equity, understanding, and
an anti-racist culture, the Needham Public Schools encourages and supports
developmentally appropriate educational opportunities for students and staff to
discuss and learn about issues of race, culture, and bias. We believe these lessons
are integral to our work with children, and we also understand these
conversations can be uncomfortable—probably more so for the adults than the
children who are instinctively curious about the people around them!
The concerned parent,
who is white, told me that he was upset with the school talking about skin
color and race. He told me he was “color blind” to the differences in people
and treats all people the same, which I am sure is true for him. He worried
that talking about skin color or race could exacerbate racial tensions and
divisions. He wants his children to be
color blind as well. I explained that not addressing questions of race leaves
children feeling confused and as if they have said or done something wrong;
they learn quickly that there is something taboo or bad about skin color when a
caring adult shuts them down without explanation or conversation.
The parent asked
me directly: “Aren’t you color blind?”
After a pause, I answered, “No.” I shared with him that I was not color
blind and that, in fact, I do see the differences in people, including their
skin color and their race. I explained to him that for me to act as if our
students of color all have the same experiences, opportunities, and privileges
that I have as a white man would be disingenuous and dismiss the realities of
their lives. I explained that I want and expect all children under our care in
the schools, not some but all
children, to be treated fairly, respectfully, and equitably. I also accept that
if we ignore their unique gifts, including their cultural heritage or race, we
lose a chance to learn, to build understanding and create meaning between and
among different people.
Being color blind
disregards the circumstances of that person and prevents one from being inquisitive
about another’s life, culture, and story.
In short, color blindness whitewashes the world in an attempt to comfort
ourselves and make believe that black and brown people, for example, all have
the same experiences and opportunities in a predominantly white school and community
when, deep down inside, we know that is not their reality. The equity audit we
conducted in the Needham Public Schools confirms that many students and families
feel invisible or marginalized in our classrooms and community. The Needham
Public Schools strive to be inclusive, accessible and free of discrimination
and bias, but we are a reflection of a broader society and culture in which
inequality, unfairness, and bias exist, and this is particularly true for
students of color.
In a 2016 article
from the American Psychological Association entitled, The Myth of Racial Color Blindness, the authors write: “By noticing
race and naming racism, one calls into question racial privilege and unequal
treatment of people of color. For some, this causes anxiety and discomfort. On
a larger scale, claims that discussions about race and racism cause racial
problems provide people and institutions with a convenient rationale not to
explore policies and practices that create inequalities, either intentionally
or unintentionally.”[1] In the Needham Public Schools our intent is
not to inflame racial tensions but to acknowledge and respect the human
differences that exist among us and accept that our students and staff of color
often experience the world in a way unlike their white peers. Our intent is to embrace rather than dodge
the awkward and difficult discussion about race in an effort to break down
barriers, celebrate diversity, strengthen relationships, and share unique perspectives.
For adults—for me!
—conversations about race can be uncomfortable and unnerving. But for children,
conversations about skin color and race are natural and propelled by their
curiosity, innocence, and developmental level.
We should not stifle or hush these genuine questions, we should accept
them as learning opportunities. Harvard
behavioral psychologist Michael Norton observes that: “It’s so appealing on the
surface to think that the best way to approach race is to pretend that it
doesn’t exist, but research shows that it simply doesn’t work. We do notice
race, and there’s no way of getting around this fact.”[2]
No, I am not
color blind, and I’d like to think that I am on a journey in my understanding
of other folks, including those who look, speak, pray, and love differently
than I do. I still have a long way to go on my personal journey and
understanding of others. I appreciate the father for seeking me out and for his
willingness to dialogue about what we are trying to do in the NPS. Our efforts in the schools are imperfect but
our intent is clear: We want our young
people to become socially and culturally responsive contributors to a world
that hungers for understanding, respect, and equity—a world that is prosperous,
peaceful, joyful, and, yes, colorful.
(To learn more
about our efforts in the Needham Public Schools to promote equity and
inclusion, check out our website: http://www.needham.k12.ma.us/equity )
[1]
Neville, H., Gallardo, M., Wing Sue, D. 2016 Has the United States Really Moved Beyond Race?
[2] Nobel,
C. 2012 The Case Against Racial
Colorblindness. Harvard Business School
