My MVP this week comes from Beverly Daniel Tatum. I’ve used her work both as a student and as an educator (it was the jumping off point for my favorite lessons with my Italian students, focusing on privileges).

The passage from her essay “Opening the Dialogue about Race at School” that struck me is:
“We needed to respond, we responded, and now we don’t have to talk about it anymore” (49).

I feel like this quote is unfortunately true for so many well-intended groups, both in and outside of school settings. Something sets off the community, there are efforts of reparation but they don’t survive the long run. Tatum goes on to remind us that despite the initial discomfort one might feel when broaching a subject such as systemic racism or societal inequalities, it is nevertheless important to keep pushing forward; the discomfort will eventually subside. Tatum notes that the discomfort may even develop into excitement or relief.

This idea ties into our reading from last week by Michelle Fine on the silencing culture that can be found in our schools. While it may be daunting to address the elephant(s) in the room as an educator, it is important to teach your students that, firstly, their experiences are valid and have a place in the classroom and, secondly, that they should not be intimidated into keeping quiet about what they see going on around them. We have a responsibility to continue responding to the issues and experiences our students bring to the classroom.