Race and Pedagogy – Serious Conversations for Tacoma’s Youth and Families
Students attending the 2010 All City Race & Pedagogy Summit.
Tacoma Public Schools, The REACH Center, Tacoma 360, and the University of Puget Sound’s Race and Pedagogy Initiative have come together to plan an event focused on having some tough conversations about race and education. The 2012 Youth and Family Summit, scheduled for April 28, will revisit conversations begun at the 2010 All City Race & Pedagogy Summit, and this time, they’ve invited parents to the table as well. According to the UPS Race and Pedagogy page, “Critical pedagogy about race emphasizes learning and teaching as a multi-directional process in contrast to a one-way transaction between teachers and learners.”
The 2010 event brought more than 700 middle and high school students from all over Tacoma together for workshops aimed at empowering them to take charge of their own educations and to take leadership in a diverse world. Organizers of this year’s event hope to build on that empowerment. Separate keynote speakers and more than three dozen workshops for students and parents/guardians will focus on a variety of topics around arming young people with the tools to successfully navigate their educations and their futures. This year, parents have been added as a crucial component of the event’s education and social justice mission. From the press release:
Our young people in Tacoma are their own best resource for ensuring they each achieve the education and the future they want,” said Dexter Gordon, director of the Race and Pedagogy Initiative at University of Puget Sound. “But we need their families too, if we are to shift this mountain that we call public education and make it equitable and highly effective for all. We know it can be shifted. Let’s get started.”
The event will also include a rally and music and dance performance for both youth and families.
2012 Youth and Family Summit
When: Saturday, April 28, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Where: Lincoln High School, 701 S. 37th Street, Tacoma
Cost: FREE, including free breakfast and lunch
Details: Pre-registration by youth and adults is encouraged at: www.facebook.com/2012YouthandFamilySummit or www.pugetsound.edu/raceandpedagogy Registration forms also will be available at all Tacoma public schools.
Filed under: tacoma-schools, ups
8 comments
F fredo April 10, 2012
High achievers never mention their race, but low achievers always mention theirs.
T talus April 11, 2012
By that standard, Prof. Dexter Gordon must be a total slacker.
Is trolling local blogs to constantly bash government and social justice projects something high achievers do?
F fredo April 11, 2012
“Is trolling local blogs to constantly bash government and social justice projects something high achievers do?”
I’d never really thought about it, quite possibly.
Is institutionalizing victimhood a helpful strategy in turning underachievers into successful adults?
C Chalky White April 11, 2012
Climb out from behind the counter, step away from the computer screen and join the rest of the evolving world Fredo. The sun does shine, the glass is often full and it is possible to respect our differences. This summit encourages parents and students to take ownership of education.
F fredo April 11, 2012
“This summit encourages parents and students to take ownership of education.” chalky
I read the story chalky, the summit is focused on tough conversations about education…“and race.” What does race have to do with education? Students who listen in class, contribute in class, and turn in their homework on time won’t have time or interest in making excuses. They’re going to be taking ownership in our world.
J jd April 11, 2012
I like the talk about getting the parents involved. Without an encouraging home environment, the learning process is problematic at best. If school isn’t a thing that has been stressed on the child, it won’t be a priority for the child.
We need to change the culture of apathy towards education into a culture of excitement about learning, and if race is an issue here, then it needs to addressed as part of the solution. What we’ve been doing obviously isn’t working for everyone.
I’m curious about whether this a relatively new issue, or if it’s an on-going one that is finally being recognized because we’re finally looking at it objectively. This is far too important to continue to ignore because you might not like the answer. It’s far too important to not factor in all possibilities.
If race and culture are factors that need to be addressed in learning, then let’s address them. Let’s do it with open minds, let’s do it without animosity, and let’s do it now.
No more calling some kids lazy or stupid because of their race or culture. No more ridiculous, racist, and offensive blanket statements like “low achievers always mention their race”. Sorry, but I’ve never in my life heard a low-achieving Caucasian child (and there are likely more of them than all minority low-achievers combined) say, “it’s because I’m white!” If you say enough bad things about people, eventually they will start to believe them.
It’s time to step back and look at this issue from a distance. We need to quit saying that if our kids all just do what we tell them to, then everything will be OK. We must explore the problems, and all the potential solutions. If we are going to say that our kids are going to be taking ownership in our world, then we need to prepare them to do the job. And not just do it, but do it well.
F fredo April 11, 2012
“if race is an issue here, then it needs to addressed as part of the solution. What we’ve been doing obviously isn’t working for everyone.” jd
Well, I liked your posting in general JD. The organizers seem to think race IS an issue. After all, the title of the event is “Race and Pedagogy.” We know that some races tend to do better in academic areas and some races do worse. There are exceptions to every rule but blacks tend to do worse than average and asians tend to do better. Maybe blacks are better at some things and asians are better at other things. The idea that everyone can succeed academically and that it’s incumbent on our society to institute whatever changes are necessary to insure this goal is a little delusional. If I ever go on the operating table I want the surgeon trained in standard english text and not ebonics.
F fredo April 12, 2012
I’ve read all the comments in this thread and I still haven’t been informed what the “real problems “ are and what the “societal bias” is that prevents our youth from succeeding. Why be so coy? Just tell us what the problems and biases are in outline form so we can address them.