Breaking the Silence
Running head: SILENCE
Breaking the Silence: Ushering in Courageous Conversations About Race
Journal Critique: Breaking the Silence: Ushering in Courageous Conversation About Race
Five Major Points: 1. The right to learn is undoubtedly the most fundamental civil right that the world has struggled and fought for over 5000 years. 2. Race and racism in both individual and institutionalized forms, whether acknowledged or unacknowledged-plays a primary role in students’ struggle to achieve at high levels. 3. Significant achievement gaps exists between Black and Brown students and their White and Asian counterparts, which can not be based solely on poverty and socioeconomic backgrounds. 4. The racial achievement gap exists and persists because fundamentally, schools are not designed to educate students of color, and educators continue to lack the will, skill, knowledge, and capacity to affirm racial diversity. 5. Three critical factors for school systems are necessary to close racial achievement gap: passion, practice, and persistence.
This article informs educators to examine teaching beliefs and practices to determine why children of color, except Asians, are performing below White children regardless of socioeconomic background. This article states that we should examine institutionalized racism and teaching practices as it pertains to racial diversity. I agree with the author when he states that teachers must have passion, practice, and persistence because it is our job to educate and to ensure that students achieve. So often, we blame external factors rather than our performance and our core beliefs. I support the notion that we must examine our personal views of the achievement abilities of students based on ethnicity and socioeconomic backgrounds. Often in inner-city schools, teachers refer
Breaking the Silence: Ushering in Courageous Conversations About Race
Journal Critique: Breaking the Silence: Ushering in Courageous Conversation About Race
Five Major Points: 1. The right to learn is undoubtedly the most fundamental civil right that the world has struggled and fought for over 5000 years. 2. Race and racism in both individual and institutionalized forms, whether acknowledged or unacknowledged-plays a primary role in students’ struggle to achieve at high levels. 3. Significant achievement gaps exists between Black and Brown students and their White and Asian counterparts, which can not be based solely on poverty and socioeconomic backgrounds. 4. The racial achievement gap exists and persists because fundamentally, schools are not designed to educate students of color, and educators continue to lack the will, skill, knowledge, and capacity to affirm racial diversity. 5. Three critical factors for school systems are necessary to close racial achievement gap: passion, practice, and persistence.
This article informs educators to examine teaching beliefs and practices to determine why children of color, except Asians, are performing below White children regardless of socioeconomic background. This article states that we should examine institutionalized racism and teaching practices as it pertains to racial diversity. I agree with the author when he states that teachers must have passion, practice, and persistence because it is our job to educate and to ensure that students achieve. So often, we blame external factors rather than our performance and our core beliefs. I support the notion that we must examine our personal views of the achievement abilities of students based on ethnicity and socioeconomic backgrounds. Often in inner-city schools, teachers refer
References: 01-Singleton-4797.qxd 10/25/2005 3:28PM pages 1-9.