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Students feel ashamed to be white while reading an assigned book. Why is that a bad thing?

j brown's body

"A Soros-backed animal"
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"A South Carolina teacher was reported by her students for teaching Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me. According to the Washington Post, English teacher Mary Wood sought to teach her all-white class about what it means to be Black in America using Coates’ literature. However, she was reported by two of her students. They notified the school board that Wood was attempting to discuss race in the classroom.

“The students wrote in emails that the book made them ashamed to be white,” the outlet documented. “[Her lesson] violated a South Carolina proviso that forbids teachers from making students’ feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress’ on account of their race.”


Students also expressed that reading Coates’ book felt like “reading hate propaganda towards white people.” “I understand in AP Lang we are learning to develop an argument and have evidence to support it, yet this topic is too heavy to discuss,” another student wrote to the board. “I actually felt ashamed to be Caucasian.”"

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Rather than repress this feeling, it would be very healthy for students to explore that feeling and how they might overcome it. What it's like to walk in another person's shoes leads to personal growth, which is what education is all about. It's an important reason why we read literature.
 
it would be very healthy for students to explore that feeling and how they might overcome it.
From the excerpt you provided from the article, it appeared that's exactly what the students did. They explored the feelings the book caused and they are taking steps to overcome those feelings.
 
This is what Righties want, a world where people report each other if they don't follow the "approved" curriculum or policy (such as squealing on who is aiding an abortion).

What is ironic is that for decades it was considered a communist system that encouraged that behavior. Now it's the Righties, and damn proud of themselves they are.

download.webp
............ coming true.
 
Rather than repress this feeling, it would be very healthy for students to explore that feeling and how they might overcome it. What it's like to walk in another person's shoes leads to personal growth, which is what education is all about. It's an important reason why we read literature.

As I stated elsewhere;

There is nothing wrong with CRT taught in its pure form. It’s history. It happened. IE: There was a period in the Antebellum South where it was the practice for people to own other people. They incorrectly believed this was ethical because they, ignorantly and even heinously, thought those they owned weren’t people the same as they, and they thought that because their skin colors were different.

The above statement is historically accurate. It happened.

What becomes a problem is IF (big if) that is deviated from and teachers “editorialize” by adding personal ideology to it.

IE: There was a period in the Antebellum South where it was the practice for people to own other people. They did this because they were White and White people have a history of going around the world enslaving the peoples they run into.

Folks are folks, folks. The color of their skin doesn’t make them bad or good. Power dynamics, greed, god complexes and other things can but the amount of melanin in their skin isn’t a factor involved. We are ALL capable of doing the wrong thing when we have power because we have guns, or some other advantage, that means we are dealing with others on unequal terms. History proves this.

So IF (big if) the lesson criteria of CRT in its pure form is being deviated from and an ideology that any race is bad or good SPECIFICALLY because they are a certain skin color is being taught, that’s a form of racism too and ought be corrected.

That’s the only legitimate complaint I can see, and that’s only IF that specific deviation from the prescribed teaching of CRT is being taught.
 
Rather than repress this feeling, it would be very healthy for students to explore that feeling and how they might overcome it. What it's like to walk in another person's shoes leads to personal growth, which is what education is all about. It's an important reason why we read literature.

As for the student that felt>>>>

“I actually felt ashamed to be Caucasian.”
Oh really? You didn't do anything that was the past. Stop being a God Damn pansy. I'll tell you what "Feeling" is>>
Feeling ashamed is forced to be thrown on a filthy ship..probably die before the "Trip" is over....If you make it to your shit-hole new land
you'll be beaten, tortured or/and raped multiple times and worked to death...just for money..
Stop your whining asshole and be happy that you can fix and perhaps repair some of the injustice that other humans
had to endure.
 
As I stated elsewhere;

There is nothing wrong with CRT taught in its pure form. It’s history. It happened. IE: There was a period in the Antebellum South where it was the practice for people to own other people. They incorrectly believed this was ethical because they, ignorantly and even heinously, thought those they owned weren’t people the same as they, and they thought that because their skin colors were different.

The above statement is historically accurate. It happened.

What becomes a problem is IF (big if) that is deviated from and teachers “editorialize” by adding personal ideology to it.

IE: There was a period in the Antebellum South where it was the practice for people to own other people. They did this because they were White and White people have a history of going around the world enslaving the peoples they run into.

Folks are folks, folks. The color of their skin doesn’t make them bad or good. Power dynamics, greed, god complexes and other things can but the amount of melanin in their skin isn’t a factor involved. We are ALL capable of doing the wrong thing when we have power because we have guns, or some other advantage, that means we are dealing with others on unequal terms. History proves this.

So IF (big if) the lesson criteria of CRT in its pure form is being deviated from and an ideology that any race is bad or good SPECIFICALLY because they are a certain skin color is being taught, that’s a form of racism too and ought be corrected.

That’s the only legitimate complaint I can see, and that’s only IF that specific deviation from the prescribed teaching of CRT is being taught.

In this case, we aren't talking about history or CRT, but about a piece of literature. In the book, Coates attacks whiteness. "White America is a syndicate to dominate and control our bodies."

Let students explore this. Why would he say such an outrageous thing? Do many other blacks feel thus way? How about all of them? This is essential educational work that is neccesary to understand if we are ever to bridge the racial divide.
 
"A South Carolina teacher was reported by her students for teaching Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me. According to the Washington Post, English teacher Mary Wood sought to teach her all-white class about what it means to be Black in America using Coates’ literature. However, she was reported by two of her students. They notified the school board that Wood was attempting to discuss race in the classroom.

“The students wrote in emails that the book made them ashamed to be white,” the outlet documented. “[Her lesson] violated a South Carolina proviso that forbids teachers from making students’ feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress’ on account of their race.”


Students also expressed that reading Coates’ book felt like “reading hate propaganda towards white people.” “I understand in AP Lang we are learning to develop an argument and have evidence to support it, yet this topic is too heavy to discuss,” another student wrote to the board. “I actually felt ashamed to be Caucasian.”"

Link

Rather than repress this feeling, it would be very healthy for students to explore that feeling and how they might overcome it. What it's like to walk in another person's shoes leads to personal growth, which is what education is all about. It's an important reason why we read literature.


I recall a similar feeling when I read Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer books as a teen.


Guilty!


I thought it was how it was SUPPOSED to make us feel!

You see, Tom Clements in his wisdom made history with a name of a character that we now can't even say out loud! The "N____ Jim!" The word is uses 1,121 times in the books! Talk about making a point! But shit, Americans still don't get it.


It was Clements' way of saying "slavery ended?"

And still does.

Read it. It you DON'T feel guilty and you're white, see a doctor! Or run for president.
 
"A South Carolina teacher was reported by her students for teaching Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me. According to the Washington Post, English teacher Mary Wood sought to teach her all-white class about what it means to be Black in America using Coates’ literature. However, she was reported by two of her students. They notified the school board that Wood was attempting to discuss race in the classroom.

“The students wrote in emails that the book made them ashamed to be white,” the outlet documented. “[Her lesson] violated a South Carolina proviso that forbids teachers from making students’ feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress’ on account of their race.”


Students also expressed that reading Coates’ book felt like “reading hate propaganda towards white people.” “I understand in AP Lang we are learning to develop an argument and have evidence to support it, yet this topic is too heavy to discuss,” another student wrote to the board. “I actually felt ashamed to be Caucasian.”"

Link

Rather than repress this feeling, it would be very healthy for students to explore that feeling and how they might overcome it. What it's like to walk in another person's shoes leads to personal growth, which is what education is all about. It's an important reason why we read literature.

I don't get this whole 'ashamed to be white' thing. I don't feel ashamed to be white because I am not personally responsible for what my ancestors and the people of their time did. I can absolutely feel a sense of regret that atrocities were perpetrated by whites and a sense of sympathy for the victims, but arguing that white people today should feel personal shame or guilt over the past is kind of needlessly falling into a political trap.

With all of that being said, though, I absolutely believe 100% that we all inherit the consequences of our past, and we as a society need to own it. I don't feel a personal sense of shame or guilt over something I had no control over, but I accept that I own the consequences of what past generations did, whether I want to or not. And I accept that those laws, policies, traditions, beliefs, whatever have impacted different people differently, and that I probably benefit from the system whereas others are adversely impacted by it. And for that reason, I'm always open to changing it for the better.
 
Schools foster discussion and mutual respect for one another, not race wars.
No they don't. they aggrevate racial tensions/self loathing with crap like the OP

Black Studies used to be about celebrating the black experience, and emphasis on black contributions
But the goal was always E Pluribus Unum.. now it's "white oppression"
 
From the excerpt you provided from the article, it appeared that's exactly what the students did. They explored the feelings the book caused and they are taking steps to overcome those feelings.

They weren't explored, they were repressed. And because of that, I'm skeptical they had that feeling at all. They might just not want to learn about Black people. But they have the power of the state to keep it that way.

Shades of white supremacy.
 
"A South Carolina teacher was reported by her students for teaching Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me. According to the Washington Post, English teacher Mary Wood sought to teach her all-white class about what it means to be Black in America using Coates’ literature. However, she was reported by two of her students. They notified the school board that Wood was attempting to discuss race in the classroom.

“The students wrote in emails that the book made them ashamed to be white,” the outlet documented. “[Her lesson] violated a South Carolina proviso that forbids teachers from making students’ feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress’ on account of their race.”


Students also expressed that reading Coates’ book felt like “reading hate propaganda towards white people.” “I understand in AP Lang we are learning to develop an argument and have evidence to support it, yet this topic is too heavy to discuss,” another student wrote to the board. “I actually felt ashamed to be Caucasian.”"

Link

Rather than repress this feeling, it would be very healthy for students to explore that feeling and how they might overcome it. What it's like to walk in another person's shoes leads to personal growth, which is what education is all about. It's an important reason why we read literature.

That feeling is the beginning of awakening.
 
In this case, we aren't talking about history or CRT, but about a piece of literature. In the book, Coates attacks whiteness. "White America is a syndicate to dominate and control our bodies."

Let students explore this. Why would he say such an outrageous thing? Do many other blacks feel thus way? How about all of them? This is essential educational work that is neccesary to understand if we are ever to bridge the racial divide.
cause he's making money off racial animosity
 
If reality can't be taught, what is the point of teaching?

Republicans seem to think it is to indoctrinate kids into being Republicans who reject facts, particularly uncomfortable ones.

A white washed history lesson produces fools for the next generation.
 
I don't get this whole 'ashamed to be white' thing. I don't feel ashamed to be white because I am not personally responsible for what my ancestors and the people of their time did. I can absolutely feel a sense of regret that atrocities were perpetrated by whites and a sense of sympathy for the victims, but arguing that white people today should feel personal shame or guilt over the past is kind of needlessly falling into a political trap.

With all of that being said, though, I absolutely believe 100% that we all inherit the consequences of our past, and we as a society need to own it. I don't feel a personal sense of shame or guilt over something I had no control over, but I accept that I own the consequences of what past generations did, whether I want to or not. And I accept that those laws, policies, traditions, beliefs, whatever have impacted different people differently, and that I probably benefit from the system whereas others are adversely impacted by it. And for that reason, I'm always open to changing it for the better.

I'm skeptical they feel ashamed at all. Angry uts being put before them seems more like it. It's an all white school. Their interactions with blacks us probably limited to the family mailed or yardsman.

Inheriting our consequences of the past - alcoholism runs in families. It may be shameful to discover it, but knowing it and dealing with it is the best way to overcome it. It may be the only way.
 
If reality can't be taught, what is the point of teaching?

Republicans seem to think it is to indoctrinate kids into being Republicans who reject facts, particularly uncomfortable ones.

A white washed history lesson produces fools for the next generation.

I believe this is at least partly motivated by white adults seeing so many white kids turn out for the BLM/George Floyd demonstrations.
 
If a lesson makes students uncomfortable to be white, the next lesson should teach them how to make the world better through Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Then they can feel good about doing something to improve society.

That way, the next generation can feel better about America. Like we've begun to change our ways for the better.
 
If a lesson makes students uncomfortable to be white, the next lesson should teach them how to make the world better through Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

That way, the next generation can feel better about America. Like we've done something to change our ways for the better.

It's the only way.
 
I WANT my kid to be challenged.

We challenge kids - as parents - daily.

It is how they grow.

If we don’t let them be challenged - we don’t give them the opportunity to learn and grow.
 
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