We're all in this together.

I agree with Gloria Ladson-Billings that the school system is still segregated today, in terms of how well it has been serving African American students. I have unfortunately heard some of her statistics before: young African American men are more likely to end up in jail than in college. African American teens are five times as likely to end up pregnant as their Caucasian counterparts. One fact that I had not heard before that she mentions is: African Americans in public school perform lower on standardized tests than whites EVEN IF they come from higher income families. I feel that this fact alone is a reason to examine how our standardized tests are being formed, and a good reason for us to ensure that a representative amount of African Americans are members of the process.

 Ladson-Billings talks about the idea that I have heard before from classmates and in popular culture that when a black man or woman is successful, he or she is often accused of not being black enough by peers. I find this ridiculous because working hard or doing well at something are not  "white" things to do. There are people who work hard and people who are unsuccessful in every culture. To tear down someone of your own race because of their work ethic only further divides the community. No one should ever feel guilty for working hard and being successful at something. It's a shame that to some people's view is so polarized that they cannot see their neighbor's success as part of their own community's success.

I find it interesting that one of the common features in all of the successful teachers she studies is that they are all "culturally congruent" with the students they teach. This idea reminds me of when I worked at an afterschool program and there was a family with children who were half Jewish and half Chinese (not sure what religion). During Passover, the children were unable to each the snack that was provided to the rest of the children because it contained leavened bread. We would have happily given them an alternative snack, however, one of the group leaders happened to have brought some matzo ball soup from home that day and shared it with all of them. They seemed really happy that they could identify with this group leader, and that she understood what they were going through. She didn't have to share the food that she had brought from home, but she had the mentality that these kids (just like all the kids at the center) were all part of her family, and it showed in her interactions with them. I see this attitude as very important in becoming a teacher who will be able to reach the maximum number of students.

I look forward to my continued reading of The Dreamkeepers to see what other connections I can make with it.