Say My Name
Am I taking crazy pills? Is there something I am missing? Why is it that my child is midway (well, past midway) through the school year and yet, her White teachers still call her by the name of every Black child in the class other than her own. Not just one teacher. Not just the teacher who is getting along in years. Not just the enrichment teachers that she sees only periodically. But several of her teachers. There are three Black girls in the class, THREE. They look nothing alike- one is small and light skinned, one is medium height and dark, and the other is big for her age-tall, with blossoming bosom and brown-sugar-colored skin. They all have distinct personalities. And yet, invariably, my child will be called the wrong name on any given day.
This is disturbing for many reasons. I know that these teachers are competent and hardworking. They are committed to their jobs and to their teaching responsiblities. Our private, affluent, high-ranking school demands it. This is why (I must conclude) that learning the names and identities of the African-American students is not a priority with them- not important. Clearly, they have no idea how upsetting this is for the children. These teachers must not realize that this constant misidentification tells the children that they are not valued and that they are all viewed as the same person, with no individual worth.
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As the mother of two children and a c