by Attica Scott
"Each generation must decide whether to dig defensive trenches or build bridges, and each of us must choose whether to participate in that decision or just let others decide for us and for our children."
—Christopher Edley, Jr., 1996
Our children are crying out for help folks, and I don't think that we hear them. Teenage suicide. Teenage skinheads. Teenagers painting racist graffiti on their school. What more do our children have to do to make us wake up? In my effort to listen more to our youth, I have the pleasure of interacting with them at schools, after-school programs, in my neighborhood, etc. and talking with them about issues of race.
You might be surprised at how candid pre-teens and teenagers can be when asked to share their thoughts and opinions on any given issue. I'll give you an example: Early in March, a group of students called and asked if I could help them to think through ways to develop some kind of youth-led program to address racism in our community. Sure, I said, it would be my pleasure.
At the beginning stages of this effort, the lead teacher at this private school called me and asked if I would speak to the entire student body about the work of my organization, particularly our focus on youth. I then had the opportunity to have a break-out discussion with the students who wanted to plan some kind of program.
I asked these young people why they wanted to have a program focusing on anti-racism and what purpose it would serve. The students responded that something is wrong when you have students spraying racist graffiti on a local high school. And something is wrong when hate groups continue to exist.
So, I then asked them what they were going to do about their concerns. Since they had never really been taught how to be anti-racists, but had seen plenty of racism, they didn't know what they could do. Well, I encouraged them to brainstorm the possibilities. They then came up with the idea of bringing together a group of diverse students from Knox County schools and local private schools to have a dialogue about race. Wow! I thought. We struggle to get adults of color and whites to have such conversations.
But these young leaders did it! They planned and implemented an anti-racism panel for youth. There were about 10 middle school students on the panel from private and public schools. The panelists talked openly about racism in our community, the disparities in our schools, religious intolerance—basically, the gamut.
The panelists talked about the self-segregation that exists in the schools, the disparities that they see in the magnet programs. They talked about when they think racial identity is formed. Their thoughts were quite intriguing. Of course, I can't begin to do justice to the awesome nature of this panel.
What I can do is encourage you to have a conversation on race with a young person some time this summer. And then have a conversation with someone of a race different from yours. And then write a journal entry on what you learned about racism. All of this could make for a consciousness-raising summer.
I also encourage you to read a couple of books that might open your eyes: Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? and Other Conversations About Race by Daniel Tatum, and Everyday Acts Against Racism: Raising Children in a Multiracial World by Maureen T. Reddy. You won't find these books on the Reading with Rippa list, but your book club might find them interesting.
Once we adults begin to better understand the ways in which racism destroys our community, maybe we will really begin the process of making substantial and relevant change. Until then, I'm afraid that we will continue to be poor examples to our children of what it truly means to be One Community with One Vision in this new One America.
June 6, 2002 * Vol. 12, No. 23
© 2002 Metro Pulse
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