![]() ![]() ![]() THOSE people who are not like you and me – THEY name their children things like THIS! Not like you and me who name our children more respectably. We use the situation as an opportunity for bonding. I don’t think we even recognize it as racist, but it is. It’s not that we’re trying to be hateful. White people snicker and use the situation as the impetus for telling stories about other black names that they thought were even more outrageous. ![]() No matter who the person is, no matter how kind, caring or empathetic, the reaction to unique black names is most often derision. It almost always turns into an exercise in subtle racism and white supremacy. However, one thing I’ve stopped doing is going to other white people for help. It’s uncomfortable, but I get through it and eventually learn. The only solution I’ve found is to soldier on with the first day’s attendance and just try my best: No one likes to have their name butchered, especially children, especially if an adult is doing it, especially if that adult is white. I look over the list of names for my incoming children and cringe.Įvery year it never fails – there’s always at least four or five names I’ve never seen before – or at least never spelled quite like THAT!Īs a white teacher in a district with a majority of black students but very few black teachers, there’s not really many people to turn to for guidance.Īnd if I don’t figure it out soon, I’ll be making a pretty terrible first impression. As a public school teacher, few things give me as much anxiety as getting my student rosters for the first time. ![]()
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