Reply to Moving From MCPS to PGCS for More Inclusiveness/Diversity

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Reply to "Moving From MCPS to PGCS for More Inclusiveness/Diversity"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]It is extremely important that our black children be able to grow up seeing themselves as not only "normal" (rather than tokens or abhorrations), but also see the diversity of themselves within their culture. I think if you need to move East or to PG, that would be a great decision for her self-esteem, which is much more important than a school's "academic" performance.

I know this sounds counter-intuitive, but the reason for this is that the main reason why children of immigrant families tend to do better in our schools (regardless of whether they go to a "good" school or a "bad" one) is because of cultural pride and identity that keeps them motivated to succeed, as well as the high expectations from their parents and families that go along with that. It is simply not enough to throw heavy books at a child for them to succeed--they must also have pride, esteem in themselves, see high-achieving role models THAT LOOK LIKE THEM, etc. There are many schools with good academics and many programs out there that will ensure your child is academically challenged if you put in the effort to give it to them. However, they will not go but so far if they do not have role models, expectations, and pride. White faculty are simply not going to provide that, and will in fact, provide the opposite.

In the meantime, you can instill these things in your daughter while she is a "token" by at the very least celebrating Kwanzaa (DC has tons of events to attend and communities to join for this), Juneteenth, reading stories with her about her own history and heritage, and ensuring she is around other black children and people maybe through her church, join a black Girl Scout troop in PG, wherever. But none of that will be quite as hearty as being in a school with black children and teachers.

I will also add that my husband and I are products of PG county schools. We are now professionals with advanced degrees, and we've met so many black people similar to you from outside of PG that have that typical token experience and it does damage to their self-esteem and success in life, especially when they fail to attend an HBCU. Almost all high-achieving children have a community of people around them rooting for them, and black Americans are generally not in that position at all in comparison with nearly everyone else (on top of the other structural and economic issues many black Americans face).  [/quote]

But yet white parents who want their kids around other similar white children are racist. When they avoid PG schools for the reasons you just stated how is that different?[/quote]

White kids are not constantly told that everything in this country was built by black people. White kids are not told that they are valued for being athletic or a good dancer, but any academic achievements are out of reach. White kids are not told that majority white schools are unsafe.[/quote]

Do you know what is worse than the history of slavery? Everything else ever done to any conquered group in human history. Mostly murder, human history is brutal and a mistake to assume we are now civilized because we haven’t hung witches recently.... in this country. People over value feelings and undervalue results.

America is great not because it isn’t brutal which we all know it is, but because it allows hope of progress to the unheard. That will never be good enough in real time for the marginalized but it is the best system man has come up with yet.[/quote]

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