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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I'm don't understand why our school is telling DS that If it wasn't for MLK he wouldn't be able to play with some of his classmates.  Isn't this topic a little too deep for that age not to mention not being true...[/quote]

I'm quoting the original post because I think people have been making some rather large assumptions about the level of "personalization" that occurred during this discussion.

I think that a teacher could say, if schools hadn't been desegregated, you all would have been in separate schools, or would not have been able to eat lunch together. That's not calling out the hypothetical "Susie" that people started using as an example. That's also not making Susie a victim now.

What it might do is make "Sally" (let's say she's white) hear her teacher, and then make the logical conclusion. "Hey, that's means I wouldn't be able to eat with my friend Susie.

It's really hard for people sometimes to get engaged in the idea of injustice when it is in the abstract. In the last few years, we've seen countless examples of right-wing politicians adjusting their beliefs on gay marriage. Why? Because they have a friend or family member that is gay.

Of course educators need to be age-appropriate, but everyone arguing against making this "personal" is wrong. Making it "personal" it often the only thing that's going to make people care.[/quote]

We had an experience when a teacher began talking about Germany/Hitler/WWII in class. She basically mentioned that Hitler was only favorable toward blond/blue eyed/gentile people. Interestingly, my son attends a very diverse school and was the only child in class who fit that description. He said everyone in class turned to look at him. At first, I was put out, but it evolved into a lesson on empathy. We spent some time at home talking about the war, and how some adults did (and still do) hold a ridiculous idea that they are better than other people because of race, religion, ethnicity, etc. DS understood first hand, if only for awhile, what it was like to be on the outside. We talk about that uncomfortable, bad feeling sometimes and how we would never make someone else feel that way. 
No, I don't think the teacher meant to make my son feel bad and she certainly had difficulty communicating with young students on a difficult topic. It didn't turn out to be a terrible thing- by "personalizing" it (even unintentionally) she made it very real for my DS. He does know what racism is and is growing to be compassionate and aware. [/quote]

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