I think
Jonathan made a great point in his earlier blog-post that even if we have kids
of all different races within one school does not mean that they will integrate
themselves. Appearance is the easiest
way that children and adolescents distinguish themselves from others – kind of
like Mean Girls – it is also, in my opinion, a popular scapegoat for why a
child is not liked at school.
I recently started volunteering at
KIPP: Memphis Academy Middle as part of a pilot reading buddy program. There are between 20-25 volunteers and sixth
graders in the program. For my story it
is important to note that there is only one white student in the after-school
program, we’ll call him John. One day we
were able to use the gym to play basketball; we played five Rhodes students
against 8-10 KIPP students. John got
very upset with how the game was going and eventually left because he was not
getting the ball. When I went to him to
ask what was wrong and why he left the game, he said, “They won’t pass to me
because I’m white… They pass to everyone else, but they won’t pass to me
because I’m white.”
In my potentially bias outsider’s
opinion, the other boys were not passing to John, not because he is white, but
because they were not passing to anyone.
They just drove to the basket.
However, John could not see that.
To him, he was not being passed to because he was different, and the
difference easiest to spot was the color of his skin. It is also my opinion that the boys just may
not have liked John because of his personality and maturity level.
The fact that John used race as his
reasoning for why the other boys would not pass to him greatly surprised
me. It also made me aware of how awkward
the situation would be for me to deal with – all of the Rhodes volunteers are
white, so would it be racially motivated if I were to make sure the other boys
passed to John more? Was the reason the other
boys were not passing to him actually because he was white?
It also brings up the question of
how racially aware/sensitive are most students in schools today. Has anyone ever had a similar experience to
John, or seen one occur? Why do you
think this occurs?
Leah, your experience at KIPP is very interesting, especially how "John" thought that the students would not pass him the ball due to the color of his skin. While, I do not know the reason he was not getting the ball, it makes me wonder what the students think of the Rhodes volunteers who, as you said, were all white. Moreover, it makes me wonder what the schools that are predominately African-American or Latino think of Rhodes when they visit here. Just a few weeks ago, several groups that consisted of minorities were touring the campus. I recall thinking to myself, what do they think when they see a predominately all-white campus that appears to be the complete opposite of the school they currently attend?
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ReplyDeleteI play pick up basketball in the Rhodes gym pretty regularly, and have noticed some interesting trends. White players often attribute black athletic success to innate athleticism rather than dedication and acquired skill. Black players often describe white success as fundamentally sound. In both instances, there seems to be an insult behind the compliment. The attribution of success to essential athletic ability diminishes the will, the work, and the drive required to excel. Describing a white player purely as fundamentally sound seems to imply that while that competitor has all the right moves, he will always be missing something. Your situation is especially interesting, and reminds me of growing up playing basketball at recess. It’s entirely possible for kids not to pass to someone because of their race. If kids are anything like they were when I was in elementary school though, it’s more likely that the other kids weren’t passing to him because a) he wasn’t very good and they wanted to win b) John was a whiner and was getting the ball as much as everyone else, or C) some of the other kids were ball hogs.
I don't think it matters as much whether or not the boys were not passing John the ball because of the color of his skin, but rather the fact that this was the first thought that ran through his head. Knowing that stereotypes and racism are prominent enough in society that a child immediately thinks of it is disturbing. I believe the bigger issue here is figuring out why it is that John thought this. Do you think it is because of the way the media portrays athletes of different races in today's society?
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