The author, Lisa Delpit starts out by discussing the injustice felt by black educators in regards to interactions with their white co-workers. The struggle for black educators to be heard by their white colleagues with regards to educating children of color is presented using some examples from real educators. With her use of personal experiences of black educators, I was able to really almost feel the frustration felt by these people. Delpit goes on to discuss what she calls “the culture of power.”
Issues of power are enacted in the classroom- This has to do with all the power differentials within the classroom. From the power difference between educators and students, to the power difference between the educational system and the school itself.
There are codes or rules for participating in power.- This is simply referring to those in power having specific ways of doing things such as speaking or even dressing
The rules of the culture of power are a reflection of the rules of the culture of those who have power.- Delpit talks about the dominant power being middle and upper class people, therefore children from those groups do better because they have the tools they need to do well.
If you are not already a participant of the culture of power, being told explicitly the rules of that culture makes acquiring power easier. - Cultural norms can be learned more easily if they are explicitly taught
Those with power are frequently least aware of- or least willing to acknowledge its existence. Those with less power are often most aware of its existence- Someone who has more power is less likely to be aware of that power. Those who do not have power can see that much more clearly.
The biggest takeaway from Delpit to me is at the end of the chapter. She says “children have the right to their own language, their own culture.” She says that it is not the children who need to change themselves to fit the “norm” education model but it is the education system that needs to change to meet their needs.
The TED talk below by Kandice Sumner gives her personal story of being a child of color that was educated by a mostly white school system. She is now a teacher herself in the school system she was "supposed to go to."
Hi Molly, I enjoyed reading your post. You did a nice job highlighting some of the key takeaways with this week's reading assignment. I really like how at the end, you focused on how children have the right to their own language and their own culture. I agree with this statement too and I also felt it was a good point. The education system really needs to make this more of a priority and recognizing "the culture of power" that exists is one of the first steps to making this happen. Good job!
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