Talking Points 6: Tim Wise/Brown vs. Board of Education

Tim Wise is telling the world that just because we have elected a black president for the first time, it does not mean the racism struggle has gotten any easier. Many people feel as though people are much less racist because Obama has been elected. However, Obama's speaking style, dress, and entire presentation of himself is very much "white". He has gone to reputable colleges and is very intelligent. In fact, some whites consider Obama to be different than "normal" people of color. Wise explains that there are many other intelligent people of color in the United States that may not be taken serious by whites because of the way they do their hair or the way they dress. The life for normal people of color is still a struggle. Wise states the unfairness that it is easier for a mediocre white person to receive a high ended job such as president than it is for an extremely intelligent African American. During, the Brown vs. Board of Education case, people argued that people of color were not treated unequally, they were just separated from whites. Although today people of color are not segregated by having to go to different schools, use different bathrooms, or ride different buses than whites, they are seperated by the perceptions that whites have of them. They are seperated by the way they speak, dress, etc., and are categorized by whites as good or bad, depending how they have adapted to white culture. For example, if a white saw a person of color wearing baggy jeans, with his hair in cornrows approaching them carrying a baseball bat they would be terrified. On the other hand, if the boy was white and carrying a baseball bat they would probably assume he was going to play baseball with his friends. Where is the equality in this?

The polls that were given during the Brown vs. Board of Education era are very similar to recently given polls. The basis of them is that the majority of white people think that black people are treated equally. The conclusion made from these polls is that the unfairness colored people face is completely oblivious to whites. They either have no clue because they are so used to being the culture of power that they only worry about themselves, or they are in complete denial because they feel guilty for wanting to remain the culture of power. Other polls revealed that whites consider blacks as less intelligent, less patriotic, less hardworking, and more criminalized. Wise is saying that the treatment of colored people has come quite a ways, but there is still a long ways to go. He believes that the relevance of the presidential election is nearly as important as the Brown vs. Board of Education case. Is the election of Obama really a step towards the progression of a non-racial world? According to Wise, if anything, it is just a baby step.

Talking Points 5: In the Service of What?

1. "For Dewey, this ideal was the essence of democratic education. He argued for the creation of 'miniature communities' in which students could work together to identify and respoind to problems they confronted. The value of this approach extended far beyond the service students might provide for the elderly or the ways they might clean up the environment. It lay in the analytic and academic skills, the moral acuity, and the social sensitivity they would develop as they learned to assess critically and respond collectively to authentic problems."

I liked this quote because it gave other benefits of taking part in a service learning project. Not only does this project allow students to help out others in need, but the learning benefits are crucial. Usually people volunteer only to help those in need. Most have no idea that they are sharpening their analytic and academic skills, moral acuity, and social sensitivity. However, I partly feel that people should not be volunteering for this reason, but because they want to help out others. These are just added benefits and even if people do not know that they are getting them, they will begin to change. I agree that this makes service learning projects all the more beneficial to students.

2. "Just as the difference between change and charity may provide an important conceptual distinction for those analyzing service learning curricula, it is helpful to distinguish the moral, political, and intellectual goals that movitivate those who support service learning."

I liked the table of service learning goals that was beneath this quote. It made it much easier for me to understand the difference between change and charity. Those who take part in a service learning project learn morally, politically, and intellectually. These goals are important in noting what the person got out of doing this project. I found this quote interesting because I never realized that there was a big difference between charity and change. I feel that the majority of people fall under the category of charity, and more should strive toward change.

3. "... has led some such as John Brisco, a leader in the field, to label service learning 'the Trojan horse of school reform'. The service component may help us get the support needed for implementation, he argues, but its real impact is seen in its ability to promote powerful learning environments."

Service learning projects have become noted as worthy of schools to participate in because of the "service component". Those who are involved with making the choice to make a school active in service learning decided to go ahead with it because it would be helpful to the surrounding environment, students would be "making a difference". However, John Brisco argues that the most important part of service learning is deeper than that. He believes that students can learn a great deal from taking part in these projects. The only reason service learning projects have been able to get their foot in the door is because of the service itself, not because of the benefits of learning. I loved the metaphor of "the Trojan hourse of school reform". It really helps people to understand that many are tending to overlook the importance of true learning.

This article stressed the importance of service learning projects in school curriculums. It gave a case study of two particular service learning projects. It gave reasons for taking part in service learning projects and explained the differences of what people consider the most important part of service learning. Although this wasn't my favorite article I didn't mind reading it. I liked that I could relate to it because I am in the process of taking part in a service learning project. The article gave me insight to the added benefits that I was unaware of besides helping the students and teacher and learning how to act in the classroom. One of my favorite parts of the article was the part describing the difference between charity and change. From personal experiences, I feel that many people volunteer or give money is for charity. It is almost like they feel guilty if they do not help out those in need. Until recently I never realized how much I enjoy volunteering and how it helps me to grow as a person. I don't think this article relates directly to any of the other articles that we have read, but if I had to choose one in particular I would choose Johnson. However, I feel that it relates in some way to all of the articles we have read and to everything we have been studying up to this point in class. The other articles will help us learn to respect others and to deal with situations while taking part in service learning projects.

Talking Points 4: Unlearning the Myths that Bind Us

1. Children's cartoons, movies, and literature are perhaps the most influential genre "read". Young people, unprotected by any intellectual armor, hear or watch these stories again and again, often from the warmth of their mother's or father's lap.

Children are extremely affected by the media. At a very young age they begin watching cartoons or they are read books that have meanings behind them. These cartoons and books shape the way these children portray themselves and others. When children are young they also tend to watch movies or read books over and over again, drilling the concepts they see into their heads. What I found most interesting was that they hear and watch these stories "from the warmth of their mother's or father's lap". This is ironic, because parents often are weary of the media their children are around, yet here the children are sitting on their laps losing the ability to have a mind of their own. In fact, these parents are probably so caught up in the unfairness between cultures, sexes, etc., that they do not even realize the messages behind cartoons and other forms of media.

2. "We are not only taught certain styles of violence, the latest fashions, and sex roles by TV, movies, magazines, and comic strips; we are also taught how to succeed, how to love, how to buy, how to conquer, how to forget the past and suppress the future. We are taught, more than anything else, how not to rebel."

This quote is explaining how great the effects of the media are on us. They teach us everything that we know. They teach us concrete ideas such as fashion and violence, as well as abstract theories like how to love, conquer, forget, etc. The media has the power to mold the world. This also means that the views will be that of the people controlling the media. These people are usually white, middle class, heterosexual men (SCWAAMP). This is relative to Johnson's idea of the culture of power, because this culture of power is dominating by the use of media. The last sentence is important. "We are taught, more than anything else, how not to rebel" actually means that we are taught that the ideas that the media portrays is the way things should be. Anyone who does "rebel" will be looked at strangely.

3. "After filling in a few charts, collectively and on their own, students write about the generalizations children might take away from these tales. From experience, I've discovered that I needc to keep my mouth shut for a while. If I'm the one pointing out the stereotypes, it's the kiss of death to the exercise."

Christensen gives the key to how people will learn about the true effects of the media. People must learn it on their own, not through the words of others. He calls it the kiss of death, because if he were to explain it then it would be just like what the media is trying to do. Children need to be able to think on their own. They subconsciously learn most of what they do through the portrayals of others. It is important, as a teacher, to get children to understand the importance of being individuals and "unlearning the myths that bind us".


This was my favorite article that we read so far. It was very intriguing and kept me interested. I could relate to everything that was being said. Like others, I was shocked to discover the impact that simple cartoons like Popeye and Disney movies have on children. When taking the time to think about it, I was unable to think of any movie that did not include some type of stereotype having to do with the culture of power. The text related entirely to Johnson and his idea of the culture of power and how people strive to fit in. As teachers and parents we must first learn to deconstruct the concepts the media portrays in order to teach it to our children. Children need to learn to analyze movies and books at a young age in order to understand that the ideas the media portrays do not need to be followed.

Talking Points 3: Gayness, Multicultural Education, and Community

1. "Within normalizing communities, some individuals and subject positions get priveleged and represented as 'normal' (i.e. white, middle class, male, heterosexual, etc.) while other individuals and subject positions (i.e. black, working class, female, homosexual, etc.) are disempowered and represented as deviant, sick, neurotic, criminal, lazy, lacking in intelligence, and in other ways 'abnormal'."

When I read this quote, it made me very angry. What made this quote horrifying was the terms inside of the parentheses. Had these not been included the sentence would not have gave me such a shock. This passage is explaining the different views that people have of individuals who are not "normal". As a women, I cannot imagine being considered any of those terms, and it makes me angry to know that some people really do regard people as these terms not because they committed a crime, but because of things that they cannot control.

2. "However, as those marginalized within this normalizing discourse on community have begun to 'speak out' and challenge their marginalization, and have also begun to develop collective movements and communities of support, the modernist idea of homogenous, normalizing community is being more seriously disrupted than ever before.

In our century people have begun to show their individualism and fight for their rights more than ever. This quote is stating that the "normal" community is being disrupted because of this. The author sees this disruption as a good thing. Later on in the passage it describes visible gay icone that are being used including the rainbow flag, the quilt of the "Names Project", and a pink triangle. This is an example of the ways that homosexuals have begun to speak out and fight for equality in society.

3. "One of the most powerful of these symbols, featuring a pink triangle under which is written the slogan "Silence=Death", is associated the most militant and itself marginalized group in the movement, ACT UP. The call then, is to speak out and be seen."

This quote is saying that in order to be listened to, gays need to speak out. The pink triangle with the slogan "Silence=Death" can be related to Delpit's article. Delpit argues that people should not be silent and need to talk about issues in order to solve them. Later on in the text Carlson writes a quote from Mohr, "For the more they talk about things gay, the more the taboo collapses." This all relates back to the topic that is being discussed: the importance of educating children in public schools about gays. If we keep silent and do not teach them, then the harrassment and unfair treatment of innocent people will continue.

This article argues that the idea of gayness and homosexuality needs to be better incorporated in the education programs of public schools. The author, Carlson, states that the reason for this is not to teach students what different multicultural groups are considered in terms of political correctness, but instead to "clarify differences and agreements." Students must be educated correctly on these topics, or they will continue to have the white, middle class, mindset.