How *Not* To Infuse Multiculturalism Into The Curriculum

During a recent Foreign Language Department meeting, a discussion ensued re: travel abroad. Specifically, I voiced by 2.5 cents re: creating a viable, age-appropriate travel option for the eighth grade students studying Spanish.

A colleague mentioned the annual eighth grade trip to Washington, DC, and how virtually every academic discipline is represented, except for foreign language. She then suggested that perhaps a visit to an ethnic restaurant could be added as a component of the trip, but poo-pooed a visit to the Spanish Embassy.

Why is it that some, no – in fact many – consider food, fun and festival as a meaningful way to infuse multiculturalism into the curriculum? While I do this as part of the food unit, I don’t do it in and of itself. There has to be a meaningful context; without it, the thought is ridiculous to me. My goal is to get students to think beyond food, fun and festival when it comes to learning a second language.

If this is the best that the colleague in question can offer, she’s not very developed in her own multicultural thinking.

Social Networking: Crucifixion, Death, Burial and Resurrection

The events of several days ago involving emails and my supervisor have had a positive impact on me and my online behavior, despite the fact that I was laid low emotionally. In a strange twist of fate, my supervisor did me a favor: I streamlined my online presence.

First, I deleted my Google Reader. The very thought of not getting to it on a daily basis was causing me unneeded stress. So…it’s gone. Seemed like a good idea at the time.

Second, I removed myself from blip.fm and last.fm. Again, another social network with people with whom I wasn’t interacting. Not saying that they weren’t worth interacting with. I just didn’t have time. Besides, I now have an iPod, and can listen to anything I want. Yes, I have to pay via iTunes, but, I don’t have to bother with “giving props” and other things. Just don’t have the time or inclination.

Last, I removed myself from a chatboard. My initial inclination when I created an account several months ago was connecting with other women in their forties and beyond. However, it was another group for which I just didn’t have time. Furthermore, the conversation didn’t really intrigue me, and, it was another collection of “friends” with whom I really didn’t really have time to interact. I think, however, that I ultimately realized that I need to focus on my in-person friendships – the ones I already have – instead of creating friendships with many more people that I would never meet.

So, in addition to email – at work and a personal account – I am on Twitter and Facebook. This. Is. PLENTY.

The reduction of my time and interaction on the school email has been hugely liberating, both personally and professionally. It means I can spend more time blogging, and otherwise enjoying life, and less time telling others how to do their jobs in order to make my place of employ better for everyone. After all, why should my advice be free?

Your Opinion Doesn’t Mean A Flying Hamburger

Feeling rather low this evening.

A conversation this afternoon with my supervisor made me realize two things:

1. People in positions of leadership don’t like being told how to do their jobs, even if the person telling them is right; and

2. Sharing one’s true feelings in the workplace is always a loser.

I guess I called out my supervisor one time too many – via email. So, she came to me this afternoon, to tell me how she felt. While I appreciated her telling me, and while I apologized for her resulting in the way she felt, I didn’t apologize for my feelings.

That said, from now on, I am resolved To. Simply. Keep. My. Mouth. Shut. Period. This includes NO MORE EMAILS TO CO-WORKERS. Unless they email me first.

Besides, my Dear Mother told me years ago to stop educating my supervisors. I think it’s time I heeded her advice.

Being “incognegro” is the way to go for the foreseeable future.

Protected: Less Foolishness = A Better Work Product

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It’s Not Always the Voice of the Speaker

People of color are constantly being told that we are ‘emotional’ and ‘angry’, especially regarding matters of race. Not only that, but, due to our emotionality, White people aren’t able to always “hear” our message.

This was more or less the tenor of a portion of a conversation I had recently with a co-worker. This is my response:

The part re: others hearing me, esp. on matters of race: This is hard for White people, epspecially for whom race has not been a serious consideration beyond its superficial aspects. I realize that I speak with passion and with brutal honesty, and, that is hard for some of my White collegues to digest. That said, people hear what they want to hear. Just like at the lunch conversation re: President Obama last week. As you observed, some were able to hear what it was I was saying, and others weren’t. Like one colleague in particular, for example. I like and respect him, but, for someone who is able to go half-way around the world to engage in serious and intensive service learning experiences, and not be able to fully acknowledge race in his own country, is astonishing to me. His response and reaction to my comments surprised me. But, in my experience, his response and reaction are not atypical.

I’m merely sharing the aforementione with you to say it’s not always the message re: race, or the way in which it is delivered. Sometimes, in fact, many times, it is the person who is listening who lacks the skills, and the willingness, to fully comprehend.

Therefore, it is not always the voice of the speaker, but is often the ears of the listener.

Get ‘Em a Hood, a Robe, and a Klan Membership Patch

Given all of the super-heated hateration of late towards people of color, and specifically towards Black Americans, and more specifically still towards President Obama, I’m inaugurating a new installment, “Get ‘Em a Hood, a Robe, and a Klan Membership Patch.” Rep. Joe Wilson is the first to be granted the honor.

A friend tweeted this. Absolutely disgusting and reprehensible. As for the poor excuse of a man who perpetrated the crime? He should be put under the jail.

Don’t let the fact that because said incident occurred below the Mason and Dixon lead you to believe that such things don’t happen above the Mason and Dixon. They do.

By the way: I eat at Cracker Barrel regularly. So, that isn’t the issue, either.

No Spanx

One of the things my mother taught me was to embrace my feminine side. For example, making sure that I wear a slip under sheer skirts and dresses, tucking in bra straps, and smoothing out the bumps and wrinkles for the rear view. So, I am a woman who is well-acquainted with support undergarments. Given this fact, I am hyper-aware of women who could use some smoothing in certain places.

Case in point: One of my co-workers. About two weeks ago, I noticed quite a few bumps and wrinkles under a rather clingy jersey-knit dress. Although she is thinner and flatter than I, she could use some support. I learned long ago that weight and size matters not where support undergarments are concerned. The majority of women could benefit.

I started to mention my observations to my co-worker, but hesitated. I was not sure how welcome and appreciative my counsel would be. So, I consulted with my mother. The conversation went as follows:

Me: Mom, what would you do if you had a co-worker who needed to wear a support undergarment? Would you tell her?
Mom: No.

I didn’t need to ask my mother the reason for her answer, for it is based on two planes of thought. The first is that any mention of a woman needing to smooth her bumps and wrinkles immediately implies that she is fat. The second is that Black people don’t give advice to White people; after all, we’re not supposed to know anything.

Still, my mother’s counsel has left me in a sort of dilemma. I believe in helping other women, and therefore, my suggestion to my co-worker wear a support undergarment would be a step in this direction. I actually don’t believe that she would disregard my advice on the basis of my race, but more on the basis of Western standards of beauty. In fact, I think that regardless of the race of my co-worker, support undergarment = fat.

Therefore, I have said, “No Spanx.” Even though I don’t feel quite right about it.

Thoughts of 9/11

As I was saying to my Dear Brother last evening during our weekly dinner outing together, it is hard to believe it has been eight years since 9/11. We talked about all of the various documentaries that have been on television during the week about this historic event, and, what my place of employ is going to do to in commemoration.

I told my Dear Brother that the school community will be asked to do two things:

1. We will see a video. It is entitled, “Volunteerism: The Spirit of Service.” It is on the 9/11 Day of Service website.

2. Following the video, we will engage in a chalk talk. We will write on large sheets of paper how each of us hopes to make a difference during the course of the year.

As I was saying to my Dear Brother, I think that while it is important to commemorate 9/11, it is also important to give our students hope.

Here is another 9/11 initiative. It is called, Planes of Thought.

Why Glenn Beck is a Dirt Bag

Please read, and support the cause being championed by Color of Change. If we don’t, there will be many more casualties besides Van Jones. We have to stand up to this foolishness.

Dear friends,

As you may know, right-wing talk show hosts have been bringing race-based fear mongering into the mainstream, but FOX’s Glenn Beck has taken it to another level.

I signed ColorOfChange.org’s petition to stop Glenn Beck’s lies and distortions, and so far, 62 major companies have stopped their ads from running on his show. These companies have decided they don’t want to be associated with Beck’s race-baiting.

But Beck is only stepping up his fear-mongering, so we can’t stop now. We have to make sure advertisers keep leaving, and stay away from his show.

Will you take a stand and be counted, and invite your friends and family to do the same? It takes just a moment:

This summer, Beck said:

This president has exposed himself as a guy over and over and over again who has a deep-seated hatred for white people… this guy is, I believe, a racist.

That statement fits into a pattern of rhetoric from Beck designed to stoke racial paranoia and fear. He has claimed that President Obama has a “reparation appetite” and a desire to use his policies to settle old racial scores. Beck’s overall plan is to create an atmosphere in which the White House can accomplish nothing, and he’s carrying it out by preying on race-based fears and mobilizing hate. Beck relies on dishonesty, distortion and exaggeration, and he is embarking on character assassinations of Obama administration officials with whom he disagrees.

FOX has a horrible track record on pushing racist propaganda, but Glenn Beck appears to be taking the network to an even lower standard. He’s trying to divide and distract America when we should be coming together and talking about issues that really matter–like health care and the economy.

The good news is that we have the power to stop this. Over 175,000 people have joined this campaign, and 62 advertisers have already stopped their ads from being run during Beck’s show. Please help keep the momentum building.

Thanks.

Here are some links to more info:

“Beck: Obama has ‘exposed himself as a guy’ with ‘a deep seated hatred for white people’”

“Glenn Beck: Obama agenda driven by ‘reparations’ and desire to ’settle old racial scores’”

Super-Heated President Obama Hateration

It just doesn’t seem to end, does it? Now the latest is the row surrounding an upcoming speech to be delivered by President Obama on education to our nation’s students.

In talking with my Dear Brother last evening on our way to dinner – for those of you who aren’t regular readers of Miss Incognegro, we have dinner weekly – I shared my thoughts on the current state of affairs, which, by the way, I think is reprehensible:

1. There are a LOT of White people who are simply pissed off that a Black man is president. Therefore, they call him a socialist because they can’t call him a nigger – at least not publicly.

2. President Obama, and all that he represents – a highly accomplished and successful Black man – is threatening to White people, especially to White people who haven’t even 25% of what the POTUS has going on.

3. Black people are not supposed to be better than White people – in any way. Sad but true. As by Dear Brother stated, there are “dark pockets” in the United States where White people feel this way.

4. A Black man – our President – sending a positive message on the importance of education and achievement just might encourage more Black youth, and especially young Black males, to finish high school and pursue higher education. I mean, what would the United States do with more Black men like President Obama? Perhaps a reach, but, the idea of even more educated Black people is a terrifying proposition to many White people.

5. My Dear Brother said, “If the superintendent even dares to suggest that the students of my school district be prevented from hearing President Obama’s speech, he’ll hear from me. Good, decent people have to stand up and confront this garbage.” I think I’ll join with my Dear Brother.