Education = Empowerment
In “We Make the Road by Walking” by Freire and Horton, the reading focuses on the purpose Highlander Research and Education Center was created. This school is aimed to help African Americans fight for their inequalities through the process of education. The more they are educated, the more consciousness and control one can attain. Their goal in the school is “… to invent with the people the ways for them to go beyond their state of thinking” (Freire and Horton, 98). This relates to the video about the Highlander Research and Education Center because they didn’t just focus on one goal, but a bigger picture to change the world. They wanted to make a change that continually impacts generations over time. Gaining education leads to a comprehension of complexity. The more we learn and know things, the better we can impact others and teach people what they do not know. This is different than educating people on the dominant cultures’ beliefs because, in this community, they learn about their own culture. By getting proper information about their own culture, they can solve the problem instead of sitting back and letting people trample over them.
Educating those who are oppressed can be challenging because they are taught to accept the dominant point of view. Freire and Horton state, “The corners of education is not so easy to change because there is strong and heavy ideological material that has been transmitted, even to the revolutionaries” (217). History takes time to change, which is why people say patience is a virtue. Through this type of education, we can form critical consciousness because people are seeing complex perspectives of the situation.
One point in “We Make the Road by Walking” is the sentence, “It’s essential that you start where people are” (Freire and Horton, 99). Freire mentions how we need to start where others start to understand their experience. He also points out that if we start at a place where another person is not able to further his or her goal, we would not be able to get anywhere. This is important in service learning because we need to have a starting point. Even though we may not have the same troubles and started at the same place, we can gain knowledge from one another and grow from the process. I wouldn’t be able to connect to the kids at Next Generation Scholars if I never struggled in school. Being discouraged while solving math problems or having difficulty memorizing definitions allows me to connect to them because I know how they feel during the learning process. Remembering that I did not know a certain subject before will help me connect to them and tell them my experience and what my learning methods are. Education-wise, we can’t impose our knowledge on others because they will feel that we are overpowering them.
James Baldwin focuses on the importance of education in “A Talk to Teachers”. In the previous critical reflection, we analyzed people who are dominant compared to those who do not have power. In this reading, we can incorporate the past readings because Baldwin points out, people with less power must educate those of higher power. This is important because people of higher power only see things from one prospect. “…the whole process of education occurs within a social framework and is designed to perpetuate the aims of society” (Baldwin, 1). To be in favor of society’s viewpoint, we are all taught the same lessons. For example, in United States history books Americans are always seen as victorious or the ones who save other people. What history books do not focus on are all the losses and suffering the United States have gone through. This correlates back to education because the dominant culture wants everyone to see the world in their eyes.
As minorities learn about their past in history books and compare it to stories told by their families, they recognize that something is not right. “…one examines the society in which he is being educated” (Baldwin, 1). People of color realize that what they are taught in school is not always factual to their culture. Being lower in the podium, a person can assume the actions of the dominant group and also the struggles and inequality of their group.
The moment we are born, we are taking in everything around us. This can just start with the noise, the light, and movement. As a person gets older, “… you begin to develop a conscience, you must find yourself at war with your society” (Baldwin, 6). We gain more knowledge and wisdom as we age. Although no one may have taught us, we learn from our past mistakes. That is how we know right from wrong and can tell if there is a flaw in society.
This reading connects to tutoring at Next Generation Scholars because the kids there are minorities and face challenges. They are taught to respect the dominant group, in this setting, it would be the white people. The place I am volunteering at is “Children, not yet aware that it is dangerous to look too deeply at anything, look at everything, look at each other, and draw their conclusions” (Baldwin, 2). Through their observations, they already learn what their place in the world is supposed to be. Tutoring with these kids will allow me to connect them to the bigger picture and teach them that they are more than just a minority. Through the lessons, I can show them that they are as smart as anyone else.
In “Teaching to Transgress”, by Gloria Watkins, she expands on ideas that were once controversial by Paulo Friere. Freire’s words gave African Americans and those who are a minority hope that everyone can attain their liberation. Not only does his reading connect to the minorities, but it teaches the dominant group what they need to learn. Previously mentioned, the dominant group only sees one perspective which “…represents a blind spot in the vision of men who have profound insight” (Watkins, 49). They have a lot of ideas and knowledge, but since they cannot understand the obstacles that minorities face, they cannot make change better for them. The subordinate group, in this case, has a greater advantage in knowing how to have changed by including the whole community. One situation that makes this a complication is because the subordinate group do not get the proper education and are taught to not disrupt the higher power. “Freire’s emphasis on education as the practice of freedom…” is part of the solution to encourage people to think outside of the box (Watkins, 51). The dilemma is knowing the right thing to teach each group of people. We must be educated to fight for our freedom. If we aren’t educated we won’t know what stance to take and what to fight for.
What I like about Next Generation Scholars is that they are getting to know themselves although they may not be conscious about it. “The historical moment when one begins to think critically about the self and identity in relation to one’s political circumstance” (Watkins, 47). Watkins is suggesting that once a person can analyze themselves, they can fight for a larger cause. An example of this can be, a student learning about psychology on how a person can be treated based on how they grew up and find out that they can relate to that situation. Even though not everyone’s stories are the same, we can all connect in a variety of ways.
