Critically Conscious & Culturally Responsive
Kendi sees being “critically conscious” as a lifelong mission to uncover and question the racist policies and power structures in place in America. He lists steps that he uses himself to be an antiracist. These steps are sequential, but do not have an end point because practicing antiracism is an ongoing struggle regardless of who you are. Taking a step back and addressing larger contexts and structures begins with admitting and confessing to any of the racist ideas one may support or express. This leads to excepting and acknowledging why these thoughts and policies are so engrained in us, and looking into what it means to be an antiracist. After these steps comes the struggle for antiracist power, policy, and protest. Kendi strives to exist at the antiracist intersections, therefore working towards “equalizing racial distinctions in ethnicities, bodies, cultures, colors, classes, spaces, genders, and sexualities” (226).
Race has obviously been an overarching and reoccurring topic while reflecting on my experiences at Canal Alliance so far. I know that I came into the service learning process with an awareness of many racist policies and ideas that I have certainly benefited from, regardless of the fact that I do not actively support them. I am following Kendi’s beliefs by “publicly donating my time… to antiracist policymakers, organizations, and protests” (226), so I must always make sure to remind myself to also match Kendi’s struggle to also push antiracist power in the space of Canal Alliance. I must also remind myself that my time at Canal Alliance is not about my own achievements, but about sharing educational and cultural growth with the students. As Paulo Freire said, “This person does not consider himself or herself the proprietor of history or of all people, or the liberator of the oppressed; but he or she does commit himself or herself, within history, to fight at their side.”
Kendi talks in depth about the dangers of associating certain cultures and groups with certain behaviors, which promotes the often overlooked behavioral racism that plagues our country. He emphasizes the importance of behaviors being viewed as belonging only to an individual, as opposed to “making individuals responsible for the perceived behavior of racial groups” (94). Stressing individual behavior aligns seamlessly with the ideas behind the culturally focused and responsive teaching methods that I researched in response to the problem of inconsistent engagement within ESL classrooms. Most culturally responsive strategies focus on seeing each student as an individual, and not just one of many belonging to a specific group in the classroom. Asking students to share personal stories and experiences, and engage in activities and conversations that are of unique relation to their home culture and language are most effective when trying to make a student feel comfortable and open to learning. Kendi is open about his own experience in school throughout How to be an Antiracist, and reflects:
“I internalized my academic struggles as indicative of something wrong not just with my behavior but with Black behavior as a whole” (99).
This should serve as a warning to all educators that are skeptical of practicing cultural awareness and reaction in their teaching. If students are not taught that their own unique experiences are valid and real, they will be minimized to a specific group, likely with a set of predetermined behaviors.
To me, being an antiracist is a continuous learning experience. Making mistakes and being wrong at times is expected, as long as I push forward afterwards with new information and a new perspective. Being an antiracist means being vulnerable and powerful at the same time, yet without being dominating. I must always keep an eye open for the subtle yet oh so dangerous racist tendencies and norms in our culture, and struggle like Kendi to not let them make a fool out of me. I must practice all of this with my students at Canal Alliance, especially keeping in mind the importance of leveling group differences.
