Why you shouldn't be teaching right now

It is only natural that voters for a given candidate would be upset when their candidate does not win. It is natural for people to still keep their signs in their yard, the stickers on the cars, and the buttons on the bags. It is natural to believe that your tax status will change, you may make less money, or you may spend more time in a war that you do not support. The election of President-elect Barack Obama, however, for a myriad of reasons, has led many in America to expose their true racial animosity towards blacks in America on an entirely new level. This is best demonstrated when one analyzes how many of America’s teachers are responding to Obama’s nomination.

Across the country, I’ve received story after story about how some majority white schools are not “allowed” to discuss Obama’s election because the teachers are so angry. There could be many reasons for this if anyone believes the hateful rhetoric that came from the McCain/Palin campaign: Obama is a terrorist, a radical, a foreigner, a Muslim, socialist, etc. The elephant in the room that didn’t need to be mentioned is that he is black and I see this as a major problem for many white teachers. The reason for this is that so many students of all races have been coming to schools with Obama t-shirts and many of these students have been inappropriately celebratory with chants like “Obama, black power!” or “We’re in charge now!” In many schools, this has been a recipe for disaster with students fighting each other in support of their party (or race) and teachers not acknowledging this teachable moment in a positive manner.

One white teacher in one of the schools I visit told me that she was told by another white teacher that she can’t vote for Obama because if he wins, blacks will think they deserve more than they’re already getting. This is a higher level of anger than just one’s candidate losing. As a teacher, if you cannot use this moment to teach all of your students that they can be anything they want to be, you should not be a teacher. Given that so many black males have so many few black male role models, and so many white teachers have seen too few images of positive black men themselves, the Obama election should be used as a tool to teach what’s possible. The fact of the matter is that if you as a teacher believe that black people are only deserving of so much, than you can never teach them equitably and you should be ashamed.

Across the country, black males are the majority of students in special education, suspensions, expulsions, and remedial programs. A large part of this is due what they don’t have in their communities as it relates to positive black male role models, coupled with what they are not getting in school: culturally competent teachers and a culturally relevant curriculum. Despite that, some of these students labeled “at-risk” came to school on November 5th and pledged allegiance to the flag for the first time. Some came to school with t-shirts showing a president and not a prisoner from some rap group or mafia-type. As educators, if we cannot embrace this moment to show the world not only how far we’ve come, but how much further all of America’s children can take us, it should be criminal for any of us to walk into our classrooms and not embrace this moment in history. If you cannot do that, why are you teaching? Better still, who are you teaching for? It’s time for you to look in the mirror and reflect.

Congratulations President Barack Obama!

Wow. We did it. We really did it. For African Americans, this is the single greatest moment in our history because it is a near culmination of all our struggles from Slavery to the Civil Rights Movement. It is by far not the end of all of the ills we still face, however, this moment proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that this country belongs to African Americans as much as anyone else. For America in general and the people of all races who voted for President Obama, we have shown the world (literally) that we can choose hope over fear. From trying to prove Obama was a terrorist to robocalls on election day in Florida saying that President Fidel Castro endorsed Obama, we have shown the world that we are moving towards hope.

Today is a new day. Not only did President Obama win this election handily, but senators and governors across the country from the Democratic party have taken over, showing that America has chosen to drive towards unity rather than the “Joe the Plumber,” “real America” politics of divisiveness. Just looking at Grant Park in Chicago, every representative of this country was represented in large numbers. Asian men were out there wearing Obama shirts. White women dressed like the statue of liberty. This election is a testimony to our tenacity as a nation. Furthermore, the election of President Obama shows that one can be intellectual and succeed in a nation of instant television stardom from reality shows, sex tapes, negative music, and even more negative politics.

CNN’s Gloria Borger often speaks of how this nation has a self-corrective nature. The corrections may come after a great deal of agonizing time, but they do come. Furthermore, we must also understand the importance of underestimation. Those on the Republican side laughed at President Obama’s experience as a community organizer and now they are confused. They failed to realize that community organizers are the people who changed the world from King and Ghandi to Mother Theresa and Mandela. We must always remember that when we turn away from our communities, we turn away from ourselves. Though Obama raised millions of dollars, it is important to remember that he came from nothing economically compared to many of his presidential rivals. This was a campaign rooted in the community that expanded worldwide.

Lastly, I have to end this with a comment on our children. My daughters will grow up seeing the first Black President. He will live down the street from me. I shook his hand at the gym we used to work out at. He’s an ordinary man who did the extraordinary and it is an example for all of us. Ordinary Asian, Latino, Native and Black children will now grow up believing that they will have the opportunity to be the leader of the free world. As the First Lady, Michelle Obama will set a new standard for beauty for America. President Obama and Michelle have shattered the ultimate glass ceiling. President Obama has officially proven that this country belongs to everyone, not just wealthy White Americans. When I was a teenager, I always used to tell the kids I mentored that they should not want to grow up hoping to be the first Black President. I told them we shouldn’t have to wait that long and that they should grow up wanting to be the next one and for that Mr. President, I love you and I thank you.