The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

An experience of prejudice that I saw is when I was working at daycare when I first got out of high school. There was an after schooler that was in the 4^th grade and there were more African American children than Caucasian children in the classroom. One Caucasian child spoke out very loudly that he didn’t want to be around the black children he called the “N***** word” he was very upset by being in the same classroom with all African American children. The teachers walked him out of the classroom and had him in the hallway to talk to him about this rudely behavior. Which the teacher was Caucasian. She asked me to come and witness what he was saying to her about way he said what he said. I than ask him “Why would you say that you don’t want to be around black children” and then he stated “my parent taught me that it’s not good to be around a lot of black people”.  The Caucasian teacher and I then explained to him that living in the world today that he will be around all kind of people. Plus, you would need not to say words that is racist toward another cultural because it’s not nice of him to say that because every cultural has a history of good and bad. “The director told him that we are all same of being people some are different but something’s are not good to say because it hurts people feelings” Then the teacher went back in the classroom and explained biases and prejudice to the class before he came back in so that the children could have a positive understanding of the lack of his understanding of his word usage.  I did not make the child feel as if he had done anything wrong, but I really wanted to expand upon what had just happened.  The teacher, principal and I tried to handle the situation as fair and open as I could for the class in a respectable manner and I just tried to deal with the situation the best way I knew how to handle it at the time.

     This incident diminished equity because the Teacher, Principal and I restated the comment that really hurt the African American child’s feelings. Everyone could not believe that the child’s parents could be teaching him hateful things and words like to say about another cultural. The director also stated how every morning that same parent would come and talk to her for advice, and now she felt as if the parent was mocking her and her culture.  Although other African American teachers and other African American student’s feelings were hurt by this child statement. Still as a professional every teacher and director continued to treat the child with respect.  Everyone kept their same everyday kindly behavior as if he never made that statement about African Americans.

     This incident reminded me of the phrase “be careful what you say around children because children are like tape records will repeat what you say and how you say it too”.  The child did not understand how harmful his words were even though the child parents had a very lack of understand someone else’s cultural I think he might not ever repeat their words. I believe as adults we must choose our words wisely because we never know who is absorbing what we say. Like an old phase “practice what you preach”.

     I am of how the situation was handling because it was more of an unexpected situation.  The teacher never retaliated against the family with disrespect of any kind of any of my knowledge in fact the teacher and everyone continued to love him just like her other students in the classroom.  Even though everyone knew how hurtful the statement was but the staff turned a horrible experience into a teachable moment by continuing to loving the child and taking the time out to give him the understanding of how to say kind words toward any culture not just African American but toward everyone.