Last week, PBS aired a film entitled Precious Knowledge. This
film highlighted a program in ethnic studies in the Tucson, AZ high schools
which focused on Latino students and their rich histories. The curriculum program was born out the need
to support students with historically high drop-out rates who have been failed
by standard educational programming.
The film features bright, articulate students who talk about
a sense of finding their identity. The
students were empowered to believe that they could shape their own destiny
rather than being controlled by stereotypes and limitations.
Unfortunately, the story
took a bitter turn when the classes were swept up into the politics of a state
that appears to be bent on controlling populations of people through scare tactics
and legislation. In 2011, the Arizona
lawmakers passed legislation that effectively abolished the ethnic studies
classes. The more faculty and students
tried to express their voices, the more there were labeled as radicals who were
intent on overthrowing the government.
This poignant story underscores the importance of examining
public institutions and policies that try to control parts of the population
for their own good. It is imperative that we look closely at our
own lens and think about how our individual reactions shape the experiences of
all of the individuals we work with whether they are students, clients or
co-workers. Are we creating a place for
people find their voice or are we part of the efforts to control?
One of the courses that I regularly teach is an introduction
to special education course. Students who
enroll in the course plan to become teachers in special education, elementary
education, early childhood education or related human service fields. At the end of the course, I challenge
students by encouraging them to think about how they can become advocates for
persons with disabilities. I explain how
advocacy can range from monitoring our own language and using language that is
culturally and contextually sensitive, to learning more about different groups
through active inquiry, to volunteering our time to serve others, to speaking
up on the behalf of others.
Watching Precious
Knowledge brought the message of advocacy right home. We can all be advocates. We can all take a stand through our
behaviors, beliefs and attitudes. Most
importantly, we can open our minds to knowledge from the world around us which
can be truly precious.
