Knowledge is Indeed Precious

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. 

 Precious Knowledge. PBS Video. Retrieve from http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/precious-knowledge/