The Problem We All Live With - This American Life

By: Ira Glass and Nikole Hannah Jones

For my response to this powerful podcast, I chose 3 quotes that stood out to me that I have responded to.

1. "White people just left and didn't want to deal with it." -(Jones)

This is a common thread through out the whole podcast, and I think through the texts that we have read in this class so far. It was and continues to be easier for white people, or people in power with privilege to "leave and not deal with" all of the issues that continue to exist in our country. In addition, the majority of the families that attended the informational night at Francis Howell were very quick to jump to conclusions and make excuses as to why the Normandy students were now given the option to leave. One parent even jumped a far to say that the kids were the reason that the school was no longer accredited. If she had any brains in her head, she would be able to put 2+2 together and figure out that behavior of children does in no way equal a district losing their accreditation. Her projection of her prejudices onto school aged children is embarrassing and honestly very sad. It is so sad that somewhere in her life, she was given the idea that poor people of color are troublesome, dangerous, and a burden that she, and everyone else at Francis Howell "has to deal with".

2. "I deserve to not have to worry." -(Beth Cirami)

If there was anything that screamed privilege in all that we've read/heard, it was this woman. She felt so strongly that because she "shopped for schools" and put in that effort, that children who were less fortunate simply because of where they lived, should not have those same privileges as her children. Much like Delpit and Johnson suggest, we need to be okay with discomfort if anything is going to change. Also, I want to know what world this woman lives in where she thinks that just because she picked this "perfect school district" that her children don't have to be afraid of drugs or violence. I'm sorry, but I grew up in a predominantly white, middle-class town where nothing ever happened. And what happened you may ask? My junior year of high school, someone in my grade who was really struggling with his mental health brought a gun to school. Thankfully no one was hurt, but that doesn't mean that it didn't shake up my entire town and made everyone look at how our "perfect little town" really wasn't as perfect as everyone thought. My mom then had to worry about me more than ever, but that doesn't mean she never had to worry. Everyone feels worry about their children in today's education system, no matter their skin color.

3. "This is not a race issue. This is a commitment to education issue." -(Woman)

This woman really got my blood boiling, and not because of what she said because that was just foolish. She got me so frustrated because of how out of touch with reality she is and how blind she is to her privilege. With her pleas to the crowd, she is showing just how truly racist she is and how she is using and diversion sh thinks will work to show people why they should agree with her. No one said to her that her child's education would change, or that any of the staff of Francis Howell would leave, or that her child wouldn't get into the college they wanted. If anything, she couldn't be farther from the truth because of how Francis Howell greeted the new students on the first day of school. As a district they were committed to making the students from Normandy feel welcomed and a part of their school. I really hope that after the fact this woman was able to look back and see that the school was able to continue to not only serve her child(ren), but also those of Normandy without any negativities as a result.

I think that listening to a podcast was so much more effective in telling this story than, let's say, an article. Being able to hear the voices of the real people in that town meeting, or hearing Mah'ria get choked up when talking about approaching the microphone really aided in the beautiful storytelling of this piece.

I am home with my family this weekend in Massachusetts and they were asking about school, of course. I got to talking with them a lot about this class and about how opening it has been for me. I mentioned the fact that instead of reading this week I had to listen to a podcast and respond to it. My dad brought up the fact the "All In The Family" and "The Jeffersons" got a mini-reboot this week and they just performed a live episode. We got to talking about how that show was able to teach people and open people's minds to the injustices that existed then and continue to exist now. It got me thinking about how effective it can be to tell these stories outside of a textbook and how many more people they would reach as a result.

                                                            

Well, with the reboot of these two famous television shows came the shows then and now writer Norman Lear starting those "hard conversations", and even introducing the first episode of the show with a 10 minute breakdown of what he feels the show can and will do for the prejudices of our country. Here is an interview with him from the Today Show where he dives deeper into what he feels needs to be done to make change. I think what he has to say is very important and that these topics might make people uncomfortable....and that is okay. Discomfort is what makes people start taking, and that is what we need.