Elementary School Reflection

Elementary School Throughout elementary school, I do not remember many conversations regarding race. Growing up in Vermont, my exposure to diverse races were limited. I remember making a friend in second grade who had much darker skin than I had. Although, I had never had a non-caucasian friend before, I have no recollection of thinking she looked “differently” than the other white children in my class. Later in my elementary school years, a new boy came to my class from India. I remember he had trouble making friends and often his mother would come in to hang out with him because he struggled to make other relationships. As I reflect on the situation, I wonder if other students did not want to be his friend because him and his family looked …show more content…
I had no knowledge of the Civil War, or even what “racism” was. I was not entirely blind to race, but I was free from stereotypes and racist ideology. Perhaps my perception of race would have differed if I had more diversity in my school. Perhaps my teachers would have had more discussions about race and acceptance of other cultures.
b) Middle School and High School My experience with race in middle school did not differ much from elementary school. I had very few students of color in my school, and when we did, it would seem a bit shocking. Our school lacked so significantly with racial diversity that when someone moved to the school and wasn’t white, it would slightly shock the students. Families of color in Williston were far and few between. As for education, I started to become more knowledgable about racism and the Civil War, but did not get a full grasp of it. I could not really wrap my head around why someone would be discriminated against for the color of their skin, which was genetically …show more content…
During one of my english classes at FSC, we watched a Spike Lee movie called, “Do the Right Thing”. This movie’s plot centered-around the discussion of police brutality against the black community. Our class discussion after the film was crude and unpleasant. I heard fellow peers making statements about African-Americans that was harsh and uncalled for. One girl even tried to make a comparison by saying that calling a black person the “N-word” and calling a white person a “redneck” were equally as severe. I heard many students imply that black people were always the problem and that white police offers were “doing their job”. I don’t agree that police officers are always guilty, but I think that often times police take advantage of their