My hope is that one day we truly
reach a goal of equity, especially in education. Knowledge is the one thing
that can never be taking a way from you. We really must take the time to understand
ourselves and our own cultures to be able to understand the beliefs of others.
They key to this step is understanding, trust, and forgiveness, we have all
been deeply hurt by the isms we face in society. Julie Benavides stated that “How
can I change someone else before I change myself?” (Laureate Education, 2011).
“I have a dream that one day little
black boys and girls will be holding hands with little white boys and girls.”
Martin Luther King Jr., I
Have a Dream
A goal I hope to set in the early childhood
field is to build healthy communities through building trust. We have to learn
to trust one another in order to see change. Children who have been harmed in
the context of a relationship can only be healed in a relationship, but we
cannot have relationships without trust. These children then grow to become
adults who do not trust which can create a repeating cycle of trust issues, miscommunication,
and a lack of forgiveness. The African proverb “it takes a child to raise a
village can be better” if it says that it takes a healthy village to raise a
healthy child. Nadiyah Taylor says “having compassion for myself and
understanding that this work is a lifelong journey” (Laureate Education, 2011).
“Education is for improving the
lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found
it”.
Marian Wright Edelman
Lastly, I want to thank my colleagues
during this course for all of your quality feedback. The thought-provoking discussions
has given me perspective in how I view diversity and biases. Louise
Derman-Sparks has a vision that it is possible where all people can have access
to a quality of life
“An anti-racist person is on a
life-long journey that includes forming new understanding of and ways to live
her or his racial identity and then increasing commitment to and engagement in
anti-racism actions”
Louise Derman-Sparks
Louise Derman-Sparks
References
Laureate Education (Producer). (2011). Diversity and
equity work: Lessons learned [Video file].
Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
Great Resources to Check Out:
2020 Leadership & Learning Webinar Series- https://www.cdacouncil.org/pds-quarterly-newsletter/1849-2020-leadership-a-learning-webinar-series
Building Adult Capabilities to Improve Child Outcomes: A Theory of Change- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urU-a_FsS5Y&t=18s
Sharita,
ReplyDeleteYou used the perfect, and my most favorite quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It is important to think about how important it is for us to change ourselves before we can work for change in others. Thank you for sharing. I appreciate your posts and discussions. I hope for the best for you in the future.
-Heather
Sharita,
ReplyDeleteJulie Benavides statement “How can I change someone else before I change myself?",is a very powerful statement. During this course, I realized that I too needed to change some issues that I was struggling with at one point. Thank you for sharing your experiences. I wish you much success in accomplishing your Master's degree.
Hi Sharita,
ReplyDeleteI, too, hope equity will be reached in education. I feel like Dr. Seuss says it best when he said, "The more you read, the more things you know. The more you learn, the more places you'll go." With everyone have access to the same education, our country could thrive. I wish you the best on your journey to completing your Master's!