Ethnic Studies Post

     Last semester, I had a professor who talked about the excitement of setting up her classroom for the first time. She was able to decorate how she wanted, supply the materials she wanted and overall give it the vibe she felt best represented her and her teaching styles. As she is setting up her classroom, she also supplies the books she feels best represents her as well. These books are the books she loved as a child herself and varied in genres that would interest both boys and girls at that age. One day, she starts to notice that one student in particular wasn't as responsive to her reading area as she liked. When she asked that student why, they replied with "None of the people on the cover look like me." Realizing that the stories she provided were primarily that of a white child, this opened my professors eyes to the bigger issue at hand as she thought to herself "Well I don't see color." That in and of itself was precisely the issue.

    I remember taking my first ever ethnic studies course in high school titled 'Intro to African American Music.' This was a course that examined the lyrical styles and tones of African American singers in the early 1950's. As I sat at my desk, the teacher hands us a paper and tells us to only read the title of the song: Strange Fruit by Billie Holiday. After reading the title, she tells us to jot down some ideas on what the song might be talking about. Again, this is all before I read the lyrics in its entirety. Most of us say it's a love song talking about how love can be sour, or a song about life and how it's not always as it seems. In general, we believed the song talked about something beautiful turning bad. Well, we weren't entirely wrong...

[Verse 1]

Southern trees bear a strange fruit

Blood on the leaves and blood at the root

Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze

Strange fruit hanging by the poplar trees.



It took me a couple times to read before understanding but once I did, my stomach turned inward. Someone had made a song about black people being lynched in the 1950's. Here I was thinking maybe we would study some upbeat Jackson 5. Instead, I received a horrible glimpse of the past for my people. Since third grade, my African American studies content has been centered around slavery, civil rights movements, marches, lynching's, MLK Jr., Rosa Parks and so on and so forth. Don't get me wrong, I'm so happy I have this history imbedded in me, I just also wish I would have learned more about the Madam CJ Walkers and Garrett Morgan's as well. 

    Sleeter's text discusses that the history we learn about African American's, Latinos/as and more only scratch the surface of those roots. They only display the version that makes us victims and and come from nothing. I can't wait for the day that inspiring women like Michelle, Kamala, Sonia Sotomayor and more make their way into the history books and become the leading stamp on history for Ethnic Studies. It not only shows us where we come from but also where we can end up.

    In conclusion, I'm grateful for the knowledge I have of the more ethnic groups in my society. It helped me appreciate where I am today while celebrating the people who helped us get there. Moving forward, I hope our history can be a bright one and that ethnic studies is something that is continually pushed into our curriculum. Strange Fruit by Billie Holiday will always hold a place in my heart because it helped me start my journey into ethnic studies and understanding its importance not only to us as individuals but as a community as a whole. It's not enough to just learn about our history but to see, feel and understand it as well. Living in a society where one be easily be dismissed, it's nice to see us represented in the classroom.

Comments

  1. Olivia HarrisSeptember 29, 2024 at 9:12 AM

    Hi Tiaja, I really liked how you included an example from your own experience in high school as well an experience you heard about through your professor. I also found the song Strange Fruit by Billie Holiday to be very impactful- just as you said in your reflection about how the song helped you start your journey into ethnic studies, it is important that as teachers, we give students the same opportunities to start their own journeys into ethnic studies.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AlanaSeptember 29, 2024 at 4:59 PM

    Like Olivia said, I love how you addressed someone else's experience you witnessed along with your own and how you chose to educate us as well by adding the song and explaining the meaning!

    ReplyDelete
  3. JoanmarieSeptember 30, 2024 at 12:24 PM

    I love how you included the importance of talking about Black History outside of just slavery and struggle. I'm also excited to see curriculum where African Americans are not just fighters but also leaders and creatives.

    ReplyDelete
  4. maryanndoeFNED246December 9, 2024 at 7:12 AM

    Your inclusion of the significance of discussing Black history beyond slavery and struggle is excellent. A curriculum that portrays African Americans as leaders and creatives in addition to combatants excites me.

    ReplyDelete

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