Diversity discourse usually has to do with a discussion of how predominantly white organizations ought to try to incorporate minority persons, culture, and perceptions into their structures. This is a legitimate concern.But Bramlett-Solomon took a much broader view of diversity to include points of view, life style, interests, religion, and world view for all groups. And, in this sense, she brought my attention to the lack of this broader diversity at my school in Harlem.
While my school's student body is approximately 95 percent black and five percent Hispanic, within these percentages there is a range of ethnic diversity. We have African-Americans, Africans, Haitians and Jamaicans; we have Puerto Ricans, Dominicans and Mexicans. But as a school we lack a recognition, let alone an appreciation, of diversity when it comes to sexual orientation, religion, political affiliation, or even interests in specific fields such as art, business, or athletics--just to name a few.
So, in a sense, my school in Harlem is every bit as provincial as the small town where I grew up in Pennsylvania, which was almost entirely composed of second and third generation Polish Americans. Our students fit in almost too well with each and their behavioral tendency is to smooth out any incongruities that exist. Part of this, of course, is a teenager's basic need to be accepted by his peers; what's missing is the opposite adolescent impulse to rebel, stand out, and stand up for something.
School for many of our students is the Great Equalizer. Since many of them are underprivileged, they can shed the burdens of their home lives at the school door. In so doing, however, they hide their uniqueness to such an extent that it is often hard to help them self-realize.
As a future newspaper advisor, I struggle with how I can help them use their rich backstories--the diversity I know exists--to inform their writing and their work as journalists.
Joanne Drapiewski
Frederick Douglass Academy II
New York, N.Y.
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Joanne,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your comments on your school in Harlem - my school is predominately white, with about 5% Hispanic, Asian, African-American, American Indian. Even with a largely white population, diverstiy exists.
The main points that resonated with me from Rodriguez and Bramlet-Solomon is modeling the process of evaluating news-media for diverse coverage. One of the first activities I'm going to do with my students this fall is analyze a professional newspaper for diverse coverage (similar to Bralmlett-Solomon's opening activity of looking at pictures and noting ethnic background), then do this with our own newspaper.
Ensuring that our school newspapers provide diverse coverage is an overwhelming task, so it seems to simply get the process started through questioning might be a good key to getting the kids to do this on their own - eventually becoming aware of representing all cultures within the school.
Andrea Krueger
Centennial High School
Circle Pines, Minnesota
I am the Gay/Straight Alliance club adviser in addition to all the other hats I wear. As such, I try to be really aware of being sensitive to LGBT students' needs and their inclusion in our school community and school newspaper.
ReplyDeleteIn preparation for the national Day of Silence (DOS), I had my journalism students participate in a Saturday Cougar Academy to educate other students about the First Amendment. DOS is a student-led day of activism to raise awareness about school safety and inclusion for LGBT students, and very much relates to free speech, the right to assemble and to petition the school administration. I felt that this was a good way to really apply what they were learning in journalism to an immediate, real-world situation.
Our coverage of DOS was picked up for the National Edition published my.hsj.org.
To me, this is an example of journalism supporting diversity.
Becky Gemmell
Escondido High School
Escondido, Calif.