During the Democratic debates in Detroit, Kristen Gillibrand, a white woman of privilege, talked about racism. She complained that it shouldn’t be just Cory Booker and Kamala Harris talking about race. White liberals generally have a strange way of talking about racism. We dodge, we couch, we leave the heavy labor to black folks. We…
Author: Clio
The Math Meme That Would Not Die
Some version of this question keeps getting asked on the internet. What is \(8\div2(2+2)\)? Some background The strength of mathematical notation is at the intersection of clarity and simplicity. We could be completely clear, which would leave us writing details we don’t need and make it hard to read. We could oversimplify, and lose clarity….
Growing Beyond the White Savior (part 2)
I am a white. I am a high school teacher. I am about to enter my eighth year in the classroom. Several years ago, I wrote about the White Savior complex, and I briefly touched on my personal growth. But I don’t feel like I said enough then. I believe that white people who are…
The Problem With Pronouns
Here is a story about David and Joann: David ran into Joann at the store. After they talked for a while, he told her that she better finish her shopping, because she’d get in trouble with his roommate if he was late to the party. Here is a story about David and Jonathan: David ran…
The Normalization of Cruelty
On Father’s Day this year, I took my child to the exhibit “Slavery at Jefferson’s Monticello: The Paradox of Liberty.” This traveling exhibition is part of The Jefferson Monticello’s evolving narrative about Thomas Jefferson’s relationship with his slaves, including Sally Hemings, with whom he had as many as seven children. The first time I heard…
Blue Lives, Black Lives
I was in Milwaukee recently visiting relatives. The local news was about a recent shooting of a police officer in Racine. On June 17, Officer John Hetland, off-duty at the time, was at Teezers Bar and Grill when a masked man with a gun initiated a robbery. Hetland interceded and was shot dead. A manhunt…
How My Culture Made Me
I am a white man. I identify as white for the same reason that I identify as a man: My culture makes me. This last four-word sentence has two meanings, and they’re both true. ◊♦◊ My culture makes me, that is, my personality has been constructed within my experiences being raised as white and male….
Dodgy Ball
I had thought the issue of dodgeball had been resolved. Dodgeball was extremely popular in my youth. Even though I’ve passed the half-century mark (only just barely), I still have a visceral negative reaction to the thought of that evil red ball heading straight for me. I can still hear the high-pitched bounce of the…
Respecting Gender Non-Conforming Graduates
June is Pride Month. June is also the month most high schools around the country have their graduation ceremonies. There is an intersection between these two events that might slip past the awareness of many people: How schools treat gender non-conforming students (see the glossary at the end for italicized words). ◊♦◊ Dead-naming in yearbooks…
Impact > Intent
As a teacher, I see it a lot: Students will be horse-playing in the hallway, and I’ll tell them to stop. “But he’s my cousin! We’re just playing!” they’ll insist. In their mind, this justifies all sorts of reckless behavior: They don’t intend harm. In adults, the same sentiment shows up in a more nuanced…