Below are some ideas and suggestions that you can do in your
community to help make a difference:
GO 2004
Books that Foster International Awareness
Ten Things Every American Should Do To Promote Racial Reconciliation
How to Stand With Those Who Are Targeted By Hate
Bridges Across Racial Polarization
Responding to Jokes and Slurs
Ways to Explore St. Louis
Everyday Things You Can Do
Actions To Create a Better Place To Live
Disability Etiquette
Stop Violence: Report Hate Crimes
A Dinner Conversation About Gender
A Dinner Conversation About Race
A Dinner Conversation About Culture
A Dinner Conversation About Childhood Roots
This month and every month pick up GO 2004, St. Louis 2004's free paper covering several topics including the region's progress on diversity and Downtown Revitalization. GO 2004 is available at Schnucks on the free literature rack.
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Literature Recommendations for Books that Foster International Awareness for Students
Below are 3 lists compiled by the faculty at Webster University as recommended readings that foster International Awareness for Students.
The first list is a general list of authors followed by a list of Latino authors, followed by a list of books about African Americans.
· "Year of Impossible Goodbyes," by Sook Nyui Choi
· "Journey to Jo'burg, A South African Story" by Beverly Naidoo
· "Journey Home," by Yoshiko Uchida
· "Waiting for Anya," by Michael Morpurgo
· "Bull Run," by Paul Fleischman
· "Children of the River, Cambodia to America" by Linda Crew
· "Jesse," by Gary Soto
· "Summer of My German Soldier," by Betty Greene
· "Fallen Angels" by Walter Dean Myers
· "The Life and Death of Crazy Horse," by Russell Freedman
Reading Texts by Latino/a Authors
· "The House on Mango Street," by Sandra Cisneros
· "An Island Like You: Stories of the Barrio," by Judith Ortiz Cofer
· "Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories," by Sandra Cisneros
· "The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child," by Francisco Jiminez
· "Junior College," by Gary Soto
· "Living Up the Street," by Gary Soto
· "A Summer Life," by Gary Soto
· "Pieces of the Heart," by Gary Soto
· "New Chicano Fiction," by Gary Soto
· "Buried Onions," by Gary Soto
· "Taking Sides," by Gary Soto
· "Parrot in the Oven: mi vida," by Victor Martinez
· "This Migrant Earth," by Rolando Hinojosa
Some suggestions for texts about African-Americans:
· "Nightjohn," by Gary Paulsen
· "The Tears of the Tiger," by Sharon Draper
· "The Hundred Penny Box," by Sharon Mathis Bell
· "Black Hands, White Sails: The Story of African-American Whalers," by Patricia C. and Frederick L. McKissack
· "Fallen Angels," by Walter Dean Myers
· "Monster," by Walter Dean Myers
· "Fast Sam, Cool Clyde & Stuff," by Walter Dean Myers
· "The Glory Field," by Walter Dean Myers
· "Slam," by Walter Dean Myers
· "Scorpions," by Walter Dean Myers
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Posted with permission from the National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ), St. Louis Region.
One of the most striking findings from our work is that there are many Americans who are willing to accept that racial prejudice, privilege, and disparities are major problems confronting our Nation. Many of them told us that they would welcome concrete advice about what they should do. To fill that need, we offer a brief list of actions that individual Americans could take that would increase the momentum that will make us One America in the 21st century:
(1) Make a commitment to become informed about people from other races and cultures. Read a book, see a movie, watch a play, or attend a cultural event that will inform you and your family about the history and current lives of a group different than your own.
(2) If it is not your inclination to think about race, commit at least one day each month to thinking about how issues of racial prejudice and privilege might be affecting each person you come in contact with that day. The more that people think about how issues of race affect each person, the easier it will be for Americans to talk honestly about race and eliminate racial divisions and disparities.
(3) In your life, make a conscious effort to get to know people of other races. Also, if your religious community is more racially isolated than your local area, encourage it to form faith partnerships with racially different faith groups.
(4) Make a point to raise your concerns about comments or actions that appear prejudicial, even if you are not the targets of these actions. When people say or do things that are clearly racially biased, speak out against them, even if you are not the target. When people do things that you think might be influenced by prejudice, raise your concerns that the person or institution seriously consider the role that racial bias might play, even unconsciously.
(5) Initiate a constructive dialogue on race within your workplace, school, neighborhood, or religious community. The One America Dialogue Guide provides some useful ideas about how to construct a dialogue and lists some organizations that conduct dialogues and can help with facilitation.
(6) Support institutions that promote racial inclusion. Watch television programs and movies that offer racially diverse casts that reflect the real world instead of those perpetuating an inaccurately segregated view of America. Support companies and nonprofit organizations that demonstrate a commitment to racial inclusion in personnel and subcontracting. Write the institutions to let them know of your support for what they are doing.
(7) Participate in a community project to reduce racial disparities in opportunity and well-being. These projects can also be good ways of getting to know people from other backgrounds.
(8) Insist that institutions that teach us about our community accurately reflect the diversity of our Nation. Encourage our schools to provide festivals and celebrations that authentically celebrate the history, literature, and cultural contributions of the diverse groups that comprise the United States. Insist that our children's schools textbooks, curricula, and libraries provide a full understanding of the contributions of different racial groups and an accurate description of our historic and ongoing struggle for racial inclusion. Insist that our news sources--whether print, television, or radio—include racially diverse opinions, story ideas, analysis, and experts. Support ethnic studies programs in our colleges and universities so that people are educated and that critical dialogue about race is stimulated.
(9) Visit other areas of the city, region, or country that allow you to experience parts of other cultures, beyond their food. If you have an attitude that all people have histories, cultures, and contributions about which you could benefit from learning, it is usually not difficult to find someone who enjoys exposing others to their culture.
(10) Advocate that groups you can influence (whether you work as a volunteer or employee) examine how they can increase their commitment to reducing racial disparities, lessening discrimination, and improving race relations. Whether we are a member of a small community group or an executive of a large corporation, virtually everyone can attempt to influence a group to join the national effort to build One America.
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1. Start with yourself. Look within. Become aware of your own anger, frustration, and bias. Channel your emotions into constructive action to fight bigotry and promote peace, inclusion, and justice.
The country is going through a grieving process that is now moving from shock to anger. As we deal with our own grief and offer solace and aid to the many who suffered loss, we must embrace the anger in us with understanding and restraint. If we are to act out of justice rather than revenge, we must take the time to learn who the perpetrators are, why they committed this horrific act, what our nation’s role may be in the expression of this violence, and how we can respond in a way that does not promote an ongoing spiral of hatred and violence. Let us find ways of acting out of our commitment to peace rather than acting out of the temptation for revenge and violence. It is more important now than ever that we look carefully at our own bias, bigotry and racism.
2. Commit to learning more about targeted groups.
In St. Louis, the leading organizations to consult in this process of learning are The International Institute (314.773.9090) and The Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis (636.394.7878). These organizations can provide information about the history, culture, religious commitments, and challenges of targeted groups in the St. Louis Region.
3. Identify and report hate crimes that are directed toward targeted individuals/groups or those who are perceived to come from targeted groups.
A hate crime is any crime that is committed against an individual or group because of the individual’s race, color, religion, national origin, ethnic background, disability, gender or sexual orientation. Hate crimes are like terrorism. Not only are individual victims attacked, but the victim’s entire group is meant to feel intimidated and unsafe (learn about hate crimes: www.stopthehate.org or www.adl.org). Citizens should identify and report such acts of hate to the Police. If there is actual physical violence or a crime taking place, call 911. If one wishes to make a report of an incident that is not an emergency but requires investigation, call the non-emergency number for the police in your area (e.g., St. Louis City number is 231-1212). Other agencies to contact include the FBI and the Justice Department. Also, check in with ADL (314.432.6868). In St. Louis, the Muslim community has received some threatening telephone calls. Also, The International Institute reports that Afghani refugees who are new to this community, have experienced some harassment and are feeling very vulnerable.
4. Reach out to groups that are targeted. Personal expressions of support and concern give comfort and confidence to groups threatened with violence.
Contacting these groups/communities and indicating your willingness to be supportive (leaving your contact information) builds solidarity and relationship that is the basis for collaborative efforts to support these communities. Call The International Institute (314.773.9090) or The Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis (636.394.7878) to voice your concern and support.
5. Make a long-term commitment to stand with targeted groups.
Just as there must be a long-term commitment to those who have suffered personal and other kinds of loss because of this attack, our commitment to support and protect targeted communities should be intentional and long-term.
6. Worship with targeted groups/communities in St. Louis.
One way of expressing ally-ship is to participate in the worship services of those who feel threatened. People from the targeted communities represent many different faiths; however, the Muslim community represents a large number of these people. Worship within the Muslim community is open to all people. Check with the congregations in advance to be sensitive to specific observances: The Islamic Foundation (636.394.7878) or the Masjid Al-Mu-Minun (314.531.5414).
7. Contact public institutions and officials to encourage their continuing support for targeted groups.
The support of political and religious leaders is critical to confront inappropriate expressions of hatred and anger. We must not allow hysteria and stereotyping to pull us down into the cycle of hate perpetuated by those responsible.
8. Speak out against bigotry and publicly stand with targeted groups.
Express your position through letters to the editor and to other media. Email friends, family and neighbors to encourage their participation in solidarity actions and events. Organize meetings that inform people about the current need and provide an opportunity for identifying specific strategies in your community to protect those who are threatened. We must summon the courage to find ways to express both our patriotism and our support and concern for people who are innocent and now face the brunt of our nation’s anger and rage. We acknowledge that the rage may be directed at us if we stand with targeted communities, especially in the face of the heightened emotionalism and the understandable desire for revenge. As allies, we need to discover ways of supporting one another as we stand with the groups who are being targeted.
9. Make a personal connection with a person/family from a targeted group.
Seek to provide personal support and help. Escorting targeted people in public places or checking in with the person/family over time can help in addressing everyday physical needs as well as providing emotional support.
10. Join organizations that are working to build inclusive community in St. Louis.
The National Conference for Community and Justice (314.241.5103), The Anti-Defamation League (314.432.6868), The International Institute (314.773.9090), The Urban League (314.615-3663), FOCUS (314.622.1250) and other organizations have been leaders in this work for many decades in this community. In addition, new collaborations include The U.S. Attorney’s Hate Crimes Task Force and The Diversity Awareness Partnership. These organizations will play a strong role in building peace through constructive community action rather than succumbing to hatred and violence.
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When confronting offensive humor or slurs, the A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE Institute’s philosophy
incorporates a process that helps people take control of a situation. This process has proved helpful for many
people, from elementary school children to adults.
·
Begin the process by clarifying for yourself what you want to get out of the interaction.
If venting you anger is your primary goal, you may be unlikely to have a successful interaction with the other person.
Similarly, making an equally offensive remark or publicly embarrassing the person who told the joke is not the most
productive response.
·
Try to assume good will. Many people who make offensive remarks do so out of ignorance.
Because they do not intend harm, they often assume no harm is done.
·
Talk to the person privately. By speaking to the offender one-on-one, you remove the
necessity for him or her to ‘save face’ publicly or to defend his or her actions in front of a group.
·
Start the conversation by ‘vesting your relationship.’ People listen better when they
know they matter to the person who is speaking. For example, start the conversation by saying something
like, “I wanted to talk with you, Mary, because your friendship is very important to me.”
·
Own your feelings. Use ‘I’ statements, not ‘you’ statements. The point of this
conversation is to let the ‘offender’ know how you feel about what was said. The conversation will be
less successful if it focuses on what the other person did ‘wrong.’ Choosing words accordingly will
help eliminate the ‘offender’s ‘ need to defend his or her actions.
·
Remember your ‘rights.’ You do not have the right to dictate someone else’s
sense of humor. You do, however, have the right to request that this type of humor not be used in your presence.
KEEPING DOORS TO COMMUNICATION OPEN IS MORE PRODUCTIVE THAN SLAMMING DOORS.
(c)2000 Anti-Defamaiton League of B'nai B'rith. All rights reserved.
Reprinted with permission.
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Below are some easy
things you can do to experience part of the city you might not have known
existed.
This list was
developed by Metropolis St. Louis for the “Explore-A-Thon” project to help take
people out of their comfort zone while they explored St. Louis and its
citizens.
1. For
one week, listen only to radio stations which are not presently preset on your
car radio or to radio shows you do not currently listen to.
2. Educate
yourself about an ethnicity in St. Louis of your choosing, learn their history
in St. Louis -- their initial arrival, their struggles, their contributions.
3. Find
three different routes to go to work and try each of them.
4. Write
a letter to a representative of yours on behalf of a cause outside of your
identity.
5. Interview
an aged friend or family member about the changes they've witnessed in their
lifetime, write a summary and offer it for publication in a
community/neighborhood newsletter.
6. Spend
a Saturday morning picking up trash that you did not litter.
7. Attend
a school event involving schools you have never before visited (sporting event,
play, fundraiser…).
8. Read
a newspaper published for a community other than your own.
9. One
day, every time someone asks how you are, stop, look them in the eye, tell them
you’re tired of the racial polarization in this City, and tell them what you’re
doing to end it.
10. Take a walk in a park or
cemetery you have not been to before.
11. Visit a house of worship
of a denomination other than your own.
12. Try to live on 1/2 of
your usual budget for a month (excluding rent).
13. Go to a restaurant in a
neighborhood (one of the 79 City neighborhoods) you have never dined in before.
14. Go to a neighborhood
meeting other than your own.
15. Invite a neighbor you've
never seen at your neighborhood meeting to go to the next one with you.
16. Use the public
transportation system.
17. Volunteer at a
Metropolis membership/information booth.
18. Attend a social or
networking event where you are one of the only individuals of your identity.
19. Spend an afternoon at a
public library you’ve never been to before.
20. Organize and start a
neighborhood or block project (i.e. community garden, block party, block night
out, etc.).
21. Go see a foreign film.
22. Shop at a grocery store
other than the main chain stores.
23. Initiate a conversation
with a person you do not know.
24. Patronize a
minority-owned business.
25. Submit at least three
specific suggestions to improve this list.
Metropolis St.
Louis is a non-profit, project-based, volunteer organization, dedicated to
improving the physical and cultural environment of the City of St. Louis
through grassroots projects and an active role in civic affairs. The goal is to
attract and retain young people in the City of St. Louis. Metropolis is more than 1300 members strong,
aged 17 to 80, who are working across age, gender, racial, and cultural
boundaries to create a vital, living and working St. Louis. For other
information regarding Metropolis St. Louis, call 206-3246, or visit www.mstl.org.
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Here are 17 things you can do to help make a difference:
·
Attend a cultural event
·
Read the St.
Louis American newspaper
·
Learn about the history of another race
·
Read a book by an author who is different from you
·
Attend a play at the Black Repertory Theater
·
Think about own biases and stereotypes
·
Observe TV programs, news and advertising for biases
and stereotypes
·
Shop at a store that is owned by African Americans
·
Contribute funds to an organization that confronts
racism
·
Participate in a Dialogue Group
·
Interrupt a racist joke
·
Write the TV Station Manager when you observe
stereotypes
·
Introduce yourself to someone who is different from you
·
Initiate a discussion at work or at home about racism
·
Challenge the biases and stereotypes of family and
friends
·
Encourage your workplace or volunteer organization to
assess how inclusive the organization is through workshops and surveys.
·
Volunteer at an organization that confronts racism
Posted with permission from The National Conference for
Community and Justice – St. Louis region.
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1. Make
a commitment to become informed about people from other races and
cultures. Read a book, see a movie,
watch a play, or attend a cultural event that will inform you and your family
about the history and current lives of a group different than your own.
2.
If it is not your inclination to think about race, commit at
least one day each month to thinking about how issues of racial prejudice and
privilege might be affecting each person you come in contact with that
day. The more that people think about
how issues of race affect each person, the easier it will be for Americans to
talk honestly about race and eliminate racial divisions and disparities.
3.
In your life, make a conscious effort to get to know people of
other races. Also, if your religious
community is more racially isolated than your local area, encourage it to form
faith partnerships with racially different faith groups.
4.
Make a point to raise your concerns about comments or actions
that appear prejudicial, even if you are not the targets of these actions. When people say or do things that are
clearly racially biased, speak out against them, even if you are not the
target. When people do things that you
think might be influenced by prejudice, raise your concerns that the person or
institution seriously consider the role that racial bias might play, even
unconsciously.
5.
Initiate a constructive dialogue on race within your
workplace, school, neighborhood, or religious community.
6.
Support institutions that promote racial inclusion. Watch television programs and movies that
offer racially diverse casts that reflect the real world instead of those
perpetuating an inaccurately segregated view of America. Support companies and non-profit
organizations that demonstrate a commitment to racial inclusion in personnel
and subcontracting. Write the
institutions to let them know of your support for what they are doing.
7.
Participate in a community project to reduce racial
disparities in opportunity and well-being.
These projects can also be good ways of getting to know people from
other backgrounds.
8.
Insist that institutions that teach us about our community
accurately reflect the diversity of our Nation. Encourage our schools to provide festivals and celebrations that
authentically celebrate the history, literature, and cultural contributions of
the diverse groups that comprise the United States. Insist that our children’s schools textbooks, curricula, and
libraries provide a full understanding of the contributions of different racial
groups and an accurate description of our historic and ongoing struggle for
racial inclusion. Insist that our news
sources—whether print, television, or radio—include racially diverse opinions,
story ideas, analysis and expert opinions, story ideas, and analysis.
9.
Visit other areas of the city, region, or country that allow
you to experience parts of other cultures, beyond their food. If you have an attitude that all people have
histories, cultures, and contributions about which you could benefit from
learning, it is usually not difficult to find someone who enjoys exposing
others to their culture.
10.
Advocate that groups you can influence examine how they can
increase their commitment to reducing racial disparities, lessening
discrimination, and improving race relations.
Whether we are a member of a small community group or an executive of a
large corporation, virtually everyone can attempt to influence a group to join the
national effort to build One America.
Reprinted from the President’s Initiative on Race
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·
Make reference to the person first, then the
disability. Say “a person with a disability” rather than “a disabled
person.”
·
The term “handicapped” is derived from the image of a
person standing on the corner with a cap in hand, begging for money. People with disabilities do not want to be
recipients of charity. They want to
participate equally with the rest of the community. A disability is a functional limitation that interferes with a
person’s ability to walk, hear, talk, learn, etc. Use handicap to describe a situation or barrier imposed by
society, the environment or oneself.
·
If the disability isn’t germane to the story or
conversation, don’t mention it.
·
Remember – a person who has a disability isn’t
necessarily chronically sick or unhealthy.
He is often just disabled.
·
Because a person is not a condition, avoid describing a
person in such a manner.
·
Don’t feel obligated to act as a caregiver to people
with disabilities. It is alright to
offer assistance to a person with a disability, but wait until your offer is
accepted before you help.
·
Leaning on a person’s wheelchair is similar to leaning
or hanging on a person and is usually considered annoying and rude.
·
Share the same social courtesies with people with
disabilities that you would share with anyone else.
·
When offering assistance to a person with a visual
impairment, allow that person to take your arm. This will enable you to guide, rather than propel or lead the
person. Use specific directions, such
as “left one hundred feet” or “right two yards” when directing a person with a
visual impairment.
·
When planning events which involve persons with
disabilities, consider their needs before choosing a location. Even if people with disabilities will not
attend, select an accessible spot.
·
When speaking about people with disabilities, emphasize
achievements, abilities and individual qualities. Portray them as they are in real life: as parents, employees, business owners, etc.
·
When talking to a person who has a disability, speak
directly to that person, not through a companion.
·
Relax; don’t be embarrassed if you use common
expressions such as, “See you later” or “Gotta run,” that seem to relate to a
person’s ability.
·
To get the attention of a person who has a hearing
impairment, tap them on the shoulder or wave.
Look directly at the person and speak clearly, slowly and expressively
to establish if they read lips. Not all
people with hearing impairments can read lip.
Those who do, rely on facial expressions and body language for
understanding. Stay in the light and
keep food, hands and other objects away
from your mouth. Shouting won’t
help. Written notes will.
·
When talking to a person in a wheelchair for more than
a few minutes, place yourself at eye level with that person. This will spare both of you a sore neck.
·
When greeting a person with a severe loss of vision,
always identify yourself and others.
For example say, “on my right is John Smith.” Remember to identify person to whom you are speaking. Speak in a normal tone of voice and indicate
when the conversation is over. Let them
know when you move from one place to another.
Posted with the permission of PARAQUAD
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Here’s what to do if you or someone you know has been the
target of a hate crime:
1. DOCUMENT
THE INCIDENT. Write down where and when
the incident occurred and anything you can remember about it. Describe the perpetrator and any injuries or
property damage.
2. CALL THE POLICE.
Remember that you are a citizen who is entitled to police protection and
to being treated with respect.
3. INSIST THAT A REPORT BE TAKEN. Even if the police refuse to make an arrest, you have the right
to have a report/complaint taken. The
report will become part of the police record that a complaint was made, which
can be used to follow-up with police or if offenses are repeated.
4. ASK THAT THE INCIDENT BE CLASSIFIED AS A BIAS CRIME. Extra criminal penalties can be applied in St. Louis City to bias crime
offenders. The FBI also tracks bias
crime statistics provided by police departments.
5. GET NAMES AND BADGE NUMBERS OF POLICE OFFICERS.It is easier to follow-up when you know who
responded to your call.
6. GET A COPY OF YOUR REPORT.
You are entitled to a copy of your report/complaint. You can then see whether it was classified
as a bias incident and take further action, if necessary.
7. FOLLOW-UP WITH POLICE.If you were dissatisfied with the police response, you may follow-up by
formally complaining to the district captain in writing, and so on up the chain
of command. Also send a copy of your
letter to the Chief of Police.
8. EXPLORE SOURCES OF COMMUNITY SUPPORT. Other community groups may be able to help
you with a specific aspect of your problem.
Posted with permission from the St. Louis Lesbian &
Gay Anti-Violence Project.
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Many of us think that gender equality has arrived. Even cigarette commercials
targeted for women have said for years, "You’ve come a long way baby." And of
course we have. Women are in every imaginable profession, even those most
traditionally thought of as male. Men are in many professions previously occupied
by women. But still, we hear the term "male nurse" --as if the word nurse itself
means female. Or one all time favorite is "lady mailman". And still we see limits
for both men and women in how we are supposed to behave in order to be considered
within the boundaries of the rules for our gender. If women act or dress "too
masculine" we know the names they are called. There are many social conventions
and potential consequences for men who show even friendly affection for each other.
These conventions limit all of our human potential to be all that we can and want
to be and they limit our possibilities of closeness to each other. Consider just
a few facts:
·
Women (with the same education and skills) still earn 74% of what men earn.
·
Married couples with children have a poverty rate of 9 percent while female headed
households with children have a poverty rate of 46 percent.
·
A recent analysis of Fortune 500 companies revealed that there were only two women
who were Chief Executive Officers (CEO’s). When the analysis was expanded to
include the top 1000 companies, the numbers increased to only five women who
were CEO’s.
·
Studies have shown that housework and the work to care for children remains
mostly the job of women and in fact, women work the equivalent of an extra
month each year at home performing these domestic chores.
·
By 1997 plastic surgeons performed close to 2 million cosmetic procedures to
reduce the size of noses, enlarge the size of breasts and to suck the fat out
of women’s thighs. This figure was up 50 percent since 1992 and procedures such
as breast augmentation and liposuction had more than tripled.
So, how can we look at these inequalities and the way they limit both women and
men in a way that’s doesn’t depress us into immobility? The quizzes below are
designed for us to look at the way we participate in the socialization of men
and women to take on limited roles. We can take these quizzes privately or
discuss them at the dinner table and with family and friends as a way to look
at our own lives and sharpen our own independent thinking about these issues.
These quizzes and conversations can also be used for young people ages 12 and
up at home or in a school setting. There will be lots of room for thought and
discussion.
THE GENDER JOURNEY
Transport yourself to a time that you were a junior in high school. Picture
yourself in one of your classes. Pay attention to where you are sitting and
the way you are sitting. Then think about the following questions:
·
What were you wearing and how was your hair styled?
·
What kind of shoes, jewelry, or make-up were you wearing?
·
How was your bedroom at home decorated? What were the colors? What was on the walls?
·
Who were your friends outside of class?
·
What kinds of activities did you participate in outside of school?
·
What clubs or organizations did you belong to?
·
What did you do for fun?
Now picture yourself in seventh grade. Again situate yourself in one of
your classes and ask these same questions.
Next, imagine yourself in second grade and once again ask the questions above.
Finally, take one more step back in time to the day you were born. Imagine the
excitement of your family and answer the questions below:
·
Were your parents expecting a boy or a girl?
·
What do you imagine your parents and other relatives might have said when
they discovered what sex you were?
·
What kind of clothes and stuffed animals and toys do you think people bought for you?
Now pause for a moment. Take a breath. Imagine that same instant of your birth
but this time envision that you were born the opposite sex. With this new identity
take the journey back through time.
Visualize yourself, again, at the moment of your birth and ask the same questions
as if your sex had changed. Go back to second grade, then seventh grade, and
finally as a junior in high school. Ask all of the same questions you asked the
first time.
When you complete this journey forward through time as the opposite sex, take a
moment and write down all of the things that were the same and all of the things
that were different depending on what sex you were born as. Were you dressed in
pink or blue as a baby? Did you wear dresses or pants to school? Did your friends
play baseball, dolls, or both? Did you sit with your legs crossed or wide open?
Did you curl or blow dry your hair or just let it hang after washing? Did your
bedroom have pictures of dancers, animals, racecars, or athletes hanging on the walls?
As you analyze your two journeys as a girl and as a boy, it will begin to be
clear that some of your experiences represent clear choice, some have been
explicitly chosen for you, and some have been subtly suggested to you. Examples
of a relatively independent or gender neutral choice may be your food or type of
music. Expression of your gender that was most likely directed by your parents
and perhaps the media includes the clothes, toys, and room decorations of babyhood
and early childhood.
Childhood and Gender Quiz
Instructions
Mark those answers that come closest to matching elements of your life. Select an
answer if even one part of the item listed is correct and write the number of
points in the blank in front of the correct answer. Select the one answer that
comes closest to matching your experience.
1. Which of the toys or games below were your favorites to play with as a young child?
___dolls, paper dolls, tea sets, or play kitchen toys (1 point)
___Candyland, Chutes and Ladders, Monopoly, Yahtzee, Checkers, Chess(2 points)
___action figures, toy guns, toy cars and trucks, toy tools (3 points)
2. What kind of interactive play with other children was your favorite?
___playing dolls, house, or hopscotch (1 point)
___playing board games, riding bicycles (2 points)
___softball, football, baseball, play war or forts (3 points)
3. As a young child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
___a mother or father, a model, teacher, dancer, nurse, secretary(1 point)
___a musician, salesperson, (2 points)
___a firefighter, police officer, truck driver, doctor, lawyer, architect, athlete(3 points)
4. What household chores were you given as a child?
___setting or clearing the table, helping with cooking, dusting, washing dishes (1 point)
___cleaning bathrooms, sweeping, making your bed, keeping your own room clean
(2 points)
___taking out the trash, raking leaves, mowing the lawn, shoveling snow (3 points)
5. Which of the statements below comes closest to what you were told (or what you
learned by observing) as a child about what you were supposed to do if your body
or feelings were hurt?
___ "Oh, sweetheart, I’m so sorry that happened. Go ahead and cry. I know that hurts." (1 point)
___ "If you’re hurt really badly, go ahead and cry if you have to. But don’t make such a big deal out of things." (2 points)
___ "Buck up. You’re big now. Big boys(or girls) don’t cry. Be a little man (or little woman)." (3 points)
Now total your score. This quiz analyzes a set of elements in your life that serve
as indicators of how you were raised to express your "masculinity" or "femininity"
and what choices you made in that context.
·
If you scored 12-15 points your gender socialization as a child tended to match
the culture’s definition of traditionally masculine.
·
If you scored 5-8 points, you were socialized to express your gender as more
traditionally feminine.
·
If you scored 9-11 points, your gender socialization as a child tended to be
mixed or neutral.
As you examine your score, try not to judge and evaluate your experience.
Instead, use these rough indicators as a way to understand what you were
told and how you behaved according to standard definitions of masculinity
and femininity. Understand that there are no right or wrong answers, but
rather descriptions that will help you understand what you have learned
about what it means to be male or female in U.S. society.
Here’s one more quiz that’s been used for adults and young people and
creates quite a buzz of conversation.
Gender and the Fine Art of Preening
Instructions
Think of an extremely special and somewhat formal occasion that you are preparing
to attend or that you have attended in the past. You are going to this event with
someone very special to you and you want to look and feel exceptionally good. The
occasion could be a prom, a dance, a wedding, or some other formal event. Think of
all of the items you need and activities you plan to prepare yourself for this
event. Mark everything that you would use and do on the list below and add anything
else you that is not on the list.
Preparation Activities (Indicate the amount of time in hours that each activity will
take and then add the total of all of the activities.):
shopping for clothes ___
ironing ___
going to the cleaners ___
going to the hairdresser or barber ___
taking a nap ___
taking a bath or shower ___
shaving ___
manicure or pedicure ___
any other preparation activities ___
Other activities __________________________________________ ___
TOTAL HOURS: ___
Products (Write the number beside each product you use, be sure to
indicate separate numbers for each product. So if you use 5 different kinds
of lotion, write 5 in the blank. Then add the total number of products):
toothpaste ___
deodorant ___
shampoo ___
conditioner ___
hair products ___
lotion ___
soap ___
body gel ___
perfume, cologne or aftershave ___
bubble bath ___
facial masque or lotion ___
make-up ___
any other products you would use to prepare____________ ___
TOTAL PRODUCTS: ___
Compare your total products and hours of preparation to the totals of other
men and women and see if you detect any patterns. Generally, this activity shows
some big differences based on whether you are male or female. People who report
spending 5 hours or more preparing for a special event are generally women. There
is somewhat of a gender mix in the 1-2 hour range. But those people who jump in
and out of the shower and run a comb through their hair are most frequently men.
Are these preparations biologically hardwired? Probably not. Does our culture
socialize us in such a way that primping and pampering seems more feminine.
Probably so. There are some clear implications for traditional masculine and
feminine socialization. "...to fail at the feminine difference is to appear not
to care about men, and to risk the loss of their attention and approval. To be
insufficiently feminine is viewed as a failure in core sexual identity," (Susan
Brownmiller).
According to a study conducted by the American Association of University
Women (AAUW), girls emerge from their teen years with reduced expectations and
less confidence than boys. In fact, this drop in self-esteem is reflected in
lowered scores on standardized tests. Gender socialization has profound consequences
that are emotional and financial and impact the experience of success for both men
and women.
There’s a lot to think about here. And the good news is that we can make
choices about how we want to be and how to react to others and how to raise
our children in a way that can make a difference.
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Conversations about American History--and the Role of African Americans in Shaping It
(Information for this article is taken largely from Linda Holtzman’s book Media Messages: What Film, Television, and Popular Music Teach Us About Race, Class, Gender, and Sexual Orientation.)
February is Black History month and every year many schools and organizations focus their attention on "African American" history. Black History month was instituted because the significant portions of the experiences and vast contributions of African Americans had been omitted from mainstream American history. But the truth is that African American history is really a big part of the untold stories of American history that deserves to be honored in February, but needs to be told and taught every day of the year.
Sometimes as Americans we ask why it is necessary to study in depth the most horrible and inhuman chapters of our history. There are many reasons for this endeavor. One reason is the intrinsic value of knowing the truth, no matter how grim. Another reason is to analyze and understand the faulty premises that such inhumane logic is based on so that it can never happen again. Still another reason is to see the ways that constructing groups as the "other" even through jokes or off-handed comments can build step by step and brick by brick into monumental and destructive hate that becomes violent racism.
Understanding the untold history of African Americans in the U.S. helps us :
·
To understand our past so we don’t repeat it;
·
To understand the depth of racism in the past and how it reaches into the present;
·
To understand how certain racial inequities evolved and why they persist;
·
To learn about the heroes and sheroes and organizations that worked hard in the past and present to dismantle racism;
·
To understand how personal action and public policy today can work to create racial equity.
Here Are Some Conversation Topics to Begin to Think About What You Learned Informally About Race:
·
What did your parents tell you about your race? What word(s) did they use to describe your race? What did your parents tell you about other racial groups? What word(s) did they use to describe other races?
·
What did your grandparents and other extended family tell you about your race? What word(s) did they use to describe your race? What did your parents tell you about other racial groups? What word(s) did they use to describe other races?
·
Was there ever a time that any of your family members engaged in conflict with each other or people outside of the family regarding race? Describe the situation.
·
What did your friends and classmates say about your race? What kinds of things did they say about racial groups that were different from yours? What words did they use to describe various racial groups?
·
Did you ever see your friends engage in any conflict regarding race? Describe the situation.
·
Have you ever made a derogatory remark about your race or the race of other people? Have you ever called someone a racial name either to their face or behind their backs?
·
Have you ever engaged in any conflict regarding race? Describe the situation.
·
How do you feel about the race you are? What are you most proud of about your race? What is most difficult about being the race you are?
There are no right or wrong answers to these questions. But as we reflect on our own experiences and discuss them with others, we can begin to examine our own beliefs, prejudices, and passion for racial justice. As this unfolds, it will help us continue to sharpen our knowledge and deepen our understanding, and renew our commitment to weed out racism wherever we find it.
Take a Quiz About Race and African Americans in U.S. History
(see below for answers and explanations)
Carefully observe and discuss your thoughts and experiences as you take this journey into American history. Discuss your thoughts about these questions and explore the explanations with others. Cornel West has said, "To engage in a serious discussion of race--we need to begin with the flaws of American society rooted in historic inequalities and longstanding cultural stereotypes."
Some Commonly Asked Questions To Consider:
1. What does the term race mean?
2. What happened to Africans in the slave trade? What is the middle passage?
3. Everyone keeps talking about slavery. That was a long time ago in U.S. history. Why do we have to keep hearing about it?
4. In what way and to what degree does the legacy of slavery effect the contemporary lives of African Americans?
5. Why didn’t I learn much of this in school? What are the consequences of these gaps in knowledge about U.S. history?
6. What kinds of things can I do to change the inequities of racism today?
Answers and Explanations
1. The definition of the word race has changed throughout U.S. history. The racial groups we can choose from on the census form has changed at least 5 times since the Census first began to be taken. At on time a person was considered "Negro" if they had one African American grandparent. This so -called "one drop" rule meant that an individual could not vote, own property or have many of the rights and freedom that whites had. Race is not a fixed idea nor has it been a static definition. While it is clear, that we have different color skin and hair types, the concept of race is usually political and social. Most contemporary scientists and political scientists agree that there is no such thing as a biological basis of race.
But the changing definition of race has been used throughout U.S. history to define which groups will be entitled to certain rights and privileges and which will not. And even though the idea of race as a way to define what kind of people we are is wrong--it has had devastating real life impact. This ever-changing definition has determined who can vote, where we can live and work, the quality of our health care, the education of our children and how we are treated by other people.
2. When Africans were captured as slaves they were pulled from their families and communities and catapulted into intolerable situations in which they were forced to march to the coast, sometimes for 1000 miles with shackles around their necks. Two out of every five Africans died in these marches. During the middle passage (so called because it came after the passage in Africa and before the passage in the U.S.).Africans were packed aboard slave ships, in spaces not much bigger than coffins and chained together in the dark. One of three Africans died aboard these ships. The slave traders were not concerned by this enormous loss of life because they viewed Africans as less than human and even with so much death--they were still making a profit from the slave trade.
By 1800, 10-15 million Africans had been kidnapped and uprooted from their homes and families and transported to North and South America for the purposes of slavery. While this number of enslaved people is staggering, it is important to remember that this represented only the third of Africans who survived the journey on foot to the coasts of Africa and the sea voyage known as the Middle Passage. According to Howard Zinn who wrote the book People’s History of the U.S. it is roughly estimated that Africa lost 50 million human beings to death and slavery.
3. Racism is built on the myth that skin color and other physical characteristics can make make one group of people superior to another group of people. As we can see in the institution of slavery, racism can be grounded both in individual hatred and a collective belief in superiority/inferiority that can be institutionalized for hundreds of years. The institutionalized racism that was slavery became embedded in commerce, education, housing, labor, the family, religion and has effected the distribution of power, privilege, land and material goods for over two hundred year. Throughout much of the time that African Americans were enslaved, it was illegal for slaves to learn to read.
For two hundred years slavery captured the bodies and the minds of African Americans. As slavery continued from generation to generation, the memories of freedom in Africa grew dimmer and more distant. To be considered property and treated as such had a devastating impact on the external and internal lives of slaves. In this atmosphere of unrelenting racism, the messages of inferiority that so many whites believed became the same messages that many blacks internalized and came to believe.
4. Here are just a few of the facts and stories that we don’t often read about in our history books that have effected African Americans in the 21st century.
·
After slavery, blacks were shut out of labor unions which were the source of the best working class jobs. Most blacks could only find jobs as laborers or share-croppers. Even in the 21st century--race discrimination in jobs and income persists. Today, for example, African American men with college degrees end up just a few dollars ahead of white men with high school diplomas.
·
200 years of reading being considered illegal for African Americans was followed by over 40 years of the "separate but equal" rule in school. This meant that segregation was legal. But schools for black children were often under funded and without the basic resources for real learning to occur. This has real impact on opportunities for African Americans. For example, since whites were accepted in medical schools for over 100 years longer than African Americans, this means that in some white families there are generations of doctors that may include mentors and resources and even built-in medical practices that are rarely available to African Americans.
·
Racism is still alive in the U.S. Over 90% of the time when the black population of a neighborhood reaches 10-20%, the white population begins to move out of the neighborhood.
5. A study of 12 high school American history books showed that the horrors of slaverywere discussed to some degree in most of the books. But none of them talked about the role of European Americans or how slavery effected the capacity for compassion in whites who participated in it. These textbooks talk about slavery as if it was "uncaused" as James Loewen says in his book Lies My Teacher Taught Me .
One way to think about this is with a parallel in Germany. Most Americans have learned about the Holocaust and the murder of millions of Jews. We also have learned that while it was Hitler’s plan and evil leadership that instigated this tragedy, that millions of Germans participated actively or passively to allow such a horror to happen and continue. We would be horrified if German children did not learn about this terrible chapter in their history and the role of every day German citizens. Yet in the U.S., we don’t learn about the role of everyday U.S. citizens in our history of slavery and racism. We are not asked to grapple with what could have caused such inhumane treatment. Equally important, we don’t often learn what some whites and blacks did to try to fight slavery and racism.
As a result we aren’t taught about the possibilities for change and social justice that can come from even one individual or a small group of committed people. Without knowing this part of our history, many of us feel powerless today to make a dent in the huge problem of racism.
To oversimplify slavery and its legacies is a disservice to students and is one way that distortions and misinformation about racism continue. If we do not know what happened and why, if we do not know what some people of all races did to try to end slavery and racism, and if we do not know what impact slavery and racism have today, then the beliefs we have and the decisions we make will be on a wobbly foundation built from partial truths.
6. We can all do our part to end racism in our own lives and in the institutions around us.
Some simple beginnings include:
·
Reading articles and books about race and racism and ending racism.
·
Attending workshops and conferences to explore racism and anti-racism strategies.
·
Interrupting racist jokes and making it clear to colleagues, families, and friends that you don’t want to hear certain words or jokes that stereotype other races.
·
Joining organizations (such as the Anti-Defamation League or the National Conference for Community and Justice) to help in their efforts to dismantle racism.
For more ideas for action , see the Resource Guide located on this website. Below are just a few books or articles to consider reading:
Feagin, Joe R. and Sikes, Melvin P. 1994. Living With Racism: The Black Middle-Class Experience. Boston: Beacon.
Hacker, Andrew. 1992. Two Nations: Black and White, Separate, Hostile, Unequal. NY: Charles Scribners & Sons.
Holtzman, Linda. 2000. Media Messages: What Film, Television, and Popular Music Teach Us About Race, Class, Gender, and Sexual Orientation. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe.
Kivel, Paul. 1996. Uprooting Racism: How White People Can Work for Racial Justice. Gabriola Island, B.C.: New Society.
Loewen, James W. 1995. Lies My Teachers Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong. NY: Touchstone.
McIntosh, Peggy. 1988. "White Privilege and Male Privilege: A Personal Account of Coming to See Correspondences Through Work in Women’s Studies". In Race, Class, and Gender: An Anthology. Andersen, Margaret L. and Collins, Patricia Hill, eds, . Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Reid, Frances. Producer/Director. Skin Deep: College Students Confront Racism. Video. San Francisco: Resolution/California Newsreel.
Segrest, Mab. 1994. Memoir of a Race Traitor. Boston: South End.
Takaki, Ronald,1993. A Different Mirror, A History of Multicultural America. Boston: Little, Brown.
Tatum, Beverly Daniel. 1997. "Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?" and Other Conversations about Race". NY: Basicbooks.
Zinn, Howard, 1995. A People’s History of the United States: 1492-Present. N.Y.: Harper Perennial.
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This conversation is intended to initiate discussion about the surroundings and culture
in which you were raised. The idea is to learn about similarities and differences in
which people grew up.
For Adults, teens, and older children:
Take a journey to your childhood and think about what, if any, holidays your family
celebrated during December. Think about and discuss the following questions:
·
What kind of celebration did you have?
·
What was the name of the holiday?
·
Were there any religious elements for you and your family?
·
Remember and discuss the smells, the foods, the people, the decorations.
·
Was there gift giving?
·
Did the family gather together?
·
Were there songs or prayers?
·
Were there any special family traditions involved?
·
Did your family attend a religious service at a church, synagogue, mosque or other place of worship?
·
Do you have any other significant memories about this holiday?
·
Did your friends, classmates, and neighbors celebrate the same or different holidays?
·
Did department stores decorate, play music, and promote products for your holiday?
·
Were schools and businesses closed for your holiday?
·
What was it like to celebrate a holiday that most people in the U.S. celebrated?
What was it like to celebrate a holiday that was not celebrated by most people in the U.S.?
·
What do you know about the December holidays and celebrations of people who
celebrated holidays that were different from your family?
For children:
Invite your child to draw a picture or look at family photographs of the December holiday
which your family celebrates. Ask him or her to talk about all of the things he/she can remember about
the holiday from last year and ask what are all the things that are important and special about this holiday?
Do you sing songs, draw pictures, decorate and talk about your holiday in school?
Is your school closed for your holiday? Do any of your friends celebrate different holidays?
How do they celebrate in their family?
Family Activities:
Invite another family of a different faith or tradition from your family to share part of each other's holidays this year.
You could invite each other to a family meal, celebration, or religious observance.
If you don't know a family of a different tradition you can call local churches, synagogues and mosques to get more information
or check the calendar section of local newspapers to find activities from different faiths that your family might attend to learn more
about diversity during this time of year.
Information for adult, family and cross generational discussion:
Often people who grew up in communities that were largely Christian assume that the December holiday is Christmas and
think of their answers to the questions above as "normal" or "average" and talk about eating the "usual" Christmas foods
or celebrating in the "typical" way.
But there are many other possibilities for holidays and celebrations around December. These include Chanukah,
celebrated by Jews; Kwanzaa, celebrated by many African Americans; and the Winter Solstice, celebrated by many
individuals who are part of organized religions and many who are not. For some faiths, agnostics or atheists,
there may be no traditional December holiday.
During Chanukah, the Festival of Lights, candelabras known as Menorahs are lit for eight consecutive days, potato
pancakes or latkes are eaten, and a game is played with a toplike "dreidl." Traditionally, simple gifts are
exchanged during Chanukah. Chanukah celebrates the dedication of the new altar in the Temple at Jerusalem that
occurred 165 years before the Christian Era. It later came to be linked with the miracle of one day's worth of oil
burning for eight days.
During Kwanzaa, a kenora is lit and families celebrate seven principles including unity, self-determination, and
cooperative economics. Kwanzaa is a 20th century American holiday developed by Maulana Karenga and first
observed in 1966. It is based in part on traditional African harvest festivals but has a special emphasis on the
role of the family and community in African American culture. It is not a religious holiday nor does it encourage
gift giving.
If you grew up celebrating Christmas in a predominantly Christian community, most likely you understood your
experience to be the norm. Perhaps you never heard of Chanukah or Kwanzaa until you were much older. Perhaps you
still are not completely sure what those holidays are about and why Christmas is not celebrated by everyone.
Perhaps you felt sorry for people who did not have Christmas trees. Or perhaps you thought that people who
celebrated other non-Christian holidays were interesting, exotic, odd, or even un-American. Most likely, your
early holiday experiences were part of what you believed to be average and normal and how you understand the "other",
or people and groups that were different from you.
(Information for this article is excerpted from Linda Holtzman's book: Media Messages: What Film, Television,
and Popular Music Teach Us About Race, Class, Gender and Sexual Orientation. Armonk, New York. M.E. Sharpe Publishers,
September 2000.)
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This conversation is intended to initiate discussion
about the surroundings in which you were raised. The idea is to learn about similarities and differences in which
people grew up.
Everyone take turns describing the
neighborhood where you grew up.
Describe the houses, apartments,
or farms. Were they big or small? Did they house one generation multiple
generations of a family?
What were the rules for children
in the neighborhood? Where and what did
they play? What kind of freedom did
they have to roam around the neighborhood?
Did the neighborhood feel safe? What sights and smells do you most
remember?
What kind of jobs did your
neighbors have? What race and religion
were most people in your neighborhood?
Were most people's race and religion like yours or different from yours?
If most people were the same race and religion as you--how did you learn about
people of different races and religions?
How do you think your life might
be different from people raised in other neighborhoods?
Have children draw a picture of
their house. Be sure to include trees,
pets, and anything else that may define the house. At the bottom of the picture, have them list their 5 favorite
things about their neighborhood.
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