And oftentimes, those ready for a calculus level of inquiry and reflection are BIPOC folx who live in the harms of racist and inequitable systems, policies, and actions every day - the same systems, policies, and actions often just starting to be unpacked by their basic geometry level classmates. It is similar to asking folx who are ready to study calculus to sit through a class teaching basic geometry. It begs the critical question - how do equity, racial justice, and other DEI-centered professional development engagements cater to whiteness, and the comfort of white folx, particularly at the expense of safety and liberation of Black and Brown folx?įurthermore, when those just beginning their anti-racist journeys dictate what happens in spaces meant to be used for growing capacity to foster equity and racial justice, there is only so much progress and impact that can occur. 58)Īs Gorski notions, the undercurrent in the sentiment of “meeting people where they are” is most often signaling the meeting of white folx where they are. They cannot afford to wait, in particular, for all white educators to ease into racial equity commitments at a pace of our choosing while they suffer the consequences of our casualness.” (Gorski, 2019, p. Students, families, and educators experiencing racism cannot afford to wait for us to saunter toward a more serious racial equity vision. “The hard truth is, racial equity cannot be achieved with an obsessive commitment to ‘meeting people where they are’ when ‘where they are’ is fraught with racial bias and privilege. ![]() Paul Gorski, in writing about avoiding equity detours, speaks to the flawed approach of “meeting people where they are.” As he states: ![]() In the work of promoting equity and racial justice, a lauded guiding principle has often been to “meet people where they are.” While this approach may work to bring in people who are just beginning their own racial identity development and anti-racist journeys, this approach often falls short when “where people are” can vary drastically within a space, and within one room of people receiving the same professional development. ![]() By: Natalie McCabe Zwerger, Suri Seymour, & Dr.
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