Hey there! You may have read my latest post titled Dear White Educators, it’s an honest letter to white educators about the things they can do to be more culturally sensitive to their black students and coworkers. Well, this is the companion post to it, all for us by us! As I write this I am reminding myself of ways to stay true to me, all while maintaining my professional self and managing the day to day stresses of surviving a pandemic and staying woke in the awakening of a forgotten fight of equality and social justice for black people. This post is my letter to you, Black Educators as you cope, heal, and serve others in spite of it all!
Allow Yourself to Feel…
It’s okay to be angry, sad, overwhelmed, or exhausted you’ve been through a lot…and up until very recently, it’s just now become a concern for the rest of the world. Acknowledge those feelings and process them. Sometimes it helps to share your feelings with others or sometimes it feels better to experience them on your own. Whatever your fancy please don’t bury or ignore them. I know for me all of this has been very triggering. It has forced me to recall experiences in my professional life that didn’t feel so good. I may have not been called a racial slur but definitely had my experiences with entitlement and microaggressions from white coworkers.
No More Apologies…
Be unapologetically you! It’s time to rock that natural hair, wear that Afrocentric piece to school. Correct those that pronounce your name wrong. Embracing all of your blackness. Its time out for shrinking yourself to make others feel comfortable. Now is the time for you to shine! Speak up let your voices be heard. I’ve had a number of friends mention to me how their school or district had not sent out any communication regarding the current racial climate and the movement that is happening in cities around the world. I understand that the topic of race can make people feel uncomfortable and some may not be able to find the appropriate words to say. Trust me the silence is causing more damage than good. Here is your chance to be the change agent. Remind your administrators that this is important to you and your students. Without apologies share your feelings. Tell them that their lack of stance sends the message that they don’t value staff or students of color. Insist that communication goes out to express a stance on the inequality issues and solidarity from your institution.
Share Your Personal Experiences…
Now is the time to share your experiences with whoever will listen. This is the perfect opportunity for you to speak up. Share those stories of inequitable practice, the racial wage gap, and limited opportunities. Lift up those concerns about culturally appropriate curriculum, having access to diverse text in your classrooms and school library. Join the hiring committee and advocate for diverse staff members. There is an old saying “Closed mouths don’t get fed”. Don’t let that be your experience. Share your experiences with others so that where there can be change there will be. I’m not telling you to go out and ruffle feathers or become a rabble-rouser I am saying to use your voice. Like me I know we all had those moments where we’d wished we said something but no more speak up!
Practice Self – Care
Take a break and indulge in self-care. We know all too well the toll that being black in America can take on us. Explore old hobbies or try some new ones. Make sure you allow yourself time to disconnect from it all. Take a social media break or mental health days. Physical activity does the body wonders. I prefer walks or bike rides. Even something as simple as adding relaxing oils to a diffuser can have great effects on clearing the mind and destressing. Even though this is an extremely exciting time to see the world learn about juneteenth or the surge in support and solidarity for blacks by major corporations. It all can still be a constant reminder of our dire reality. Please take some time for you.
Address, Educate, and Suggest…
We must continue to lift up and call out those uncomfortable moments of entitlement, microaggressions, or unfair treatment. There’s not really a blueprint for doing this but here is how I put it to practice it. Address, educate, and suggest. Address it! Name whatever action that took place that made you feel uncomfortable or unfairly treated, then do what we do best and educate. Use this as a teachable moment and define the wrong actions of others and share any historical examples or relevance that applies. Now offer suggestions to improve the behavior. Suggest a resource or book. Offer a more appropriate way of saying or doing things that will prevent causing offense, harm, or exclusion of others.
No Pressure…
I know that I am encouraging you to use your voice and not be afraid of the liberation that can be found in speaking up. There is a fine line between speaking up and being the spokesperson for Black Lives Matter. You are not obligated to educate others on the black experience. Many white people are experiencing feelings of guilt or newfound desire to learn more about black people and black culture. This is great but DO NOT take on the additional responsibility of educating nonblacks about black. This will become a point of stress for you in the long run. Encourage them to do their own research. You are dealing with enough and must protect your peace.
Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear which one these you plan on putting into practice right away! Leave it in the comments below!
