The 2007 movie, "The Great Debaters," starring and directed by Denzel Washington, is about a debate team during the 1930's that has a nearly undefeated season. The movie portrays the first debate between U.S. students from white and Negro colleges and ends with an invitation for the black students to face Harvard University's national champions. During the course of the film, you see these students experience much of the horror of their time, including a lynching.
This week, I showed this movie in the high school video/film classes I teach, and was saddened each time I watched. Don't get me wrong -- it's an inspiring story. But, the movie reminds me that we still have so far to go when it comes to race relations in our country. At a time that we have the first multi-racial President, it's still hard to believe how much discrimination exists on a daily basis here.
I hesitate to discuss the following example, because it personifies the stereotypes many have of the South. Though, I believe what's happening in small cities in the South only mirror the undercurrent throughout the nation. I have recently moved to Southern California, after living for more than a decade in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It's a city where the local school system continues to experience racial unrest and animosity on a regular basis.
I first covered the topic as a local television reporter then experienced it first hand as a teacher and working in the school system's public relations office, including a short stint as the district spokesperson. From the recent creation of a magnet school to the location of a new high school to any redistricting possibilities, each and every major issue in this district somehow seems to turn to accusations of segregation and discrimination. This past Christmas eve, NBC Nightly News did a segment about whether the Tuscaloosa City Schools are re-segregating, because of many recent decisions and the way the high schools are now set-up.
The accusations often go something like this: the folks North of the river blame the folks East and West for bringing violence and other problems into their schools. The folks West of town blame the administrators downtown for discrimination and unequal access to a quality education. The board of education often votes down racial lines on key issues. The local media alternates on whose side they report. It's a never-ending cycle of the blame game. In my opinion, there is no one group of people to blame. We all are. I'm including myself in that. One of the reasons I left town is I was tired of the fight.
I'd like to say I had some great solution in mind, but I don't. I do think there's one thing that could help the decades-old situation. Some of the students in those schools who everyone claims to have as their top priority could teach us all a thing or two about equality and community.
Bo and George were in my television production program in the Tuscaloosa City Schools. Bo comes from the east side of Tuscaloosa, George, the west side. They probably live no more than a 10-15 minute car ride apart, but completely different in terms of socioeconomics and race. Bo is white. George is black. They met in my classroom at the local technology center, where students come from the three high schools to produce a weekly television show. Bo and George became really good friends and two of my best on-air staff, hosting our show's entertaining sports segment.
These two young men represent the best of what I saw in my classroom over the years -- black and white students working together, playing together, and really enjoying their friendships, despite the differences. Bo and I were the only white people at George’s graduation party. George and his girlfriend just went with Bo and his girlfriend on a college spring break trip. They both would admit it’s not easy to retain a friendship when they live in completely different worlds within the same community, but somehow they make it work.
Maybe the Tuscaloosa City Schools’ administration should involve more students in the decision-making process. Now, I would be the first to say they don't need to run the place! But, their ability to get along more often than the adults might bring something to the table that really makes a difference. And, when I say get them involved, I don't mean in the way that often happens -- the decision is basically already made but there are community, parent, faculty, and student input meetings. Let's get the students in on the ground floor and build some solutions before there's a bigger problem.
The year before the Tuscaloosa City Schools divided their high school (housed in two buildings--9th/10th grades in one facility, 11th/12th grades down the street) into three neighborhood 9th-12th high schools, the majority of the high school students polled preferred a large mega high school where they all stayed together on one site. Their opinions were considered and dismissed.
During one of the emotionally charged debate scenes in the "The Great Debaters," debater Samantha Brooke gives an impassioned plea for the need for equality. "Would you kindly tell me when is that day gonna come? Is it gonna come tomorrow? Is it gonna come next week? In a hundred years? Never? No, the time for justice...the time for freedom...and the time for equality...is always, always right now."
Maybe now is the time we should start listening to the students more if we really want to provide the best environment for them to learn.
Reflections of a journalist and teacher
Mark, this is sad, but true. I was so sad when Central was split. As a matter of fact, I didnt stay long after it split. The fear that rocked athletic teams across the state vanished when they heard the word 'Central', not to mention the pool of the debate teams, awesome electives, etc.
ReplyDeleteIn our defense, we're not all bitten by that bug. When I've traveled as an RN I've had several black room mates and really enjoyed rooming with them. I had two white roommates, one from Pittsburgh and one from Las Vegas, however, who refused to room with a black RN, and went on to describe physical attributes of a black person as their reasons! I told the director not to ever let me hear them talking about the SOUTHERN RNs being prejudice. I had never even thought about refusing a black roommate!!