Power. Privilege. Where do I start?

I think about the times when the tables have been turned for me, and I have been in the minority. I studied in Ghana in the summer of 2007, and when I went to the local market in a suburb of Accra, I was the only white person there. People pointed and stared at me, shouted at me, touched my hair, and at one point, grabbed me violently. I was on display. I was thankful that the daughter of the woman who ran the "hotel" my group stayed in held my hand firmly, reassuringly as we walked through the maze of fish, fruits, and fabrics.

I also studied in London, where I was the minority in two ways. The first was when I assisted with music workshops in an East London primary school, and all the children were Indian. When I played my flute for them, the only thing they could focus on was how shiny and pretty it was, and therefore it must cost a lot of money. The second way was how self-conscious I felt when I spoke in certain situations. Just when I wanted to blend in, at a pub ordering a drink, for example, my spoken response would totally give me away as an American. Given the global dislike of the United States, I did not want to be judged as an American.

I like to think that because I have had these experiences, because I have felt what it's like to be in the minority or to be judged for your cultural qualities, that I understand the power of privilege and/or racism in our country. But the fact is, I don't. And I don't think it's possible for me to understand completely. I was in Ghana because I could afford to be, and I was in London because of my pricey liberal arts college. I have a very fancy and expensive flute, and I am fluent in Standard English only. Those experiences abroad were incredibly powerful, and because of them, I am more aware of the privilege my skin color or language allows me, but the fact remains that I am still a part of the privileged in our society. Should I feel guilty? The privilege is so ingrained in me that I don't even realize it is a privilege. Thank goodness for Zalika's class.

That is the first step that I have gained from the last class conversations. Realize that privilege is there. Know the cultural, social, political, etc, implications that go along with that privilege. Then do something positive with it. And I think teaching is the perfect place for that something positive. If it weren't for my white, middle-class status, would I be able to afford such a good teacher education program where I would learn all about an anti-bias approach to teaching? Maybe, maybe not. I might enroll instead in one of the teacher education programs described in Other People's Children and Finding Freedom in the Classroom that only further stereotypes and racism in the classroom. I feel like investing in this program at LC is a step in the right direction.