Fri July 4th- Conference Day

Race and Identity - with speakers: Martin Morrison and Mike Corbett

Mike Corbett started by saying, "Race is a pseudo-scientific bullshit construction". A bold statement, considering the very definition of race refers to a "human population distinguished as more or less distinct group by genetically transmitted physical characteristics".( http://www.thefreedictionary.com/race). My apologies, if this comes as a shock to anyone, but race is indeed scientific at its core. A more appropriate statement would have been, “Racism is a pseudo-scientific bullshit construction.” Racism has no scientific backing. Rather it is a social construction derived from historical and present day societies.

Martin Morrison is the RCH (Race, Cultural and Human Rights) Coordinator for the Tri-County School Board. He stated, "that people construct points of entry to talk to you based on who you are”. We make assumptions instead of asking people about their background. Martin led an activity whereby we were to make assumptions about a stranger right in front of them. The activity was eye-opening for many, but I think it was more about prejudices than race. We had to guess specifics about what kind of food they liked, what their favourite movies are etc. Forgive my ignorance but I think these superficial assumptions are harmless. In fact, our group was almost completely right about the assumptions we had to make about ‘our stranger’. Don’t get me wrong, I completely understand why the activity was done, but to do through a cultural lens seemed irrelevant.

Martin did however speak to a very important point. He talked about the "residual impact of negative stereotypes for people of African descent". Jaws dropped when he admitted to carrying receipts with him, so as not to be accused of stealing. Gasps were audible in the crowd as a result of this admission. Martin said there is a “beauty of being understood”.  I as a white, middle class, female take this for granted.  It is important for us to remember that much of our student population often feels misunderstood and that having someone make assumptions about who you are isn’t always a positive approach.

Educational ideals seem to come in waves. A ‘hot topic’ at this point is Cultural Proficiency and Social Justice. I hope that through exposure and understanding, we can become more culturally aware and that social justice isn’t just the newest fad. We have to acknowledge our shortcomings and misgivings and incorporate our knowledge, patience and understanding in the classroom.