The first instance where I had to educate my non-Black peers at the high school was during my freshman Seminar class. When we were discussing privilege and equity, my teacher asked the class if we knew what code-switching was. I was the only person who raised their hand. I remember other students laughing and giving me weird looks. I felt singled-out and intimated: Why was I the only person who was willing to offer a response to a question about a term that is so important to Black identity?
Later that day, my teacher sent me a student update praising me for knowing what the term meant. I found it especially odd that my teacher commended me for knowing a term relating to my identity. It made me feel that my knowledge was unusual, even though students at a progressive school like GDS should know what code-switching is.
I have been in the GDS community since 2014, and as a Black student I have found myself in countless situations where I have a different role than my non-Black peers. Because I believe there is a lack of Black community members at GDS, I feel like I am forced to educate my non-Black peers when my non-Black teachers don’t. When teachers rely on Black students to educate the class about Black identity, they can foster microaggressive and racially-charged environments that can make Black students feel uncomfortable.
GDS’ statement of inclusion says, “We commit to taking responsible action to build a foundation of cultural competency.” However, my experiences at GDS do not reflect this commitment at all. In fact, I have not felt like my teachers actively work to build a foundation of cultural competency. Instead, I am forced to instill cultural competency among my peers regarding Black culture rather than my teachers.
African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) is a linguistic style that is often used among Black communities in the U.S. As a Black person, I often use AAVE with my Black peers. In one of my classes, we were reading a book that included AAVE, and it was especially culturally significant to the book’s story. Most of the students did not know what vernacular the dialogue was written in. My teacher didn’t seem very knowledgeable on the topic either. She asked if the class knew what the vernacular was but did not delve deep into the history and relevance the dialogue has among the Black community. Instead, she turned her head to look at me and other Black students to educate students on the dialogue. The class treated the dialogue like it was a foreign entity – something so different from what was considered the norm.
I felt as though it was my responsibility to educate the rest of the class on AAVE because my teacher didn’t seem to know about it. I was worried that my teacher wouldn’t accurately and adequately educate my peers, meaning I felt a pressure to step in. AAVE is such an important aspect of the book, and it should have been the teacher’s responsibility to effectively delve into the significance of it instead of relying on her Black students.
Some of my classmates were making fun of AAVE in the book because it was different from what they were used to. I was confused why so many others were laughing at something that is so central to my identity. If my teacher had educated my peers about AAVE before reading the text, I don’t think my classmates would have reacted the way they did.
It should not be my responsibility as a Black person to educate my peers on Black culture. Teachers should properly educate the class and not rely on Black students to do so. The expectation that I should educate others on my culture and history makes me feel as though I have a different role in the classroom than my non-Black peers.
Whether or not students know about certain topics regarding Black identity, I hope that teachers can educate their students without relying on Black students. I know that GDS is capable of changing the learning environment given the school’s stated progressive values, and I hope that we foster more equitable and inclusive academic conversations regarding Black identity in the future.