Armstrong, Wildman & Gomez

Deconstruction Privilege: Teaching and Learning as Allies in the Classroom 

Main Idea

Armstrong and Wildman write about the harms of colorblindness, as it allows white people in privilege to ignore discussions about race and ignore social injustices. They suggest classroom activities that prompt students to consider privilege and powerlines.  

Talking Points

1. As an alternative to colorblindness, the authors support color insight because it "requires its practitioners to observe, discuss, and analyze the operation of race and privilege in contemporary society."

2. They elaborate on the powerline that divides identities as being privileged and oppressed. They say without recognizing and examining how people are privileged, society cannot address the injustices experienced by the oppressed. 

3. They offer 3 activities that prompt students to consider these things. 

    a. Record a fraction of your day and name the race and role of people you encounter

    b. Powerline activity where students examine their identities and where they fall above or below the powerline. 

 

 c. Maternal grandmother activity. This gets students writing about their family histories about what their ancestors have gone through. 

Why Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show Mattered - and Why It Moved So Many Hispanics to Tears

For this one, I'd like to disclose up front that I have not yet seen the Bad Bunny half-time show, nor the rest of the Superbowl it was featured in. So the impressions I get are third hand, taken directly from Gomez's article. 

The impression I get from the article is that the performance was meaningful for a lot of people because it boldly and unapologetically represented their culture. There were a lot of cultural truths acknowledged in the visuals, staging, music and people involved. These truths had faced criticism or marginalization in the past and having them on a highly visible stage was an important moment. 

I particularly liked the passage about Ricky Martin's appearance, how it showed the legacy of the music. I remember hearing his songs on the radio as a middle school student just awakening to the world of music and pop culture. The nod felt nostalgic for me. 

I look forward to watching the performance in class with everyone tomorrow and to hearing everyone's interpretation of its significance.