How do you feel about the lack of black male teachers?
How do you feel about the lack of black male teachers?
Guy #1- As an education major, I hate it because I wish there were more people in my field that I could relate to. It is already bad enough that there are very few men in education. So now that there are a select few black men, I feel like I cannot relate to anyone. Of course I like the fact that there is not going to be much competition in terms of my field, but at the same time I realize the importance of black male teachers. We establish dominance in every setting we are in. So we need more black male teachers, but unfortunately we don’t have enough.
Guy #2- I think there is only like 10 percent of black teachers in our school system. So imagine how little bit of that number is males. I wish we had more black male teachers but right now I think we need to focus on keeping blacks in school. I think if we can first focus on keeping black people in school, then we can focus on making them educators. There is no point in jumping the gun and wanting everything before we hardly have anything.
Guy #3- The same way I feel about the lack of black male doctors. The same way I feel about the lack of black male reporters. The same way I feel about the lack of black male businessmen. The same way I feel about the lack of black male engineers. The same way I feel about black male lawyers. The same way I feel about black male college students. The same way I feel about black male everything. I think black males never see their full potential so we rarely have a surplus; we always have a lack.
Do you think the N-word has a place in our society?
Guy #1- I think every word has a place in our society. Even the dirty words. However, when it comes to the N-word I think it is important to keep this word in society because it shows us the good and bad of our society. Yes, it was a word that was intended to make blacks feel inferior, but we have done nothing but flip it and we now use it as a joke. So in a sense we are kind of laughing at the people who tried to bring us down. Anybody who still feels sensitive to this word needs to lighten up. My grandfather was called that word and now he can see that it has no power over him. So why should I feel inferior when my friends call me that in a friendly manner?
Guy #2- I think the word is bad but people are always going to use it. I don’t feel like it has much of a place, but at the same time a word is a word. You can’t “ban” a word, especially that word. That word is so deeply engrained in our society that it is nearly impossible to get rid of. Black people and white people use it. The word is historical. It’s as American as apple pie. Maybe not the nice America we think of when we hear America the Beautiful, but it shows the America that forced us to sing We Shall Overcome.
Guy #3- I think the word has no place in any society. I really wish people would stop using it. I hate to hear it because people seem to be so ignorant by trying to defend such a terrible word. I think if people actually cared about the things they were saying then the word would be a thing of our past. All I know is I refuse to be that word because I am so much more than that. That word does nothing but bring us down and show us how bad and dirty people can treat each other. So why try and glorify it? Just let the word die. It is not that hard to stop using it. I stopped years ago, and my vocabulary is just fine without it.
What are your feelings about UC Berkeley bake sale?
Guy #1- I honestly found it funny more than offensive. It was a dumb decision, but it still made me chuckle when I researched it. I think race issues are funny more than offensive in this day and age. We as black people have overcome so much that it would be stupid to let something like this offend me.
Guy #2- I haven’t really heard much about it. But from what you have told me, I think the situation is ignorant. I don’t understand why they thought that was okay but if I were there I would have told them that was a bad idea. I think I need to look up more information about it before I can give you full feedback though.
Guy #3- The bake sale was a poor decision. I think the attempt to draw awareness was a weak attempt. If they planned on getting publicity, they surely won that war. But if they planned on having a positive reaction I’m sure they wish they would have thought again. I think for them to even try and use race issues in a “post racial” society was perhaps the dumbest thing a business could do. And if they were trying to do that, they could have at least done it without trying to make it so public.