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Taking
Multicultural, Anti-racist Education Seriously: An Interview with
Educator Enid Lee
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The author equates monoculturalism with racism and states that if you don't take multculturalism seriously, you are promoting racist education and that there is no neutral ground on this issue. Kind of like saying this is the issue and this is the way you must look at it and discussion of alternate ideas or perspectives is "verboten!" She has an idealistic agenda and cites many of the typical examples that suggest unequal or unfair treatment in school curriculums. There seems to be a lot of anger in Enid Lee and somewhat anti-anything if people express preferences or that any ideals or values are held in common. An admirable goal is to empower all people and give them the education, guidance and opportunities to change and develop their lives. She believes that the current educational system has a cultural bias, or an exclusionary, racist bias, and it needs to be purged. She struggles against any kind of dominant culture, although it might be impossible to find a country or people where a dominant culture does not exist, even in Africa. She does make a fine point that we need to hear the voices of all the silenced groups. She seems to be very anti-conservative and the efforts to treat all people the same. In some ways, she may be a proponent of "victimology, not as a problem to be solved, but as an identity to be nurtured." (See the article, "Black Dissent," by John Leo, Jan. 15, 2001 in US News and World Report, available at: http://www.usnews.com/usnews/ issue/010115/15john.htm) In other words, I get the impression and the message is sent on a regular basis, that there has been no progress since the 1960s and the Civil Rights movement. I agree that we need to provide an equitable education for all and to hear the voices of those in our classrooms. I also feel that the children of today have a message for us and that we must listen. Her message and feelings seem to be so anti-establishment, anti-white, anti-European, anti-dominant culture that I wonder if she and her vision can ever be a part of the culture and society of the United States, against which she is struggling. Would she prefer a society within a society, separate and distinct, requiring different treatment from other nationalities? There are multiple messages with her statements. I not sure where the multiple messages of her agenda might be taking us.
Other
websites of interest on Enid Lee and her struggle for equality This
website advertises a forthcoming conference, titled: Equity
Institute 2001: Putting Race on the Table. The Key to
transforming classrooms for equitable outcomes. July 5th through
8th. Another
website is from the "Kids Newsletter," which offers reasons why
you might want to purchase Beyond Heroes. Check it out at: "Letters
to Marcia: A Teacher's Guide to Anti-Racist Education and other related
books on the topic, can be found at: |
