The Musings of Two Long-Time Friends

Tag: anti-racism

White Saviorism… and How to Avoid it

White Saviorism… and How to Avoid it

I’ve had glitter bottles in my classroom as long as I’ve had a classroom, but this year – after much expertise gleaned from years of practice – my bottles were so particularly beautiful that my students talked me into selling them. (Here’s a shameless plug […]

Is “Systemic Racism” Real?

Is “Systemic Racism” Real?

 “When the architects of our great republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as […]

A Camera Is a Shield

A Camera Is a Shield

I was recorded in public by a black person a few months ago after a near-accident in a parking lot. (I misjudged the timing of an oncoming car as I turned left into a parking spot, and we narrowly missed each other. She confronted me […]

If Reading Builds Empathy…

If Reading Builds Empathy…

Note: This is an opinion piece. This is not a scholarly essay. It’s not going to have well-cited sources. I’ve read all the books I discuss here. I’ve been forced to read them in high school, and re-read them for graduate school. I’ve read teacher […]

Writing Contest: Three… two…. one….!

Writing Contest: Three… two…. one….!

So, my bestie, Steph, talked me into participating in a writing contest, which I hadn’t done since college. It was a fun endeavor, though, more like improv comedy than short-story writing. The premise is simple: on a designated Friday night, you receive a prompt that […]