EDUC 6165 Week 1 Blog

The person that I am close to that has the best communication practices is my grandfather. He is the best humble spirit that I know. He does not scream, he does not throw insults, and he remains calm during any interaction. He is a great leader and exemplifies what communication should be and how disagreements should be resolved. He does not always agree with the subject matter, but comes across in a manner that expresses his opinion without offending yours. Every behavior that my grandfather exhibits in communication, I want to obtain. I want to be free-hearted and welcoming with my social skills and make people from various background comfortable when speaking with me.

Professional Hopes and Goals

I hope to make a positive impact on the lives of the children and families that I come in contact with. I aspire to make children all feel equal and that they are able to reach and goal that they set their minds and determination to. I want to be the leader that they are proud and feel comfortable to call on. Making a difference and taking time to change lives is what I strive to do each day. I want to speak out against social injustices and ensure that everyone knows that they have a voice and that their voice matters. I want to thank my peers for sharing their stories throughout the weeks and for reading and responding to mine.

Welcoming Families From Around the World

The name of “your” family’s country of origin
The family that I have coming in are from Haiti.

At least five ways in which you will prepare yourself to be culturally responsive towards this family

1) Have an interpreter that speaks Creole and/or French.

2)Be sure to greet with a handshake

3)Inform them about our soccer team- showing I have read about their culture and that is their primary sport

4)Be sure to ask the parents about the current educational level of the child- in Haiti, by the time that children are 7 to 8 years old, they are in the work force and not in school.

5)Ensure that the literature provided is in French or Creole until the family is accustom to English language.

A brief statement describing in what ways you hope that these preparations will benefit both you and the family

I would think that these accommodations would be beneficial to the parents and student but as well as benefit me. Communication can be a huge barrier that prevents conversations from being held appropriate and being able to create dialogue. The use of an interpreter, if needed, and having material that the family is able to read. Speaking about sports and things that are important to their culture shows that I have done research about their traditions and am interested in welcoming them properly.

Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

What memory do you have of an incident when you experienced bias, prejudice, and/or oppression, or witnessed someone else as the target of bias, prejudice, and/or oppression? Keep in mind that one can encounter such incidents in real contexts, including online environments, as well as in fictional ones, such as movies, books, television shows, and the like.

I remember the first time that I watched the movie Roots. It brought about such a passion of disbelief and uncomforting emotions overwhelmed me. How my ancestors were treated as.... basically nothing. Tossed around like sheets of paper, sold off in markets as if they were horses or cattle, and forced to be held in oppression and bondage. To she how children were separated from their parents, babies died due to improper nutrition, how they were shackled and chained together to lay in their own vomit, and many died on the excursion to America. Women were raped by their masters and forced to have their children. It was just an overwhelming experience. All my life we had learned about slavery in history class. But what they don't tell you is that they are giving you the edited version. What was depicted in that film was nothing like anything I have ever read in my American History.

In what way(s) did the specific bias, prejudice and/or oppression in that incident diminish equity?

What feelings did this incident bring up for you?

There was no feeling of equity at all. It was diminished completely. It was like they only could do what was told of them. No options, no questions, no negotiations, just rules and regulations. If you did not do what you were told either you were beat, tortured, sold off, or killed. Point blank. That made me feel a couple of ways. I was sad, mad, disgusted, even a bit bitter. To think that anyone, not just African Americans, would have to endure such treatment is a disgrace to mankind.

What and/or who would have to change in order to turn this incident into an opportunity for greater equity?

WE as a people have to change in order for incidents like this not to occur and for equity to be felt and present among all races. WE have to stand up and not ignore the microagressions of the world or just think that races are holding grudges for what they endured in the past. WE have to acknowledge the wrong, the hurt, the emotions that follow individuals and work TOGETHER to create a new atmosphere that shows more togetherness.

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

This week, I have seen a tremendous amount of microaggressions openly displayed in the daily news. I am typically not a political person, but I have been very disheartened to Donald Trump's reactions to the riots in Charlotte, NC. To even make the comment , "Wow, here we go again" in response to people being outraged about the attack that they have felt in the African American community. That was not only a microaggression but also a slap in the face. People have the right to be outraged, and yes being unruly and bring about hatred will not assist in the situation, but to have an attitude of , 'just another group of black people that are mad' is just unacceptable.


At this point, race is not even the factor. This could have been any person, father, son, husband, wife, daughter, or mother of any race, but the fact of how the situation was handled lead people to believe that race is a factor on the ending results on responsibility. These perceptions of discrimination and prejudice have made my heart so heavy and filled with pain. All these years, we speak of how far we have come as a country and a nation, but have we really come as far as we think? Seems like we have not gone anywhere, but have stayed stagnate and ignored issues that now can not be overlooked.

Perspectives and Diversity on Culture

I asked three people (my coworker, my cousin, and my God mother) their definition of culture and diversity and these were their replies: My co-worker is Puerto Rican, my cousin is African American, and my God mother is biracial. Their ages range from 24-45 years old and all from various classes and walks of life.

My Co-Worker (Jammy) - "culture is traditions and food that has been passed from older generations and diversity is the differences that we all display that make us unique."

My Cousin (Kemisha) - "culture is behaviors influenced by different factors like time, race, and religion and diversity is differences."

My God mother (Jwandra) - "culture is your surroundings, environment, knowledge, morals, achievements, genetic makeup and beliefs and diversity is a blend of different people, backgrounds, cultures working together."




All of the answers include some form of the things that have been discussed with us in response to diversity and culture. I believe that we all have our differing of opinions but collaboratively they all have the same symbolic meanings. There haven't been any points of omission in my opinion among the responses that were given to me.

These answers to what culture and diversity are have just shown how uniform our opinions of the meanings are. It shows that we pretty much have a mutual understand for the words and what they mean to us individually.

My Family Culture

If a catastrophic even occurred and I could only bring three items with me, they would be:

- My family scrapbook
- The recipe to my grandfather's bar-b-que sauce
- A Bible

These three things reach so deeply into my culture and they would be the only three things that would be of value to me. The scrapbook represents memories. Every member of my family is within that book and it is so valuable that money could not buy it. It hold the laughter, tears, hopes, dreams, and fears that have been felt and lives by members of my family. It shows generations of family and how we are linked together and have lived through the years. The recipe to my grandfather's bar-b-que sauce represents food and tradition. Food is the soul of our family and always seems to be the key that can bring us together and have a great time. No matter the occasion: graduation, funeral, weddings, family reunions, etc., food is always at the center. And last, but not least, a Bible. Religion is something we cherish and all know too well. We, as a family, have all been raised in the church and hold our values of being a Christian dear to our hearts. Living the life of helping and giving is what we stand for and practice in our day to day lives.

If I had to only keep one item, it would be the scrapbook. Those are memories and photos that could never be replaced or found again if they were destroyed. They give a visual to the times and stories that I could only speak about.

Through this exercise, I have had to dig deep and realized the finest things in my culture that speak volumes and mean so much more than anything else. Often we cherish the things that shall come to pass, but the love and tradition that grows within a family brings unspeakable joy.