This past February I had an opportunity to write a piece about how representation matters, discussing the importance of incorporating Afro-Latin themes in the Spanish curriculum. Lately I have been reflective and even frustrated as to why our world language community struggles to actively and consistently seek out more TOC (Teachers of Color) which include (but not limited to) those that look like me, my latin@/e and indigenous brothers and sisters, to present at conferences (online and in person), webinars, blogs, and other workshops. We have been involved in the world language community for so long, that this should not be approached with the attitude of, “Oh wait, we need to include TOC.” We have been here, been doing, and have done the work on racism and equity. We are awesome in and outside of the classroom!
How are we all supposed to encourage reaching ALL students in the classroom, when TOC are not frequently and consistently included in leadership circles of world language educators? It’s hypocritical and perceived as passive aggressive racism, when it could just be that you don’t know and/or are not acquainted with any TOC. We cannot be in unity if some are refusing to have conversations about race, colorism, and diverse representation, due to fear or not wanting to be bothered because “it’s not your issue.” If you are unsure as to where to start in actively talking about this subject, here are some tips:
1) Who are you following and collaborating with on your professional networks? Is there inclusivity or does everyone look like “you?”
2) When planning a conference or workshop, who are your presenters? Is there a variety being represented? If everyone looks like you, change it. Try something new. If you reach out to a TOC, and that TOC is not able to present, try another TOC. There are a lot of us!!
3) If you are genuinely interested in getting to know more TOC like us, consistently and actively reach out i.e. via direct message, text, email, etc. Ask questions so we can generate discussions together. For language educators, many of us have been utilizing comprehensible input strategies, while on the proficiency track for years! Years!
4) If someone says something i.e. “calls you out” on social media, reflect and then respond. If you’re not sure whether or not you want to respond on a public platform, ask to have a conversation about it in private. It’s cool. No pasa nada. 🙂
5) Begin to take active steps to change. Be serious and genuine about it.
I say this in love in a professional manner because I care about our profession and our community for the sake of all of our students that we are called to serve. Let’s do better!
Kia
