Blog #6

                   

  Silenced Dialogue: Other People's C h i l d r e n By Lisa Delpit.

Quote:

I found this file quite striking because of the culture of power and how it seems that "mostly white" liberal educators often silence educators of color by not acknowledging their experiences or knowledge. Educators of color feel they don't have a voice and their opinions are invalid because they don't align with what is academically accepted by the culture of power.

According to Delpit, educators who already belong to the culture of power don't seem to be aware of this conflict, while those with less power are logically the most aware.

I'm going to share several key quotes that I found very interesting:

"It seems like if you can't quote Vygotsky or something, then you don't have any validity to speak about your own kids." (P.1)

This quote really caught my attention because a graduate student and teacher of color underscores how the culture of power invalidates experiential knowledge. Their voice and knowledge about their own students are considered worthless unless supported by the academic theory of white academics, which creates a barrier to genuine dialogue.

"When you're talking to white people, they still want it to be their way. You can try to talk to them and give them examples, but they're so headstrong, they think they know what's best for everyone, for everybody's children."(p.1)

This quote from a Black teacher shows the frustration of silenced dialogue. Despite sharing their own experiences and examples, white educators fail to listen to or consider their perspectives. Ultimately, dialogue is an illusion, as the real intention is to impose one's view of the dominant culture.

"They don't really want to hear what you have to say. They wear blinders and earplugs. They only want to do research they've read that other white people have written."(p.2)

A Black school principal and doctoral student uses a powerful metaphor to describe how white academics refuse to listen. They protect themselves with "bandages and plugs" and prefer to rely on the research of other white people rather than accept the experience of people of color. This reflects how power is maintained through the exclusion of dissenting perspectives.

"If you are not already a participant in the culture of power, being explicitly told the rules of that culture makes acquiring power easier." (p.3)

This is a central point in Delpit's argument. She posits that, rather than being "repressive," providing explicit rules on how to function within the culture of power (such as how to speak and write) is a form of empowerment. Not telling students the rules of that "game" is an act that ensures their failure, despite good liberal intentions.

"The teacher has denied them access to herself as the source of knowledge necessary to learn the ways they need to succeed."(p.7)

In this case, the author is genuinely criticizing the progressive approach that views teachers as mere facilitators rather than as sources of knowledge. For students outside the power culture, a teacher who refuses to teach and exercise expert authority explicitly is perceived as "denying" them access to information crucial to their success.

https://phylliswritingproject.wordpress.com/2015/07/21/the-silenced-dialogue-power-and-pedagogy-in-educating-other-peoples-children-by-lisa-delpit/

Reflection: Honestly, this file has been one of the ones I've enjoyed reading the most. It seems to me that racism is so normalized that those who are already in power don't notice that, with this thought, they only invoke hatred, or that education doesn't grow to an even greater level. Lisa gave so many examples that it's impossible not to understand that education is divided between whites and Blacks because that's what the system has created.