Chicago Teacher Who Used Racial Slur Deserves Praise Not Suspension

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

http://news.yahoo.com/chicago-teacher-used-racial-slur-deserves-praise-not-203500310.html

By Marilisa Kinney Sachteleben | Yahoo! Contributor Network – Sat, Feb 18, 2012

COMMENTARY | The n-word is an ugly, hateful word. Any negative descriptor of race, creed, characteristic, religion, ideology or lifestyle choice is. Lincoln Brown, a white teacher in Chicago Public Schools, tried to teach his students why the n-word is wrong and got suspended. Brown had found a student note with the word quoted from a rap song. The principal walked in and heard Brown say the word as part of a sixth grade language arts anti-racism lesson, says ABC.

The principal, Gregory Mason, who is black, called Mason's lesson "cruel, immoral, negligent and verbally abusive." Brown is suing CPS, according to Fox Chicago News, saying this is damaging to his reputation, which it is. Teaching jobs are hard enough to come by with all the axing of educational programs. If you're 48 like Brown and you get a smudge on your record, fairly earned or not, you might as well kiss your career goodbye.

It's not even Brown's career that is the crux of the issue. Nor is it the fact Mason suspended him in such a back-door way. The principal didn't just walk in, hear the word, assume it was used as a slur and confront Brown. Mason listened in on the lesson (which dove-tailed negative historical, literary, film and music references to blacks to show why the word is so problematic). Brown thought Mason approved. Apparently not. Two weeks later, Brown got suspended.

The core of the matter is, as Brown put it, "We can't solve these issues if we can't discuss them," according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Clearly, the word and all shaming comments are "cruel and immoral." It's not a "sticks and stones" thing; words hurt more than physical injuries because they don't heal. Brown wasn't fanning the flames, though. He was trying to teach kids not to fan it. In order to do so, he had to use the word.

History can't be sanitized in retrospect and silencing issues negates them. Hiding from problems makes them loom larger. The Minotaur gained power skulking in his labyrinth. It was only when Perseus ferreted him out that he was able to vanquish the beast.

Brown should be congratulated for turning swords into plowshares and giving us all a positive learning experience.

[Golden Gate 530]

What a backwards world!

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

He was attempting to improve the lives of young black men and women and you cannot do that. Racists have a lot of time and money invested in keeping them isolated and ignorant.

[Danno 1,228]

Another case of the "White savior" ... having it all go wrong.

We spend billions trying to close the persistent "achievement gap" (actually it's a bit more than a "gap") and here we have another example of valuable classroom time being misallocated on social issues.

[Darnell 8,479]

I view it as an applicable, if not a certain known, double standard.

and I'm ok with that.