Connecting with students of color by authentically embracing powerful cultural influencers.
Watching the cultural phenomenon that was Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime show, I experienced a myriad of emotions. Honestly, my excitement could barely be contained. This was evident from the way my sister and I were jumping around and practically landing on top of our parents as we watched his performance unfold.
My heart pounded with pride at the obvious embrace and excellence-infused nod to Black culture that was his performance. The inclusion of Serena and Samuel L. Jackson almost sent us through the roof! My stomach flipped at the shock of seeing Kendrick's knowing grin into the camera before launching into his five-time Grammy award-winning song, Not Like Us. And the grand finale of sheer joy at having experienced a program of this caliber that was unapologetically for us and by us. It was a night I will never forget.
Of course, taking to social media to share in the collective joy and online family reunion with other Kendrick fans, I braced myself for what was coming. Hate. No I am not talking about valid critique. I mean unmitigated hatred. Stay with me now because there is a point to all of this.
Let the Invalidation Begin!
Now, as a writer, publisher, and lover of the arts, I acknowledge that art is subjective. No artist is beyond reproach. It is valid for someone not to love or not relate to what they've read, seen, or heard. I also realize that humans are not monolithic. Plenty of Black people don't like Kendrick Lamar or his work, and plenty of people from other cultures do.
But many of the voices from outside the culture were tinged with a hatred that went beyond a difference of opinion. Their purpose could not be mistaken, especially for the intended audience of their vitriol. People with an inexplicable need to be as nasty as possible, spewed derogatory comments like it was their life's mission to quell the happy tide of collective joy from Kendrick's fans as well as the Black community. Ignore them, some would suggest, and that makes sense on some level. But systemic invalidation should never be ignored. It's a slippery slope that leads to dark places. Because, despite his many accomplishments: Grammy awards, Pulitzer prize, millions of listeners, Kendrick was repeatedly referred to as trash, an unknown, woke, a DEI hire, and among other things that I'll leave out of this commentary.
It was disheartening.
It was tiring.
But it was definitely not surprising.
If these incidents were isolated to simple online trolling, I'd dismiss them and move on. However, there were many out there with influential platforms that chose to undermine and diminish this man's accomplishments, just to further their own hateful agenda. History has shown that if you want to encourage the inhumane treatment of any group of people, you must first erase their positive achievements and then underscore their negative attributes as their only attributes.
What Does It All Matter?
I don't want to dwell on that because that is not the point of this post. My goal, my mission, is to help increase the literacy rates in the Black community. Right now, less than 10% of Black boys are able to proficiently read at grade level by the 8th grade. That number is around 17% for all Black children. This is abysmal, and, dare I say, a crisis. And while it is obvious that there are many, multifaceted levels to why we are here, such as poverty rates, outdated teaching methods, reliance on technology to keep children occupied, lack of parental involvement, and implicit bias within the education system, I am certain that the ability for these children to learn is not the problem.
That leads me to the point of this post... relatability. You see, this type of situation is par for the course for Black folks. One thing about our culture, we are seldom allowed to experience positive Black role models or moments where we can collectively feel pride without having that pride tarnished by the majority's overwhelming need to discredit those role models. No one is safe, not even Martin Luther King, Jr.
It's not that we aren't doing great things as a people or that Black people can't be criticized. It's more like when we do great things, the racist agenda is used to tarnish our accomplishments, or devalue them. We are entrenched in a society where our humanity is always up for debate or a political talking point. We spend an inordinate amount of time overachieving in an attempt to even life's playing field. We wave our hands and jump up and down hoping we can be shown in a positive light. It's absurd that any group of people have the power to choose whether or not it's necessary to relate to us on a human level.
This then leads to the idea that what we consume, learn, think, and do should be approved and validated by the masses who have shown a consistent refusal at even trying to understand us. This strips us of cultural relevancy in our lives and especially in our learning environments. Living like this throws minorities into a psychological battle that is difficult to defeat. It would be hard for anyone, no matter their race, gender, or sexual orientation. This is a way of life and we are supposed to figure out how to navigate it with a smile, not be angry, and also learn and positively contribute to society with the hopes that it will be enough to ensure a safe existence.
News Flash: It Doesn't.
How Does This Affect Student Learning?
Back to Kendrick Lamar. In 2016, I spent some time visiting a local classroom to talk to the students about poetry. Their English teacher was a friend of mine who recognized the importance of her students having the opportunity to learn from a writer of color. We both chuckled later at the looks on their faces when I walked into the room. After all, she'd introduced me as Katie and there are certain assumptions people make upon hearing my name. It's okay. I embrace truth and authenticity as a way of life. Plus I have a math degree and statistics was my strong suit.
So, we didn't shy away from the assumption that a woman named Katie that writes poetry would likely be white. Instead, we engaged in a candid discussion about stereotypes, cultural expectations, and the validity of the contributions of writers who come from varying backgrounds and experiences. I am appreciative to this day that my friend had the foresight to invite me into her classroom.
During that lesson, I used Kendrick Lamar's verse from Beyonce's song Freedom off of the Lemonade album, as an example of the different styles of poetry. We discussed Kendrick's use of varying literary devices, such as the smart way he incorporated a countdown to build momentum, his rhythmic use of language, as well as the figurative elements he employed. Basically, rap is a valid form of poetry and skilled writers can do more than just rhyme.
This discussion brought excitement to the room. Why? Was anything I said so prolific? Not really. I chalk it up to relatability more than anything else. You see, Black children, especially boys, rarely see examples of men that look like them excelling in activities that are positive, impactful, and artistic. Even fewer are taught this in schools. Recognizing these accomplishments and how it can relate to their day to day lives can be life changing. After our discussion, I loved how many of the students were excited to write their own stories and poems, many of them using a voice they didn't know they had. A little bit of hope can go a long way.
For The Educators
I can talk about this topic for days, but instead, I'd like to address anyone who is in direct contact with educating our youth. I appreciate what you do and know, first hand, how difficult your job can be. One suggestion for If you'd like to reach more students, please work on your relatability. Please. When any human realizes that the person they are speaking with, especially a person of authority, can see them, really see them, it builds trust. If your student doesn't think you can relate to them, or that you even care to try, it will be almost impossible for them to take you seriously and even harder for you to teach them.
That's my three cents for now. If you've read this far, I hope you receive my words as they were intended, as an insightful evaluation and conversation of how we can improve the educational experience and learning environment for Black students. And if you are an educator, please consider re-evaluating your lesson plans as well as your classroom set up. If you find yourself lacking in relatability, try incorporating more relevant examples of positive influences. For literature, a great start would be Kendrick Lamar, Amanda Gorman, or Shonda Rhymes. There are many more. I promise you, you can decorate your wall with more than the images of people who overcame slavery and discrimination generations ago. They are important to learn about and recognize, but consider including more recent examples your students can relate to. It won't solve all of your problems but it's a giant step in the right direction.
Thank you for reading. If you like my content or would like me to address any other topic, feel free to share and/or message me here. My focus is on topics that are important to me such as parenting, literacy, media bias, publishing, mental health, and the uplifting of America's youth. All of them.
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