In an Idaho classroom, two signs have hung that let students know that who they are matters and they can bring all of who they are into the classroom. One has a simple four word message “Everyone is welcome here.” with hands of varying skin hues that have little red hearts on the palms, reaching upward, aspirationally. It seems that the administration took offense at that, citing “district policy that classrooms must respect the rights of people to express differing opinions and that decorations are to be “content-neutral.” They ordered her to take them down.
Sixth grade history teacher Sarah Inama volleyed back, “There are only two opinions on this sign: Everyone is welcome here or not everyone is welcome here,” she says. “Since the sign is emphasizing that everyone, in regards to race or skin tone, is welcome here no matter what, immediately, I was like, the only other view of this is racist. And I said, ‘That sounds like racism to me.’”
What have we come to as a country when the classroom which should be a place of inclusivity and acceptance, a fertile learning environment in which to educate the next generations, has become a philosophical war zone? Do the people who object to the signs and the messages they deliver truly believe that only certain people are worthy of love, respect and acceptance? Apparently so.
I have many people in my life who are teachers, both active and retired and I can imagine them having posters in their classrooms with similar sentiment. These dedicated professionals want what’s best for the young ones who walk through the door each day, not knowing what emotional baggage they are toting with them. School may be the only safe place for these students.
When I was a kid, growing up in the 1960s, I remember a horrible chant, “Criss cross, applesauce, nobody else can play with us and if you do, we’ll take a shoe and beat you ’til you’re black and blue.” It reeked of exclusivity and hatred. I don’t remember who said it in my neighborhood. After telling my mother, I didn’t play with that kid again.
Back in the 2000s, I filled in for a Guidance Counselor who was on medical leave at a local school district. I served K-6 kiddos in three elementary schools. A big focus back then was a zero tolerance policy for bullying. When incidents occurred, part of my job was to sit with the students and mediate. In one case, it was two boys battling it out on the playground at recess, in another were a clique of girls who were all up in each other’s business. We talked about ways of getting along in the midst of conflict and disagreement. We talked about boundary setting. We talked about empathy and compassion with the question, “How would you feel if what you said or did to that person was said or done to you?” All of these young people would be adults by now and I hope they took the lessons imparted. This shouldn’t be the exception. How will children learn to get along in adulthood if it isn’t modeled for them at home and in the classroom?
As I read several articles about Inama’s stance, at the risk of losing her job, I shook my head at some of the comments. There were people who called it ‘woke nonsense’ and ‘virtue signaling’. Some asked why there needed to be signs and those values weren’t simply modeled. Some claimed that teachers needed to stay in their lanes and only teach academic subjects. Others said it was a political statement and her personal opinion. For goodness sake, opinion is whether pineapple belongs on pizza, not whether everyone belongs.
What are those who object to these signs so afraid of, if it becomes a child’s lived experience? Are they afraid that they will lose privilege and be treated like those they deem ‘lesser’ are being treated now? We don’t have the luxury of being ‘content neutral’. She is not telling her students to protest. She is not telling them to take up arms against the oppressor. She is telling them that they are worthy of love and respect.
I applaud and support Sarah Inama and all who bravely stand up to hatred and exclusivity. You’ve got to be carefully taught.
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This Post is republished on Medium.
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Photo credit: iStock
