As a former student and substitute teacher in your school system, I am writing in support of the Global Community Citizenship course. Education is by far the best response to bigotry and ignorance, and I applaud the faculty and students who piloted this important course.
I, like many of you, was raised in a white suburban bubble. The n-word was thrown around far more than the r-word. There was a “Korean table,” a “Black table,” and a “Nerd table” in the school cafeteria during lunch. Even among “nerds,” ignorance abounded.
Homophobia was normalized to the point that boys would be accused of being gay for not denying that they were with enough disdain. And God help them if they were gay or questioning. It was not a safe place for them even in the drama club.
The word diversity had no meaning until my college years. Even though the friends I kept were diverse in both race and family income levels, I had no real understanding or appreciation of those differences. In the white-dominated circles I frequented, students of color were often appreciated to the extent that they appeared or acted “white.” They were not celebrated for their cultural or individual uniqueness.
I did not question why issues of diversity were not taught in school. My history courses—to be blunt—did a poor job at sowing these seeds of thought. Again, it was not until college that I was challenged to cut through the veil of white privilege enough to see the world from a different lens. I can cite dozens of mentors ranging from fellow students to professors to administrators who helped me in this regard on the college level—but I cannot cite one from my grade-school years. There was a cultural blind spot in this community then and, judging by the racist incidents in schools I keep reading about, that blind spot remains.
We must collectively lift the shroud of ignorance if we are to bring our schools in line with the times. Our white students will be at a major disadvantage if they go on to college or into the workforce without the necessary cultural knowledge and sensitivity to engage cooperatively with their professors, peers, supervisors, colleagues, and clients—many of whom will come from backgrounds alien to them. No amount of clinging to crude stereotypes or the false notion of colorblindness will save them. They must become citizens in the world as it is today.
While preparation for 21st century citizenship will amount to more than one class, I am confident that our community is turning a sharp corner by turning its back on the racism, bigotry, and cultural exclusion of yesteryear. Raising Global Community Citizenship to the level of a required course will send the vital message that learning to live in harmony with others who are different from you is as important a skill for future achievement—indeed, survival—as reading, writing, or arithmetic. I applaud the school board for taking up the issue.
Sincerely,
Matthew Johnson
—
What’s Next? Talk with others. Take action.
We are proud of our SOCIAL INTEREST GROUPS—WEEKLY PHONE CALLS to discuss, gain insights, build communities— and help solve some of the most difficult challenges the world has today. Calls are for Members Only (although you can join the first call for free). Not yet a member of The Good Men Project? Join below!
All levels get to view The Good Men Project site AD-FREE. The $50 Platinum Level is an ALL-ACCESS PASS—join as many groups and classes as you want for the entire year. The $25 Gold Level gives you access to any ONE Social Interest Group and ONE Class–and other benefits listed below the form. Or…for $12, join as a Bronze Member and support our mission, and have a great ad-free viewing experience.
Register New Account
Please note: If you are already a writer/contributor at The Good Men Project, log in here before registering. (Request new password if needed).
◊♦◊
ANNUAL PLATINUM membership ($50 per year) includes:
1. AN ALL ACCESS PASS — Join ANY and ALL of our weekly calls, Social Interest Groups, classes, workshops and private Facebook groups. We have at least one group phone call or online class every day of the week.
2. See the website with no ads when logged in!
3. MEMBER commenting badge.
*** ANNUAL GOLD membership ($25 per year) includes all the benefits above — but only ONE Weekly Social Interest Group and ONE class.
*** ANNUAL BRONZE membership ($12 per year) is great if you are not ready to join the full conversation but want to support our mission anyway. You’ll still get a BRONZE commenting badge, and you can pop into any of our weekly Friday Calls with the Publisher when you have time. This is for people who believe—like we do—that this conversation about men and changing roles and goodness in the 21st century is one of the most important conversations you can have today.
♦◊♦
We have pioneered the largest worldwide conversation about what it means to be a good man in the 21st century. Your support of our work is inspiring and invaluable.
Matthew Johnson is a writer, editor, and UX designer. He has published numerous academic articles, op-eds, and sponsored posts. He is co-author of the 2018 book Trumpism: The Politics of Gender in a Post-Propitious America. He has also served as an educator in a variety of contexts.
