Episode Transcript
[00:00:10] Speaker A: This is the owlcast, the official podcast of ACS Athens.
This is the student edition. Listen to the exciting story of the american community schools of Athens.
Check out what drives all the members of our international community of learners as we create the education of the future.
Here's John Papadakis.
[00:00:46] Speaker B: Welcome to another episode of the Outcast. Another student edition is ahead of us and it's an audio journey through the celebration of Black History Month in ACS Athens. A group of students and their advisors talk about the essence of humanity as they explore the rich tapestry of perspectives, experiences and cultures that make up our world over a series of activities and creating artifacts through the month of February in the AsuS Athens community. Black History Month isn't just about commemorating the past. It's about creating a sense of belonging and understanding of each other. It's about recognizing that it's the essence of humanity that defines us, not merely a visual representation of who we are. Throughout our discussion, we uncover the power of history in shaping our present and future. We explore how studying the past can lead us to find our own purpose, inspiring us to identify role models who have paved the way for change from science pioneers, political heroes to sports icons and social leaders. But it's not all smooth sailing. It becomes evident that as a society, we continuously need to confront the shallow stereotypes that often plague our perceptions. Recognizing the dedication and effort it takes to excel in any endeavor, we address the ignorance and lazy minded thinking that pervades discussions on matters beyond our control. Yet, amidst the challenges, there's also celebration. We embrace the swag, the cultural spice that distinguishes the african american experience, and we highlight the danger of portraying the single story racial monolith in some media depictions.
Furthermore, we tackle the importance of discussing sensitive topics, even with the youngest of minds, and the crucial role of families in fostering understanding and empathy. So crank it up and listen to this podcast as we explore the many dimensions of black History Month celebration, one of the monthly cultural heritage and awareness celebrations at ACS Athens. Because true learning only happens when we embrace our differences and strive for deeper and more meaningful understanding of each other. Our co host today is Helen Ceretis, writing studio specialist at the learning commons of ACS Athens.
[00:03:14] Speaker C: Hello everyone. Welcome. My name is Helen Seretis. I am a writing studio specialist today. I'm very happy to have with me a very amazing group to talk about Black History Month celebration that we do in the writing studio. Before we go into who I have with me today, I want to just give a little bit of background about why and what these heritage months are in the acs. So basically we want. And we have this commitment for inclusivity, social justice and fostering a sense of belonging. We want to recognize the unique voices and experiences of diverse communities, and we strive to create an environment that encourages dialogue, embraces differences and nurtures creativity. So each month, this is what we do. So we have the option for kids to write a creative writing piece, which we will share one today for one of our students, Kai Yuette Singh, and also from another student, Alex Laspas. And they have the opportunity to receive an award of cultural writer of the month. We also have another option. Students could also bring an artifact related to the celebrated culture, or even create an original work of art and have the opportunity to receive the cultural artist of the month. And then finally, we added a new piece now with Mr. Khaziz. He's also with us today. Mr. Khaziz creates an informative presentation when we have our party celebration in the writing studio. And then students have a chance to play cahoot and receive a cultural researcher of the month. So today I'm excited to have. I'm going to introduce everyone. We have Mr. Panayotis Hadz, he's a writing studio assistant. We have Mr. Marcel Belfield, he's a fifth grade teacher. We have Mr. Stash Ferguson. 11th grade student, Takis Mariolis. You guys are brothers, right? 9th grade. Marlin Norman, 11th grade. And Kai Yuet Zhang was also going to join us today, but unfortunately, she's not able to join us. But we will read her piece. I don't know if any of you maybe want to give me a little bit of background of why do you think we celebrate Black History Month? Why is it important to celebrate that?
[00:05:31] Speaker D: I'll lead it off. This is Marcel speaking.
There's a lot of results today that have happened, from things that have passed, from social injustices to key contributions that have been made throughout the world. There's a representation that feels that needs to be corrected in a more accurate scope. And identification is always a way where younger people in the world want to identify themselves with something. And when something feels suppressed or misrepresented, it may lessen their scope and how they see themselves projecting into the future. So accurate representation does matter. And putting a light on a lot of these key contributions that have been made throughout history, I feel like it protects the way that it can be interpreted and the perspective that can grow from it, from all different types of learners.
[00:06:20] Speaker C: I think it was pretty amazing.
The three students that we have here last year actually participated in the Black History Month assembly, our first annual black History Month assembly at ACS, and we did highlight some of these things that you mentioned. Mr. Belfield, I would actually like to hear about all your stories about what was it like to be in this assembly and also just reflecting back and some of the topics that were covered.
[00:06:47] Speaker E: I can add on to that. I'm. Morelin. No, it was a great thing to be a part of, especially just because it was a special case, because it was the first of the year or it was the first ever in ACS history. So it was like something that we're bringing of our own selves to the school. So I feel like that's bring our own culture. So, like, we're also bringing multiple perspectives to different nationalities and all of this. So I think. I don't know. Stash, what do you say?
[00:07:14] Speaker F: Since it was my first year at ACS last year, along with it being the first time we did a black history month or something for black History month in the school, I felt that it was very beneficial for us, especially for the seniors who were here who participated. Rain and Emmanuel, it was their last years and they were both African American, so I feel like it was very important for them.
[00:07:38] Speaker E: I agree. They were the main ones who set it up. And now I feel like we're supposed to carry on this trend throughout the years now, since we started it, so we got to continue it. So even after we're gone, because we're going to be seniors next year, I think we still got to pass the tradition down a little bit, for sure now.
[00:07:54] Speaker G: So think to Adam, to what they said. I think the importance of different perspectives and experiences of our culture is important to share with everybody.
[00:08:03] Speaker C: Yes. Amazing. What do you think you've learned, I guess, through these celebrations about black culture in general. What do you think we've highlighted here?
[00:08:12] Speaker E: Well, me personally, what I've learned through this, I think that I've learned it doesn't matter who you are, it doesn't matter what you are, as long as you have a strong mind, you have a strong brain and you know what you want and you have a goal in mind, and you're dedicated to that goal. You're going to be able to reach it, and you can influence a lot of people by doing that. So just be confident in yourself, I think.
[00:08:32] Speaker C: Yeah. And that's one of our motivations, is creating a sense of belonging, but also a greater sense of confidence, with highlighting different identities within the school.
[00:08:42] Speaker F: I would agree with what you said about the sense of belonging I feel like the unity, whenever the first one started, when rain was asking everyone if they wanted to participate, I feel like the school and everyone in the community just helped us get it started, and we were actually able to have a whole assembly, which was, like, wonderful.
[00:09:00] Speaker E: Yeah, I agree, Mr. Khaziz.
[00:09:02] Speaker C: I know this year we're also adding a piece when we have our cultural heritage party. So do you want to talk a little bit about what we did for black history?
[00:09:11] Speaker H: Yeah, of course. So, just to clarify, as you said already, it's my objective, I would say, to give a historical background into why we celebrate these historical months. And so examples that I researched and kind of presented was where and how it started. What university it started was in the Kent university. It actually was started by university students, black american university students, as well as professors who believed it was the right, I would say, opportunity for them to express that there is a need to, I would say, present the black experience. And especially during that time, it was just a lot of prejudice, a lot of unfairness towards the black community. So that's kind of what I touched upon. I mean, it was talking about important figures that would say, influenced in all aspects of their fields, such as sports, or, for instance, it was in political aspects, or in literature, for instance. In literature, I brought up eldritch cleaver, I brought up Frederick Douglass and all these other authors, just trying to essentially educate everyone on why we should remember this entire aspect that was often overlooked at one point.
[00:10:28] Speaker C: Yeah. Thank you. And I know these are some of the topics. They're also covered in the classroom. I don't know if any of you want to share your experiences with covering black history in the classroom.
[00:10:37] Speaker D: I dive more into the journey. The journey leads you into the struggle. It leads you into the hardships that allow the flower to grow into the flower, because a lot of times, the representation may be media based, where you're only getting the visual, you're only getting the representation of, say, like, a photo of yourself. People don't understand who you actually are if they're just looking at a photo of you. You have to discuss what goes into the person that you are. Every wrinkle in your hand, every wrinkle in your face, there's a journey behind it, there's a story behind it. And a lot of these stories connect, more often than we think, to other people's stories. And so african american history, we feel like there's been a lot of media representation, but learning the journey throughout what created this process and what could have sparked other people's creative processes. That's what's allowed the fruits to grow into healthy perspectives. For instance, like Catherine Johnson of hidden figures, her mathematical calculations helped us land astronauts on the moon. And then not too long after that, may Jemison becomes the first black astronaut to go into space. And so I don't know if they're directly linked, but there's a sense of understanding someone's journey, someone's purpose, and finding our purpose inside of that. And we wouldn't get it if it was just a short representation on, like, a quick clip or a quick image. Although images do matter with identity, it doesn't tell the whole story. So, with discussing black History Month, I try to get more into the stories, the journeys, because I feel like people from all backgrounds can identify with a journey, with working towards something, the providing.
[00:12:11] Speaker C: A sense of purpose. That's amazing that you highlighted that for the students here, I guess. Has there been any a black hero in your life that has kind of boosted your own sense of purpose that you can think of?
[00:12:23] Speaker G: I think Martin Luther King Jr. Inspired people through powerful speeches, nonviolent activism, and his vision for racial equality. And he left a lasting impact on civil rights movements. And I like the fact that he took leadership and expressed his thoughts regardless of the time that he was in and which was when African Americans did not have a voice in things. They didn't have their own voice. They couldn't stand up for themselves.
[00:12:47] Speaker F: Yeah, I would agree with that. I like the leadership, me, with playing sports and everything and always being the older sibling, I feel like leadership is essential to excel in these things.
And I feel like he was, like, the first one who really stood up for the black culture. And I feel like it's very important that we continue to do these things.
[00:13:10] Speaker E: Well, I hope for me personally, I have two inspirational people. One, no, I have to shout out my dad. But other than that, I have to pick Michael Jordan. Of course. Obviously.
Of course.
Also, I like sash. I play sports, as well. We're on the same team. So Michael Jordan links to me a lot, as well. But the way he shifted the world, kind of like everybody wanted to be themselves. And then there's this black bald guy that comes, and he's playing basketball, and he's the best player ever, and now everybody's like, oh, yeah, I want to be like Mike. So he just brought a whole generational wave of different culture into a different identity, and that shaped a lot of.
[00:13:48] Speaker D: Sports and almost became bigger than basketball, even fashion icon, his brand. And now he's in ownership right now.
[00:13:54] Speaker E: Exactly.
[00:13:55] Speaker D: And so, yeah, he's been able to spread his own value to other areas, and it's been very important going off what he said. My father was a very instrumental figure in my life. He was the first person that I was able to see on a daily basis that was about discipline. No excuses. It's going to take hard work to get everything done. I didn't quite understand it as a youth because you're full of, I won't say rage, but there's a pitted, like, aggression, a natural aggression that was in me, especially when I'm finding out more, because I was about 13 years old when I read about Malcolm X. I read Alex Haley's biography of Malcolm X, and I read about his street life onto his prison life, and then the discipline that followed after, but also his aggression towards what he felt was a firm stance against social injustices. And what I realized was he had incredible patience as well when he started to realize the value of just good people later in his life. And I don't feel like that part got represented as much. Everyone saw the aggressive, raw, by any means necessary part of him, and that's one we can all identify with, because we all feel we can contribute in a certain way. And when we see figures that inspire us, we immediately want to do something. Now we just don't know what channel or what avenue to go about to do it properly. So I had a lot of energy towards wanting to just do something. And I allowed that discipline to take its course with, whether it was academics or personal studies or even with sports, because sports requires a lot of discipline involved. And like I said earlier about the photo, like, stash plays basketball, people can watch him play basketball and say, oh, he's naturally good. No, it took a lot of work for him to become good, and that's a big part of what makes him good or talented. They don't see the hours that he's put in. The sweat, the tears, the madness, the sadness, the happiness, everything that goes involved with it. And that's what makes the journey so rich.
[00:15:47] Speaker C: Thank you for sharing also that personal family account. I think that's really important to share as well. I would like maybe take a moment now, maybe to highlight one of the actually two poems that students wrote for the black history month. One of them is by a student named Kai Yuet Zhang, a 10th grader. Marlin, if you can, please read that for us.
[00:16:09] Speaker E: Yeah, of course. This is no need by Kai Yuit Zhang. You think you can hurt me? You think your words define me? You think you hold the power to do whatever you please? You think you could save me? You think I need saving? You think you are the one with the key, with the need to set me free? You think you could change me? You think I need changing? I need the mending and the fixing. As if I was made wrong, born wrong, raised wrong, as if I was somehow incomplete. But I am not. I will never be just because that's the me you see. We are not. We will never be no matter what marks you leave.
Don't think of us as one. Don't think of me as many. I speak for myself, but I know others will agree when I say, I don't want your hypocrisy. I don't need your regards and your sympathies. I don't want to be subjected to your fantasies, thinking I am, always will be, in need, indeed in need. Nothing but ever in need, in need of pretentious pity. Now, you have to understand and listen when we say, we are a people raised by the land, by the storm and by the rain. We are people raised by the land, and we are not afraid. We came and we built this country. The roads, the homes, the streets. We've built our lives in this country, and we've turned the past to peace. We don't need to prove our place. We will rise like ocean waves. We will rise like the stars and suns. We will rise until the night is gone. Like the dust you cannot see, but still there in the breeze.
[00:17:41] Speaker C: Thank you, Marlon. That was a very powerful, emotional piece. Any reflection, I don't know. How was it like hearing that piece for all of you?
[00:17:51] Speaker E: Well, what I got from this poem is that they're basically trying to say that they don't want any pity. They don't want your pity, because they know that life is going to be hard, and they're going to have these struggles. So they don't want your hypocrisy. They don't want anything. They're just going to live their own life, and they're going to grow independent, kind of.
[00:18:05] Speaker H: Yeah. It's like one of those, like, I recognize what we've done. This is where I stand. This is what I've done. And see me for who I am.
[00:18:13] Speaker E: Exactly right.
[00:18:14] Speaker D: And there's a lot of things that we have no control of in our life. The way we look, the way we're born, and the problems that were here before we were born that we now have to accept, and a lot of problems that deal with ignorance and deal with lazy minded thinking is some of the hurdles that are going to be in front of you. They're destined to be in front of you. And the way you handle them and the attitude you have going through them and being able to be confident enough to self identify with who you are in a way where it makes you strong. Going through these hurdles, I think that defines someone's character and it allows them to blossom more as a person and to find different perspectives in different areas of life that will contribute towards a larger success of the globe.
[00:18:59] Speaker A: You are listening to the owlcast, the official podcast of ACs Athens.
[00:19:15] Speaker C: Would you like to read the second poem by Alex Laspas, 8th grader?
[00:19:19] Speaker G: Yes, this is one drop by Alexander Laspas.
I'm the first voice in birth, the first man on earth, but I've been ignored and across the road I'm the first human crop. You embody my blood. You forgot after the flood that you carry one drop. I've been silent for long. You should hear my grieving song. I will teach you one note. Please refer to my quote now. You know I have skills that it gives you the chills at once. Cross the road, it's a new history. Look now your move means a lot. There's no time for a stop. It's forgive not forgot because we carry the same drop.
[00:19:56] Speaker C: Okay, what do you think inspired this student? But what do you think they were thinking? Or how do you feel like it's.
[00:20:01] Speaker H: Listening to this poem, I would say.
[00:20:04] Speaker F: With the last part, after hearing the last part, we're all in one drop. I feel like regardless of how different we are and where we are from different parts of the world, we're all the same. We all bleed the same. We all have similar struggles. That's really what I got out of that poem. I really liked it.
[00:20:20] Speaker D: Yeah, I agree with that stance. We're all a different branch belonging to the same tree.
[00:20:25] Speaker C: I'm just wondering, what did you think that you've learned about your own identity through this cultural heritage month and the assembly or the celebrations or even this podcast?
[00:20:36] Speaker E: I don't think I've learned something, but I think I've deepened my understanding of myself, kind of per se. I've deepened my culture heritage, of where I came from, my upbringing. And I think that shapes some of my ethics and my values that I'm going to go into my life with. I grew up in a black household, so my dad, he was always strict, like, oh, do this, do this, do this right. Like the rules say this, get good grades, do all this. So I think that builds onto my hardship. That's why I feel I'm a bit more hardworking than some people because of the way I was brought up, because of that mentality.
[00:21:15] Speaker D: And I definitely can relate with a feeling of proving yourself because, you know, you can put in the work or you know, what you can do. My experiences range much drastically because this table is about half my age, maybe pretty much less, but this is the 6th country that I've worked in. I've been in America, China, Thailand, Russia, Costa Rica, and now here. So I've had different experiences dealing with the stereotypes that come along with being in these different places. And I feel like my purpose on the inside, in my heart and my soul. When I meet people who have never met someone who looks like me or speaks like me or has been from the lands that I've been, it's to crush the stereotype and reintroduce a new thought that can give them a newer way of looking at something. Because not everyone has a first chance of meeting, like, an impression. A lot of it is media based, picture based, and it's a very shallow based way of looking at things. But when you have that opportunity to meet someone who's never met someone like you before, you should value that and make it a positive experience, because you don't know how that's going to introduce thoughts towards them that are going to impact their future. Whenever they see another person that may look like you, it may be less stereotypical. And now they can use firsthand perception in how they register thoughts towards people who now look more like you or may be from places where you're from. They'll have a better understanding of it.
[00:22:33] Speaker C: That's amazing. Thank you for sharing that perspective. I guess. What does it mean to you to be a black american at acs?
[00:22:40] Speaker D: I can lead off by saying the hairstyles at the table are phenomenal. Right.
And this is something in the travels that I've had to deal with a lot. People notice the hair. They notice the hair. And then that's one symbol of who I am that people are so curious about immediately. That's one of the first questions they get. And like I said, I never let their ignorance be something seen as negative. It's a learning moment, and so I try to keep it fun friendly, and just know it's natural.
[00:23:15] Speaker E: Yeah, exactly. Like coping degrees. You get all these perspectives. Like, I don't know. I was with stash. When we go out and all these people come out to us, they're like, oh, my God. You're not from here. Like, you're different. And they treat us like we're like some kind of aliens or something. And we're just like, what? We're not used to that, really. They look at us like we're not supposed to be here. They're like, what is?
[00:23:33] Speaker D: And I've used alien a lot because if you actually do see an alien outside, you can't take your eyes off of it. And if you see somebody who does not represent the neighborhood you're from or whatnot, it's hard to keep your eyes off of it because it's so rare, it's so unique right in front of you. And that's what I allow to be the learning moment. Their curiosity is at a peak, and it allows you to introduce things like, my students, my students, they all want to touch my hair. So that's one of my experiences here at ACS. They all want to touch my hair. They just call it fluffy and soft.
They're just anxious to the bits to try to get their hands on it. But it's just something that I know is natural curiosity. It's not something that they're trying to force to degrade me or anything like that. I never take it as a negative. It's always a fun experience that I can call my personal experience.
[00:24:24] Speaker F: Yeah, I would agree with that. I feel like even when that happens, because when I first came to the school, there wasn't many african american kids in the school. And I feel like when I did come in, everyone was so fascinated about certain things about my life, like how long you've been playing basketball? How long have you been growing your hair? Certain things like that. I never took it as negative. I really took it as like, they're trying to learn or they appreciate it. So I feel like that's amazing.
[00:24:49] Speaker G: I think it's really important that our community is really interested in our culture. And I like how supportive everyone is in acs, the community.
[00:24:58] Speaker D: That's definitely something that we can explore for hours about how the culture has spread into such levels at different age ranges and age groups. Just with hip hop alone. Like the spread of hip hop, when I'll hear certain styles of hip hop done by greek artists, they got something to say and they want to say it with this type of rhythm. I'm not mad at it. I just know that the culture has spread towards these geographical areas.
[00:25:26] Speaker B: The only question I have, I mean, I didn't want to interrupt because everything you've said is so fascinating. And so the only question I have is since we are in a media studio and we're talking about how we project our culture, our identity. And someone mentioned curiosity, feeding curiosity, what do you think that the presence in the media affects? I would say, the image or the identity of this culture?
[00:25:57] Speaker E: Can I start off, I feel, with the media wise, with black people, I think our culture brings this sort of, like, swag that everybody wants to develop, and they want to add their own swag to our swag, and they want to figure out the new slang, the new whatever it is.
[00:26:14] Speaker D: And I use metaphorically, I use food to break this down. I say we add another spice to the ingredients.
[00:26:21] Speaker E: Oh, yeah.
[00:26:22] Speaker D: It may be the same food, but we're just going to add a little flavor to it. And the flavor is something that not everybody knew that they would like with this quickness.
[00:26:32] Speaker C: Do you want to say, for people that don't know what swag means? Because I know what it means. That's amazing. Explain what does that mean?
[00:26:39] Speaker F: Swag, I would feel like, is like, give you many things, like the way you style your clothes, the way you carry yourself.
[00:26:46] Speaker E: I feel like with hip hop, for example, with the media, when you see these rappers in the hip hop community, they have these chains. It's their swag. It's their jewelry. Now, everybody, there's million dollars change people are investing in because of this wave that we brought out.
[00:27:01] Speaker D: And jewelry goes back historically. When you see pharaohs, when you find them buried in their tombs intact, you find them surrounded by gold and jewelry and lavish items. And so who doesn't want to feel like they are their peak version of themselves, like they are a young king in the growing process? And that's where a lot of the swag comes from. That confidence that I get to move how I want. I get to dress in a way that I feel best represents me. I even get to walk and talk in a way or develop slang because I'm so comfortable with the language. I found shortcuts that now sound cool.
[00:27:35] Speaker C: Just being comfortable in your skin.
[00:27:37] Speaker E: Exactly.
[00:27:38] Speaker B: Well, I guess my question was, what is going on? Not only on music and everything else, but I remember a time where the only successful black artist was Spike Lee. And Spike Lee was a pioneer in putting the african american experience on the movies. And then you have Denzel Washington coming out of these movies, and then you have this whole series of know movie artists. Now you have the music, of course. I mean, most of the american music is based on jazz and blues and everything else. But in our days, you see the media going to social media and the stereotypes that are being developed. Do you think that these stereotypes help in preserving the african american tradition?
[00:28:28] Speaker D: I think there's just a lack of understanding with what came to become of Spike Lee or to become of hip hop or the progression with jazz and blues and rock and roll. And the thing is, African Americans were not allowed to have a culture that they could create. It was a lot of things that were given to them and they had to remix it. And so a lot of international communities, they're from traditional households that have traditions for hundreds and 203 hundred long traditions that cater to their culture. But African Americans were not given this luxury. So we had to create what we felt best represented us. And so other cultures are starting to break away out of their traditional cages. I don't want to say cages as a wrong, but just as a limitation. And people are starting to explore the freedom that comes with hip hop or that comes with the expression that we've been able to use, whether it's with penmanship, with poetry, or with directors like Spike Lee and actors like Denzel Washington. We've now had a lot of representation and a lot of different styles that allow people to now identify with and say, you know what, I've always felt more in my soul that I was more like this person. But your tradition, your household, everything around you. Growing up like a kid in Bangladesh, I don't expect him to understand what swag is growing up, but if he starts identifying the culture that brings it to him, he's going to start trying to incorporate it in his lifestyle a little more and a little more. And I think we're witnessing, like I said, the spread of what a culture looks like when it had to find itself.
[00:30:03] Speaker B: That is very important for us to understand. I think that.
[00:30:05] Speaker D: Go ahead.
[00:30:06] Speaker G: Can I say something?
[00:30:06] Speaker B: Sure.
[00:30:06] Speaker G: In combo nine. Now we're learning about this, or like we're covering this TED talk by Adichi. She's an african woman who's talking about the danger of a single story. And I think that the media in general, it doesn't give us the full story of what is being shown. It's only giving us one perspective. So I don't think in general, people should make stereotypes about african american people that being negative or positive, just what's being shown through the media.
[00:30:32] Speaker D: Yeah, and I think most people just want things to be portrayed accurately, just be accurate about it.
[00:30:37] Speaker B: The main idea, I guess, is to be conscious of what we see, what we hear, and to try to understand why they're showing things the way they show it. And be conscious of how we consume it.
[00:30:49] Speaker D: And friendship doesn't come without differences. You explore those differences early. You build them, you create that bridge of communication, and that's what makes people friendly towards each other. So if you're curious about a culture, ask questions. I have my same curiosities towards greek culture, and I ask locals questions all the time, but it takes the courage to spark that initial conversation with people to then learn more about them, because you're not going to learn about anybody if there's no differences.
[00:31:16] Speaker C: Exactly. And it's obviously learning about someone's soul and character, but also not being colorblind. It's the combination.
[00:31:23] Speaker B: In discussing the Black History Month within the ACS Athens activities, you're coming from a fourth grade environment in elementary school.
Did it permeate in any way in your classroom activity or not during just this month? In general, I mean, you're obviously very eloquent in describing the african american experience from what you already said. How does that go further down the age group to the fourth grade age group?
[00:31:56] Speaker D: Well, there's a natural challenge that comes with it due to the youth of what they're able to comprehend. And you have to realize you can't overexpose certain things to students, that you can only introduce certain things. So, for instance, subjects that I know that they're going to be more curious about in the future, I may introduce it to them. I may walk them to the oasis, and they can decide if they want to drink water or not. And then there's other issues where I may introduce a title, but I'd say it's better to speak to your family about this or to learn more about it with your family, because there's certain issues that I feel that parents will be more constructive if they have this discussion with their kids.
If we're discussing the Holocaust, for instance, and a kid is curious about Anne Frank and the conditions back then, and a kid even brings up the movie Schindler's list. I would encourage them to watch that film with their parents so they can get a good historical reference on how it's been seen from older people who have been on this earth a little longer, where they can share extra details to their sons and daughters in the classroom. With african american history, specifically in February, for the month I've been able to introduce the history of hip hop, we've gotten into african american inventors, different key contributors that I feel like the mainstream won't necessarily have enough time to shed light on because the cameras are usually fixed on the big know the Martin Luther King's, the Jesse Owens, the Jackie Robinson's, the Rosa Parks. And they did amazing know by being courageous and standing for what they stood for. But there was so much more. It's like giving credit to the actors on the stage, but not the crew behind the stage that made it happen. So I like to also shed light on the crew behind the curtain.
[00:33:39] Speaker B: Right.
[00:33:40] Speaker D: And that's where we get into African Americans in science or female African Americans and their key contributions. And it's created some good discussions, because then students want to know, what were the conditions like, what made it an injustice? Why wasn't that fair? And then that's where you get into further talks that can help be the precursor for what they're about to get into when they get into middle school talks and high school talks. And you can introduce monumental marks like Plessy versus Ferguson, separate but equal. And then we recently had an introduction of the Central park high in Arkansas, the little nine, what they called it, the nine students that were trying to integrate the schools there and the conditions they were being met with. I like to go into a deep dive with it. For instance, like, the Black Panther party was created in 1966, and this is 101 years after the civil war ended. And to know well what happened if the Civil War ended, slavery and Plessy versus Ferguson comes out and says, separate but equal, what happened within those times where it's riled up enough people to feel like they don't have justice? And so when you look into these areas, you start to find a lot of history that you feel has been buried. But right now, we have access to it. And the access to it is what I encourage students to be curious about. You don't know which gems you're going to find, but you have to start digging to find them.
[00:34:55] Speaker B: Is it true that the younger you are, the more colorblind you are?
[00:34:59] Speaker D: Ignorance definitely is bliss.
I feel like every time we think about, like, nostalgia. Oh, times were happier when we were younger. Yes. The exposure to a lot of information does add color to the world that we're living in. And the color it adds sometimes aren't colors that you like to see. Sometimes you feel like it ruins the painting. But you have to understand the painting is real, that these colors do exist, and we have to accept them by any means necessary.
[00:35:24] Speaker B: Thank you, everybody, for coming, and thank you for this opportunity. This was not just enlightening. That was fascinating. Thank you.
[00:35:34] Speaker H: Of course.
[00:35:34] Speaker D: Thank you.
[00:35:35] Speaker C: Thank you.
[00:35:38] Speaker A: You are listening to the owlcast, the official podcast of ACS Athens make sure you subscribe to the owlcast on Google Podcasts, Spotify and Apple podcasts. This has been a production of the ACS Athens Media studio.
