Running Head: THE STORIES WE TELL, TELL US 1

Passion Project:
The Stories We Tell, Tell Us
Elizabeth Meyers
Nebraska Wesleyan University
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Abstract
This paper looks at how personal and cultural stories influence racial bias to include
investigations of personal racial identities, the ramifications of having a color-blind mindset, and
using the knowledge gained from these investigations to begin fruitful dialogues about race.
Teachers have tremendous power over the types of racial discussions students have. The job of
this paper is to encourage teachers to acknowledge their stories, to confront them, and ultimately
to encourage students of color to share and be the owners of their stories.
Keywords: racism, bias, whiteness, stories, empathy
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Our histories and our experiences bring with them a power that affects everything we do.
Every slight, every success, every perceived victory, struggle, and certainty we have encountered
over our lives influence our decision making. As teachers, it is especially important to be aware
of the stories of our pasts, and the messages they tell us. “Teachers’ histories are important when
to comes to the classroom. They bring those stories that guide how they choose curriculum, how
they choose to teach, and how they interact with their students” (Crum, 2015). Reflecting
critically on our experiences is the only way to identify possible impacts that those stories may
have in our classrooms.
I am a white woman. I have been surrounded by a majority of white people for most of
my life. Living more than 30 years as a member of the racial majority, that experience has
shaped my opinions and every decision I make. That story is one of normalcy. If I look around
and only see people who look like me, it makes perfect sense to feel like I am the norm. led to a
story – a story of normalcy. But if I am “’just normal, are those who are different [from me] ‘just
abnormal’ (Tatum, 2017)? It is easy to be normal if we never consider the idea that identifying
as such, we are labeling anyone who does not fit that mold as the opposite – as abnormal, weird,
maybe even unnatural. Seeking normalcy is often based on a foundational idea that sameness is
desired, and that ultimately, that sameness equals goodness. When and if we achieve that
sameness, the commonality can become invisible. This becomes especially risky when race is
involved, “When our cultural Whiteness is ‘invisible’ to us, we stand the greatest risk of
uncritically using it to impose norms of behavior, interaction and achievement on others”
(Michael, 2012).
In her 2015 Ted Talk, Michelle Crum uses an example of what she calls a “multicultural
critical reflective practice” to help the teachers she works with to identify how their “invisible
Whiteness” may be affecting their interactions with students in the classroom. She showed
participating teachers a piece of art: Kerry James Mitchell’s “Lost Boys.” The vivid painting
features two dark-skinned, nearly featureless boys in a graphic and surreal background that
includes blocks, a brightly colored Cupie doll, a tree surrounded by police tape, twirling metal
gates, etc. (see Appendix A). Crum asked the teachers a series of simple questions and asked
them to carefully consider their answers:
“’What do you see?’ Often times they say, ‘I see two black male figures, maybe two
friends, maybe a father and son.’ Then I say, ‘Tellme a little bit about them. Who are
they?’ I get a myriad of stories, but I always get ‘something isn’t right here.’
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‘Something’s wrong.’ ‘They’re up to something.’ ‘They’re violent.’ Then I say, ‘What do

you see that makes you say that?’ and oftentimes, they can’t put their finger on what
exactly they see, what exactly invoked that emotion… these teachers tend to have deep-
seated stories about who these Black boys are or aren’t. In the same way they brought
those stories to this painting, they bring those stories to those boys that show up in their
classes.”

As teachers, we need to acknowledge the fact that these biases exist, even if we are not able to
fully articulate the causes so we can acknowledge how they have and continue to affect our
decisions, which ultimately can lead to how we will make choices in the future.
Perhaps it is the desire to create a world of normalcy that has led us, the White majority
of Americans, to willfully ignore the different racial and cultural identities and struggles around
us. “Despite so much evidence that people are not color-blind even when they want to be, color-
blind racial ideology has become commonplace among Whites in the United States” (Tatum,
2017). Saying, ‘I don’t see color; we are all the same,’ for example, emphasizes sameness in a
way that denies or rejects “the idea of White racial superiority. In theory, this sounds good, but it
overlooks the fact that people of color are not having the same experiences as White people…
their racial group membership is impacting their daily lives” (Tatum, 2017) in a negative way.
Pretending to not see color, to not acknowledge the differences and problems our racial identities
present in our lives, doesn’t solve them. Instead, it allows those of us in the majority, in
positions of privilege, to continue to ignore the struggles of people who we have deemed
abnormal by default.
Ironically, in doing so, we have effectively gagged ourselves. Conversation and
connection becomes risky. In order to continue to ignore the problems, we must maintain a
willful ignorance, in order to protect our own reputations. “The idea that [we] might be
considered prejudiced by anyone (including [our]selves)” (Tatum, 2017) can make us feel
uncomfortable, to withdraw from tough situations or conversations that may lead to feelings of
vulnerability or fault.
Teaching in classrooms where White and Black students interact with each other and with
us, we must acknowledge that the stories we bring to the table can sometimes clash. White
teachers hold the majority of teaching positions in this country. The way we perceive our
Whiteness, and the way our stories influence our decisions have to impact our ability to teach
and interact positively with our Black students. Black students are disproportionately
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disciplined, and disproportionately placed in special education (Crum, 2015). “Naming what’s
wrong with White people’s teaching skills must begin with calling out racism” (Perry, 2017). It
is only by acknowledging that racism exists, that we are a part of it, that the color of our skin
does impact our lives and the way we live them that we can make necessarily uncomfortable
progress.
Facing this reality is hard:
One of the major and probably most difficult steps… [toward change] is obtaining or
finding the consciousness of what it means to be White. I definitely remember many a
time that I wished I was not White, ashamed of what I and others have done to the other
racial groups in the world… I wanted to pretend I was Black, live with them, celebrate
their culture, and deny my Whiteness completely. Basically, I wanted to escape the
responsibility that came with identifying myself as ‘White’ (Tatum, 2017)

The more I have delved into this personally, the more I’ve associated my Whiteness with shame.
When I look at my race’s history, I sometimes find it difficult to identify any positive
contributions we’ve made to the world’s progress. I found myself recently struck by the idea that
some of my favorite students and some of my favorite people in the world are Black. The fact
that our skin wears a different color, it occurred to me that their presence brings value to my life,
but my presence may not bring value to theirs. My Whiteness may actually bring the opposite.
Associating with my Whiteness could be an inherent risk for them.
This idea is utter nonsense. Yes, the history of my race has created the current plight of
the Black community. But my presence as an individual, my presence as their teacher can make a
positive difference if I decide to do so. But it has to start with me opening my mouth.
“You can’t fix what you can’t talk about… Learning to have the conversation is of particular
importance for White people who want to see social change” (Tatum, 2017). I have influence
over my students, and I have an important part to play. “White teachers are part of the problem
of racial inequity in schools today and therefore can – in fact, must – be part of the solution”
(Michael, 2012). I must speak up. We must speak up. We must be willing to name the stories
and biases that guide us. We must be willing to identify and feel the discomfort that comes when
we recognize our privilege. And we must work to stop hiding behind the idea of sameness and
“normalcy.” We must have the hard conversations. We must name the fear and the shame, not to
hide behind it, but to use it to make better decisions in our personal lives, in our curriculum
decisions, in how we present ourselves in our profession, and how we interact with our students.
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But by the nature of my skin color and my privilege, overcoming the plight of Black
people is not my fight to win. It is not my victory to celebrate, and ultimately, it is not my voice
that need to be heard above the crowd. Instead – my voice needs to be a bolster for theirs. I need
to come to my students with what Prudence Carter calls an “empathetic heart.” I need to use my
voice to support and encourage my students of color to use their own voices, to be the owners of
their stories: “For many people of color, learning to break the silence is a survival issue. To
remain silent would be to disconnect from… experience, to swallow and internalize…
oppression. The cost of silence is too high” (Tatum, 2017). And then, once I have helped
provide them a platform from which to speak – I need to be quiet.
Too often, Black voices are overpowered by White people talking over them and
speaking for them. “We cannot let ourselves forget whose freedoms are at stake in the current
civil rights conversation. All lives matter, but all lives are not similarly at risk… Black voices
need to be heard.” (Barnes, 2015). It’s ultimately my job to make sure I create the space that
might allow them to do so. It is important that we hold ourselves accountable for our biases, and
our racism. I want to live in a diverse society that flourishes with a symphony of stories speaking
their truths. It’s time we acknowledge the stories that guide us, so that others might be able to
tell theirs.
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Annotated Bibliography

Barnes, T. (2015, February 27). John Legend and Common's Oscar Performance Had a Powerful
Hidden Meaning. Mic.com.

Barnes’ article provides insight into John Legend and Common’s performance of the
Oscar-winning song “Glory”, from the 2015 film, Selma. While the performance was
noted for its message and powerful performance style, Barnes takes time to identify one
key factor of the performance that many observers missed. While a multi-racial gospel
choir accompanied Legend and Common’s leading vocals, the white members remained
silent, allowing black voices to take a leading role. This article notes the importance of
keeping black voices in focus in current civil rights conversations, and attributes this
subtle staging decision as an important part of the performance’s social commentary.

In the process, Barnes uses concise but strong language to identify major issues in the
current civil rights fight. His article does not seek confirmation of the staging as a
conscious choice, however, his message is clear, and pointed; this is not a white person’s
fight, your support is encouraged, but it’s time to let people of color speak for themselves.

This article gets to the heart of my passion project and what I hope to ultimately be the
central idea of my thesis. As a white woman, I want to make positive change for my
students of color, but my experience is inherently different from theirs.

[Blacktreetv]. (2015, February 23). Glory (From the Motion Picture Selma) Oscar Performance
[Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9MKXR4gLjQ

Recorded during the 2015 Academy Awards Ceremony, musicians John Legend and
Common performed their original song, “Glory,” from the motion picture Selma. The
performance includes John Legend singing and playing the piano and Common rapping
downstage a large reconstruction of the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the site of the 1965 voting
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rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. A large multi-racial gospel-style

choir joins the musicians, reenacting the iconic march.

Best Original Song nomination performances are often of high quality, but more often
than not merely perfunctory. They serve as a reminder to the audience which song is
nominated from their favorite films, and in some cases, to allow the audience to
experience it for the first time. “Glory,” however was different. Rife with timely social
commentary, the performance is stark and powerful. The message and imagery are clear
to all who observe it. With the exception of some strange camera work, this performance
is the most emotionally powerful I’ve yet seen in such a venue.

This song clearly articulates the fraught bridge between the Civil Rights Movement in the
1960s and the issues facing the Black community. The issues noted in the lyrics are well
known and hold powerful weight over students of color around the country, but perhaps
especially in areas where they are surrounded by a White-majority student and teacher
cohort. The issues noted in this song are at the heart of racial justice conversations, and
serve to provide understanding and perhaps fruitful dialogue between Black and White
students and teachers in an attempt to create empathy, acknowledge bias, and work
toward change.

Carter, Prudence. (2004, June 5) Why Diversity is Not Enough [Video File]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QakBLcldTQ

This Ted Talk centers around the idea that students of color, particularily those students of
color who attend schools where they are the racial minority, feel less welcomed as whole
beings than in more homogeneous school settings. These students need to be provided
with ample and equal resources, opportunities, and empathy in school settings.

Carter identifies easily recognizable conundrums in school settings. She notes that
students and adults alike seem to struggle to cross the lines of our perceived social and
cultural groupings, and that lack of empathy can lead to presumption – often to negative
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effect for students of color. However, simply noting that educators should provide
resources, opportunities, and empathy to students of color does not provide enough
practical knowledge about how to do this effectively, nor does it acknowledge the impact
implicit and explicit bias has on forming social and cultural zones.

Previous research I have conducted for my thesis supports the notion that students of
color in school settings often identified as more “diverse”, but where they are the racial
minority, feel less supported in the school environment. Increasing this support is a
major goal for my classroom practice and will play a central role in my thesis.

Crum, Melissa. (2015, June 17) A Tale of Two Teachers/Melissa Crum/TedxColumbusWomen

[Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgtinODaW78

In her Ted Talk, Crum identifies and explores the key issue of underlying bias in White
teacher-Black student connections. In her research, she utilizes art and inquiry-based
critical critique to allow teachers to investigate and confront their pre-conceived notions
about race that guide how they teach curriculum, how they teach, and how they interact
with their students.

Melissa Crum focuses on the idea that all people, but educators in particular, come to the
proverbial table with a experiential story that influences every decision they make. If we
are able to dig deep enough to identify the stories we have been told and that we have
told ourselves, we may be better able to face them, change them, and ultimately make
change in our lives and in the lives that we teach. She provides specific examples and
has created a program of inquiry that is easy to understand and approach. Instead of
providing words of encouragement to change, she provides a practical approach to make
that change possible.

The idea of using art to identify the stories that drive our decisions is a compelling one,
and one that I feel could be put to use in the classroom directly. If students are able to
better identify their feelings of bias, they too may be able to better confront them and
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create a more inclusive and empowering place to be. This idea is a very practical
approach I could readily apply in my classroom and could provide an avenue for action
research as a part of my thesis.

Gober, R. (1989). Hanging Man, Sleeping Man.

Gober’s wallpaper design uses a bright, sunshiny yellow with simple images in the style
of a 1950s cowboys and Indians. One image depicts a white male sleeping, shirtless in
bed. The other, more colorful and complex, though arguably less detailed image, depicts
a dark skinned male body hanging from a tree by a noose. The images are presented in
alternating order, so when the wallpaper is hung, they create a checkerboard pattern, large
enough for color contrast to be visible, but small enough that the details of the image are
easily lost from a distance.

One of the things I love most about this art instillation is that it plays with nostalgia. The
When confronting the exhibit, at first it appears to be light and happy; childlike. But as
the view gets closer, the images become more clear, and the emotional impact changes
dramatically. Playing with the duality of childhood nostalgia and the horror of a lynched
man, the sleeping white man packs a strong punch. It is not clear from the image whether
the white man’s dreams are peaceful or wistful, or whether he struggles with them. That
lack of certainty is a strength of this work. It is one of my favorite instillations I’ve yet
experienced.

Hanging man, Sleeping man is a great visual to tie in the idea that we have an inner story
that guides our decision-making processes and our emotions. As the images become
closer and more easily identified, it allows me to feel discomfort and is a great example
of how my story and my experience incorrectly led me to assumptions. For this reason, I
have chosen this art instillation as an activity to articulate the impact our assumptions and
stories have on us.
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Michael, A. (2012). Raising Race Questions: Whiteness, Education, and Inquiry in Seven
Teacher Case Studies (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from University of Pennsylvania
Scholarly Commons.

Ali Michael’s dissertation focuses on helping White teachers identify and make changes
in their educational practices through group inquiry, collaborative observations, and
outside consultations. Her research sought to help teachers recognize the impact race and
racism shaped their schools and their classrooms in an effort to create positive change.

The teacher case studies utilized in this paper demonstrate a cross section of the learning
and growth process for the white teachers involved. Their testimony and participation
throughout the year-long process serve as great examples for other educators to reflect
and see concrete examples of actions that can provide both positive and negative effects
when trying to create anti-racial learning spaces. Many insights can be gained from this
type of group inquiry, the author notes that the reliance on time, support, and outside
collaboration is not always an easy sell to possible participants and administrators. While
I would love to participate in such a group, it seems unlikely that doing so would be
feasible in my current school climate.

A central question that guides my ponderings about possible thesis work is this: can
practices designed to reduce teacher bias and racism in the classroom be applied with
modification to students to help encourage a reduction of peer-to-peer bias, as well as
teacher-to-student bias? Inquiry-based work is a keystone in my classroom. Could this
kind of inquiry be utilized as action research to possibly bridge gaps within the classroom
setting?

Perry, A. (2017, May 1). What's Wrong with White Teachers? The Hechinger Report. New York,
New York, USA: Teachers College at Columbia University. Retrieved from
https://hechingerreport.org/whats-wrong-white-teachers/
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Perry’s article hinges on the idea that Black teachers are not only better teachers for
Black (and possibly White) students, but that the recent plea for an increase of Black
educators neglects to address a more important issue among White teachers. His plea is
simple: White teacher need to be less racist. It is only when the large cohort of White
teachers across the country are held to this standard, that substantive change is possible.

Perry’s focus on the need to eliminate racism in white teachers is not a subtle point. He
provides researched evidence to support his claims regarding the influence of Black
teachers on a multi-cultural student body. However, while he does reference a couple
books for White teachers’ personal edification and a few professors who provide training,
this article does not make recommendations for systematic change, or provides any tactile
solutions beyond “get better”. For teachers who may not seek to self-educate, or who may
not readily identify the need for such training, this article provides little substance.

This is the first article I have ever seen to identify the problem of racism as schools in
such a clear and somewhat aggressive manner. It had never occurred to me that this kind
of pointed education might be, in fact, a solution. The references included for further
reading will, I hope, be valuable resources for research I hope to do to complete my
thesis, but ultimately, to better my classroom practices and my relationships with the
students I encounter.

Tatum, B.D. (2017). Why are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria and Other
Conversations About Race. New York, New York, USA: Basic Books.

Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? is a comprehensive book
that addresses where the notion of race comes from, what prejudices and privileges are at
work in our society as a whole, as well as the impacts these notions have on us as
individuals, as well as how understanding and appreciating your own culture is key to
understanding another’s.

Tatum’s book focuses on issues usually perceived as White-Black issues. She covers
emotionally difficult topics with compassionate bluntness. Her take is not limited to
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Black and White, or any one space in time, but paints a clear, if not upsetting and
overwhelming, portrait of how complicated pasts integrate with the complicated nature of
humanity to create a current very complicated reality. It is at times a bit dismal, but lays
the groundwork for hope.

This text has been difficult to read – not only because of the subject matter, but because
of its dense, wealth of information, that with more time for study will provide ample
relevant research for thesis work. In particular, I appreciate her focus on the idea of color-
blind racial ideology as a key problem. Students in class often apologize for identifying
color, as though identifying race automatically indicates the speaker is racist. Defining
and working toward creating a positive White identity is of utmost importance for me
personally, and may be able to help me more clearly embody my role in both the
problems I want to work toward bettering, and how I may be a part of the solution.
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Appendix A
“The Lost Boys”

*Marshall, Kerry James. “The Lost Boys” (1993). Retrieved from Melissa Crum’s Ted Talk
[Video File], A Tale of Two Teachers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgtinODaW78
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Appendix B
Lesson Plan
 Slide 1: Hamilton Quote – “Let me tell you what I wish I’d known when I was young and
dreamed of glory: You have no control who lives, who dies, who tells your story.”
 This quote resonates with me, but really... What does it mean to have a story? To be in
control of that story? Discussion: What makes up our stories? (Past experiences and
emotions that are tied to them)
 Our stories are not limited to ourselves – we project them onto others as well
 Slide 2: Jot down thoughts. What is the story here? Does it remind you of anything?
(nostalgia, wallpaper, 1950s “innocence”) What feeling do you have when you see it?
 Art instillation by Robert Gober at the Art Institute of Chicago. As you walk up to it, my
experience: see the wedding dress and wallpaper – very innocent, very pure, very 50s,
charming.
 But when you get closer, the images on the wallpaper become clear.
 Slide 3: Jot down your reactions. What feeling do you have when you see it?
 Brief sharing – how did your story change as you got closer? Feels like a heavy metaphor
 Theme of the class – divides are easier to see from a distance. But this is also part of our
story. we have the luxury of distance. And we bring that luxury into our interactions with
our students and in ever decision we make.
 Slide 4: the facts are – we are surrounded by all of the stories. It can be overwhelming.
Being surrounded by that pattern in the instillation is overwhelming and numbing and
confusing. But the reality is – even though we don’t know what the sleeping man’s story
is – his is more often heard. That is a function of our privilege, our biases, and the stories
we have told.
 Focus of passion project – understanding that my story isn’t the one that needs to be told.
I need to be a support.
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 White people are integral to the process, especially as teachers. We need to be there to
support, but not necessarily to lend our voices. We need to be there, to create silence for
to allow our students of color to tell their own story.
 Slide 5: Glory. No White voices heard. No white voices necessary.