Critical Listening Response Journal (at least 30 minutes/week)

Podcast/webcast & Fact/Opinion What seems What connections (or Possible implications
Date significant about this disconnections) can related to being a
to you? you make to yourself, HRL teacher
the world, other texts
you’ve read/heard?
The Stoop  Black and Brown  It showed a start  It reminded me of  As a teacher, I
“Nice Tribal Wear. Now youth have of Black and how long Black need to let a child
Take it Off” brought back Brown pride and and Brown people be who they are,
July 19, 2017 traditional African feeling safe were oppressed whatever culture
fashion in enough to express and assaulted in that is.
Western settings. themselves. our history, and
now that they  I need to
 Africans called it  Just because they want to express understand that
appropriation weren’t born or themselves, it is students have
because they raised in Africa happening again. different
were Americans. does not mean backgrounds and
they don’t have  There is this idea experiences than I
 Many youths don’t African decent or that you can only do, and will need
know where in embrace African be one thing, but different
Africa they are culture. It is the the idea of accommodations.
from. same for any intersectionality
culture. shows that one  Every student,
 Black and Brown person is the even if they are
youth felt like they  Because of intersection of the same culture,
weren’t wanted by America’s rough many things. Why are not the same
America or Africa. past, many youths can one not person. Every
today are left embrace multiple child has a
 Appropriation is feeling uncertain cultures? different mind,
different than about their heart, passion,
appreciation. identity, so they  I can relate to this and capability.
try to connect to idea of not
all of Africa. knowing identity. It  I as an educator
leaves you need to help
 It leaves this confused in all students feel
feeling of not aspects of life proud of who they
being wanted and because you don’t are, not ashamed

Susan Adamson, ED 228, Fall 2020

 not good enough,
which shows a
lack of
understanding by  There is a lack of
the rest of the
world, leading
them to feel
hopeless.
 If you are
representing the
culture in a
positive way and
trying to learn
about it, it isn’t
appropriation.
The Stoop  Over 40 percent  This seems
“Why is it so hard for of the U.S. prison incredibly
some black folks to say I system is Black disproportional
love you?” and Brown men. and shows the
July 26, 2017 idea of systemic
 When Black men racism.
came back from
war, they were  It shows this idea
promised equality, of Black men
but met with racial being portrayed
hostility. as either of two
extremes,
 When they would aggressive/hostile
speak up, they or weak, leading
would be arrested them to suppress
or lynched. all emotions, good
or bad.
 Many Black men
were told that  The idea that they
showing emotion couldn’t show
Susan Adamson, ED 228, Fall 2020
know where you or like they have
belong. to hide it.
support for Black
and Brown youth
today because
people think they
haven’t gone
through struggles
like slavery or the
civil rights
movement, but
they are facing
their own new
evolving problems
and receiving no
help.
 I was very  As an educator, I
disconnected from must understand
this because my and let students
family said ‘I love express
you’ all the time. themselves
without judging
 Showed the them.
extremely bad
stigma towards  I must understand
both male mental the stigma around
health overall, but mental health and
mostly targeted take it into
towards Black and consideration
Brown men. when working with
young men and
 I never have to women.
worry about
coming off as  I must support all
aggressive or of my students
emotional as a through whatever
 was to be weak. emotion led to young white it is they are going
many households woman. I’ve never through.
 Many Black where it may not really thought
households have been said, about ever having  As an educator, I
wouldn’t say ‘I but they found that kind of fear in need to create a
love you’ because other ways to the back of my safe and
of this fear of show it. Or it led mind or what welcoming
showing emotion. to cold would happen if I environment
households, did. where students
 Black Americans especially toward feel safe and
needed to be men where they  This reminds me a acknowledge the
strong to survive. were told to ‘man lot about how past as well.
up’. police tend to
 Many Black harass Black men  Acknowledge
Americans now  Shows the and will students and their
would say ‘I love extremes of the overexaggerate or feelings and
you’ after losing world today and react because of validate them.
someone, how systemic racist ideas and
knowing it is a racism still plays a stereotypes.
scary world. big role in today’s
society, affecting
lives even inside
the house.
The Stoop  There is a wide  Shows the  I have never 
As a teacher, I
“The problem with assumption that a stereotype of thought about this need to
‘sounding white.’” “white voice” is a Black and Brown before. I knew understand that
August 29, 2019 “proper way of cultures being different accents kids are unique to
speaking.” inferior when it like British, who they are and
isn’t. Southern, etc. I let them embrace
 People would tell never even it.
him that sounding  Different dialects thought about  If students have
white was a good are a sign of different dialects. accents or
thing. different cultures different dialects, I
and should be  This really shouldn’t expect
 There was an embraced. They showed me the that to change.
experiment where shouldn’t feel like privilege that I
a man called for they need to hide have lived with  Allow for students
an apartment in 3 who they really because to have positive

Susan Adamson, ED 228, Fall 2020

 different voices: are. something like this social interactions
black, Hispanic, has never had to with fellow
and white- for an  Something like the cross my mind. students and me
apartment. Only way we talk is as a teacher to
the white voice hard, almost  I think that understand
got an offer. impossible, to someone’s voice differences.
control. Because doesn’t make
 A lot of Black of this, people them superior or  Be willing to have
Americans will talk shouldn’t be inferior, it just honest
differently around ashamed or makes them conversations,
their family, judged because of unique to who even if they are
friends, or other something they they are. hard.
Black people than can’t control.
white people or  This reminds me
strangers.  The fact that there when someone
is a prejudice not was asked to play
 They were asked just against Black an ‘Indian clerk’
to sound “Blacker” people but also for a commercial
the implication of and told to do
their voice is just sound “more
horrible. At this Indian” by feeding
day and age, you into stereotypes. It
think we would be makes me
past this by now, disappointed in
and it is really today’s media.
sad.
The Stoop  Most people who  It is sad how  This reminded me  As an educator, I
“You called me African aren’t people will just of a ted talk about need to educate
what?” knowledgeable make a single story and myself on all
September 13, 2017 about Africa think assumptions how you have to different
Africa is only full about other places be knowledgeable backgrounds and
of homeless and and cultures about multiple cultures that the
hungry Africans or without actually perspectives to students in my
jungle. knowing anything really get a full class might have.
about it. picture. 
 Many people think  I need to make
all Africans are  People assume  Living in a very sure that my
the same, the that Africans and gated household, I lessons do not

Susan Adamson, ED 228, Fall 2020

 same culture, the Black Americans know what it is just resonate with
same language, are the same, but like to be that my culture, but
etc. they have different ignorant, but I also with all of the
modern cultures, understand now cultures and
 Africans and even with overlap. that all it takes is a identities in my
Black Americans Same skin color little bit of effort classroom.
have two different doesn’t mean the and compassion
stereotypes, but same person. to pull yourself out  I must provide a
neither are and learn about safe learning
correct.  Media and something new. environment
television paint where students
 People from Africa false stereotypes  The world would feel comfortable
think they are of all different be a better place if learning and
better than African cultures. If you people just took embracing their
Americans want to learn what the time to learn identity.
because of how a culture really is, about other
they are portrayed you have to do cultures instead of  I need to prepare
on TV: as thugs, quality research or feeding into to be able to
lazy, uneducated. talk to someone. stereotypes. answer questions
Once they come about hard topics.
to the U.S., they  Learning about  I still hear these If I don’t know
realize those other cultures is false ideas and something,
stereotypes aren’t important to stereotypes, and instead of making
true. connect with other that is when it is something up, do
people. Everyone important to step research and
 When Africans has something in and politely come back later
and African different to bring correct them so with a better and
Americans start to to the table, and they don’t real answer.
learn more about we have to continue to be
each other’s appreciate spread.  Be open to having
pasts, their bond everything that discussions that
becomes stronger makes us may be hard or
because they different. uncomfortable.
relate to each
other more.
The Stood  In casting for the  The idea of  I used to be very  As an educator I
“Pretty for a dark-skinned movie Straight ranking girls by insecure about need to
girl” Outta Compton, beauty standards having red curly understand that

Susan Adamson, ED 228, Fall 2020

 March 20, 2018 there was a hair is already hair, but that was students are
chart from level a- incredibly something I could different than I am
d. A was straight demeaning, but change. People’s and have their
hair and light making skin color skin color is not own worries other
skinned girls. D a factor of beauty something they than schoolwork.
was dark skinned is awful. Every can change, and
girl with naturally skin color is even so it  I must recognize
Black hair. equally beautiful. shouldn’t be that students are
something they kids first.
 A lot of girls will  These beauty feel insecure
try to have straight standards leave about.  I must work to
or ‘white’ looking Black and Brown  Middle-high help kids feel
hair because it girls to think that schoolers go confident in
was what was they aren’t good through a lot of themselves,
thought of as enough, leaving changes, and they physically,
attractive during them feeling become very self- academically,
the time. insecure when conscious. It is emotionally, etc.
they are beautiful. important to
 Brown paper bag recognize this and  Acknowledge and
test: if you were  As a world, as a how their identity validate student
lighter than a country, and as a plays a role in it. experiences, even
brown paper bag, community, we if they are new or
you were need to do better  Beauty standards unfamiliar to me.
accepted. If you in making body in the modern
were darker, you positivity more world have been  Never miss an
were not. widespread, changing, but in opportunity to
especially when it general they learn. Just
comes to skin shouldn’t exist. because I am the
color because no People should feel teacher doesn’t
one should ever proud of who they mean I know
feel inferior are. They should everything.
because of the love who they are,
way they look. no matter how  There has to be a
they look. mutual respect
and connection.

Susan Adamson, ED 228, Fall 2020