Can we say Black?

I had the opportunity today to lead a webinar as part of Pearson Languages Back to School webinar series which was facilitated by the talented and very supportive Samantha Ball . With online webinars, it's very hard sometimes to have a sense of the room. During the session, I use apps like mentimeter.com to hear from the teachers. I also rely on my host to share with me the audience's questions. Often times, like today, I receive emails or private messages from teachers who really want to carry on the reflection and discussion. In this article, I'd like to share with you my response to one of those teachers who wants to carry on the work beyond this webinar. They emailed me right after the webinar asking about resources on how to support one of their students who has dyslexia. They were also wondering how to refer to their Black students in an appropriate and respectful way.

Teacher: I don't really like to pay attention to people's skin colour, but sometimes you need to do that (maybe in some specific situations). Then, how to call them properly so as not to insult anybody? I know that some people are ok with the term "black person", some can be offended with that. Furthermore, how to call black people who are not from the US, also Afro-Americans? If the person is from France for example, are they also Afro-Americans or Afro-French? These questions may sound stupid, but I am really concerned about this topic because I want to be as tolerant as possible.

I'd like to first acknowledge and celebrate this teacher in being so considerate and kind towards their students, but also in articulating their question in such a vulnerable way. I have attempted a reply to the best of my ability. However, I'd like to invite you as well to respond to them in the comment section.

Here is my reply:

Thank you so much for attending the webinar and for taking the time to ask me your questions. I will try to answer them by directing you to some resources which will hopefully help you find solutions that work for you and your students.

• There are many ways that dyslexia is experienced by individuals, so not all dyslexic people have the same experience. Here is ONE EXAMPLE of how dyslexia is experienced: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7l4v2Gs0iA&t=15s
• If you adapt your materials to one student, make sure that ALL your students will benefit. I recommend against having a separate document or exam for one student because it may emphasise their difference in front of their peers and isolate them. Rather, either offer choice, or create materials that are made specifically for neurodivergent students and which would also benefit neurotypical students. Check out the work of Anne Margaret Smith about dyslexia: https://eltwell.com/elt-well/anne-margaret/. She also has a couple of books that worth checking out. You may also want to take her FutureLearn course.
• I don’t want to overwhelm you, so maybe you can start by listening to other people’s stories. Dr Martin Bloomfield , for instance, interviews teachers around the world about how Dyslexia is approached in their specific context: https://www.youtube.com/@DyslexiaBytes

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Regarding race, thank you so much for being vulnerable and brave enough to ask your question. I will again do my best answering. I would personally not reduce people, particularly students to their racial identities. For instance, I won’t refer to my student in their absence as ‘the White kid who always sits next to the window’, would I? I would talk about them using their name. If I struggle with learning their names, I would work a bit harder at learning how to say their names. I would also rely on other characteristics to describe them to my colleagues for instance. Just like I would do with any other person in the outside world.

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When I am talking in general terms about race and ethnicity in the classroom, specifically people who are historically marginalised due to colonisation and imperialism, I would use the terms ‘indigenous peoples, Black and African American people in the context of the US, the African diaspora in the context of immigration, people of Asian heritage, people of African descent or heritage, etc. '. I would use these terms in a positive way __ in a way that if one of my students is of that said heritage, they would feel proud. I would rehearse and practice enough times so when I address the topic, I am comfortable and confident. It is totally okay to celebrate those who are so rarely celebrated. It’s totally okay to talk about the top 5 most successful Black entrepreneurs in the world or the to 10 Black British artists who are making waves. So, if the next question then is, so, what about the top 5 White entrepreneurs? Is it something that we should be highlighting? My answer to that is simple, the mainstream is White-dominated. If we are putting the focus on the Black artists, the Black and indigenous -own business and so on, it is because of systemic and historical inequity. I have touched upon these topics in this article: Anti-racism in the Classroom. You can also find plenty of valuable resources which aim to level the playing field especially when it comes to how we teach history in The Black Curriculum website.

Beyond the label, it’s about recognising that the school as we know it hasn’t been designed to fit the needs of our students who are neurodivergent and/or who come from minoritised communities depending on the context we are in. Our job is to acknowledge the imbalance and act to bring about that balance, one day at a time, one small step at a time.

Please continue having these conversations with the people around you and with your colleagues. It will only add value to the experience of your students.

?Many thanks,?

Amina?

Dr Amina Douidi

DEI and Intercultural Communication in ELT

[email protected]

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