Education System v. Cultural Competence | Gracia Bareti | TEDxDirigo

Summary

The speaker recounts their first birthday party invitation in kindergarten, highlighting the feeling of belonging and the struggle with cultural identity. They discuss the 'double consciousness' experienced by people of color, the lack of cultural representation in education, and the need for cultural competence. The narrative culminates in their initiative at Girls Nation, where they proposed the Cultural Awareness Curriculum Act to enrich educational curricula with diverse cultural teachings, emphasizing the importance of inclusivity and understanding in education.

Takeaways

• 🎉 The speaker's first birthday party invitation in kindergarten made them feel special and part of the community.
• 🏠 Growing up in Maine, the speaker often felt different from their predominantly white classmates due to their Congolese and Rwandan heritage.
• 🎨 The speaker experienced cultural disconnects in school, such as choosing crayon colors for family portraits and discussing favorite foods.
• 🤔 The invitation to the birthday party was a symbol of acceptance, but the sleepover aspect conflicted with the speaker's cultural norms.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The speaker's family's cultural practices were not fully understood or accepted by their peers, leading to feelings of anger and confusion.
• 📚 The concept of 'double consciousness' is introduced to describe the speaker's divided identity between their cultural heritage and American life.
• 🗣️ The speaker had to code-switch and advocate for their identity in various environments, highlighting the challenges of being underrepresented.
• 🏫 The education system was criticized for not teaching about diverse cultures, leading to a lack of understanding and microaggressions.
• 🌐 The speaker and a partner created the 'Cultural Awareness Curriculum Act' to promote education on various cultures in schools.
• 🙅‍♀️ Despite the effort, the bill was denied, illustrating the systemic issues in education and the need for change to include diverse perspectives.
• 🌟 The speaker calls for cultural competence and active learning about different cultures to create a more inclusive and understanding society.

Q & A

How did the speaker feel when they received their first birthday party invitation?

The speaker felt special and excited when they received their first birthday party invitation, as it made them feel seen and part of their school and community.

Why did the speaker feel different in their kindergarten classroom?

The speaker felt different in their kindergarten classroom because they were often the only non-white student, which led to experiences of feeling out of place during activities and discussions.

What cultural differences did the speaker experience in their early childhood?

The speaker experienced cultural differences such as choosing the color of crayon for drawing family portraits, having different hair textures, and discussing favorite foods that were not common among their peers.

Why couldn't the speaker attend the sleepover mentioned in the birthday invitation?

The speaker couldn't attend the sleepover because it conflicted with their Rwandan and Congolese cultural norms, as their father explained that it was not in their culture.

What is 'double consciousness' as described by W.E.B. Du Bois?

'Double consciousness' is a term coined by W.E.B. Du Bois, referring to the feeling of having two identities or ways of thinking within oneself, often experienced by those who belong to marginalized groups.

How did the speaker feel about their identity being divided into different components?

The speaker maneuvered through life with a sense of division in their identity, feeling the need to code-switch and be self-aware of how they behaved to fit into different environments.

What did the speaker do to address the lack of cultural education in schools?

The speaker attended Girls Nation and proposed the Cultural Awareness Corps Education Act, which aimed to require cultural awareness education in schools to teach about different cultures and ways of life.

Why was the Cultural Awareness Corps Education Act important to the speaker?

The Cultural Awareness Corps Education Act was important to the speaker because it represented a way to educate students about diverse cultures, including their own, and to prevent the feeling of being 'othered' in the classroom.

What was the outcome of the debate on the Cultural Awareness Corps Education Act at Girls Nation?

Despite the debate highlighting the experiences and needs of girls of color, the Cultural Awareness Corps Education Act was denied, illustrating the systemic challenges in addressing cultural education.

What is the speaker's call to action regarding cultural competence and education?

The speaker calls for cultural competence to be invited into everyone's lives, encouraging engagement with new perspectives, listening to others, and being one's own teacher since the education system may not provide complete knowledge.