Priyal

Morjaria
6/7/2014

The Cultural
Interview
Multicultural
Education

Cultural Background
Dr. D was born and raised in the Bahamas.
Shes been in the US for many years but still
has close ties with her Bahamian culture and
visits her family every year. As a single
mother Dr. D strives to instill her culture and
Bahamian roots in her daughter. Her
daughter spends every summer and
Christmas at her grandparents house in the
Bahamas. With her strong ethnic and cultural
background and her experience with the
American school system, Dr. D was the ideal
candidate for my project.

Dr. D and Keke!

Dr. D works in higher education and has a
Ph.D. in higher education leadership.
She was born and raised in the Bahamas.
Dr. D has an 11 year old daughter whom
she lovingly calls Keke (pet name).
Keke will be starting 6th grade in the fall.
Keke was born in the US but has some
experience going to school in the
Bahamas as well.

Lets Get to know Keke

Spunky eleven year old Keke has
experience being a rock-star student in
the US and the Bahamas, Her school
days in the Bahamas consisted of
uniforms and structured lessons,
Respect for teachers and adults was a
high expectation that every child was
required to meet. Although Dr. D
preferred the structure and discipline,
Keke missed expressing her self through
dress and fashion.

From Dr. Ds experience with school

teachers and administrators in the US its
very obvious that Keke has had a
wonderful learning experience in all the
schools shes attended in the US. Dr. D
was still quick to mention that teachers
have more autonomy in the Bahamas
then they do here. She felt that teachers
here are often bound by school policies
and procedures. As a school teacher in the
Bahamas her self she stated that teachers
in the Bahamas are treated with respect
and students dont tend to talk out of line
as much.

AS a child in the Bahamas Dr. D

remembers kids her age being
disciplined. She remembers her
mother telling her that Kids are
meant to be seen and not heard.
Kids never showed attitude
towards adults in the Bahamas.
As a parent Dr. D often is torn
between allowing her daughter to
have a sense of freedom but
maintaining discipline and order as
well.
Dr. D tries to balance both of these
dynamics by making sure her
daughter understands that its ok
to have freedom of expression but
there are boundaries that cant be
crossed. Keke must always respect
her elders and keep her attitude in
check.

C
on
fli
ct
ed

Dr. Ds vision for Keke

Like most parents

Dr. envisions a
bright future for her
child.
She wants Keke to
be well rounded in
all aspects and
wants her to have a
education that
provides her with
the tools to succeed.
Dr. D also sees
education beyond
just reading, writing,
and mathematics.

She envisions a child

that is also socially
educated.
School and home
combined should
also teach her to
adapt and reflect on
peoples differences.
She wants Keke to
be able to make
decisions, foster
positive interactions
and make the rights
judgements.

Whats missing?
Dr. D knows that Keke is academically well
prepared but she feels that schools dont go
beyond that. Dr. D wants Keke to look beyond her
tiny circle of friends and family. The world is a big
place where people live very different lives. As a
mother Dr. D wants her child to grow up to
understand what it means to be a strong, black
women with a culturally diverse background. She
wishes schools were more involved with the
community, students had the opportunity to give
back and also that schools made a point to teach
social change and help students take pride in their
differences.

Multicultural Social Justice Education

influences students to not only reflect
on what they identify with, respect
others differences but also to engage
in social change.
Dr. D struggled with allowing her
daughter to have self expression while
being responsible and respectful.
Multicultural Social Justice Education
enables students to feel empowered
and that brings about a sense of
responsibility.
Young minds need an outlet and a
foundation to grow as they accept the
various cultural, ethic, gender
differences that they identify with.
When teachers create an environment
open to acceptance, free of intolerance
and inclined towards social change
students learn to look beyond their
four walls.

M
ult
ic
ult
ur
al
So
ci
al
Ju
sti
ce
Ed

Social Justice Lesson Plan

The Media is a very strong, positive and negative
influence on todays young generation. Kids
often identify with or perpetuate stereotypes
based on what they hear and see not just in their
environments but also through the media.
Playgrounds across the world are susceptible to
strong phrases with even stronger hidden
meanings.
You run like a girl!
Stop being so gay!
That looks so ghetto!

Social Justice Lesson Plan

Video Diary Lesson Plan based on Always
#likeagirl campaign.
The Before.
1. Create a in class room video clip with students.
2. Separate students in groups and give each
group a Ipad.
3. Students have to answer three questions
4. What comes to mind when someone says run
like a girl, act gay or when something is or looks
ghetto.
5. Provide images that perpetuate those
statements and ask students if those images fit
the above statements.
6. At the end ask students to provide a one page
outlook paper on what these statements mean.

1. Provide Ipads to your students

again and ask them what those
statements now signify.
2. Allow students to facilitate a
classroom discussion in a
respectful manner.
3. Ask students to come up with
intelligent ways to influence social
change when it comes to
statements of insult

The After..
Show students videos and images
of powerful women, female
athletes, successful individuals that
identify themselves as LGBT,
ghettos of the world where poverty
is rampant and successful
individuals that have risen from
poverty.

Social Justice Lesson Plan

If I could change the world

https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=wuRURJ9E3iQ

The strength behind words

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
UHvDaGMdTKY

The Warsaw Ghetto

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jksJADfWrU

Always #likeagirl campaign video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
XjJQBjWYDTs

Soc
ial
Just
ice
Les
son
Pla
n

As educators we see the importance of social

change and acceptance; however to see this from
a mothers eyes is a different experience all
together. Most parents want their children to learn
to think critically, look beyond basic education and
become the change they wish to see. Dr. Ds only
concern with the school system was a lack of
introducing social justice and social change in the
curriculum. She mentioned, several times, her
desire to raise a strong women who knows that
anything is possible in the world. As a women and
mother she wants to ensure that her daughter
takes pride in her cultural background, identifies
with being a strong women, and respects diversity.
Accepting diversity is start but lets not forget that
we also have to be conduits of change.