Last fall the organization Facing History and Ourselves sponsored an exhibit at the Boston Public Library called "Choosing to Participate," which explored situations in three communities that highlight the choices individuals face when confronting discrimination and prejudice. A companion exhibit, "Rescuers of the Holocaust," featured individuals who risked their own lives to save Jews in Europe during the holocaust. Several adult basic education teachers brought students to see these exhibits, and three of them, Wendy Hagan and Richard Goldberg from the Asian American Civic Association and Melanie Konstandakis from Project Place, contributed the following pieces which include students responses to these exhibits.--Editor
At least once a cycle, I like to have students in my ABE English Transitional Program at AACA research and present a place of interest to them in the Boston area. After spending a couple of weeks gathering information and sharing their presentations with their classmates, the class votes on which place they'd like to visit outside of class. Once again, the John F. Kennedy Library won out over Quincy Market, The Boston Tea Party Ship/Museum, and the Bunker Hill Monument. We found out about "Choosing to Participate" shortly after visiting the J.F.K. Library. Having discussed the Civil Rights Movement in American history along with similar movements around the world on larger and smaller scales, I was eager to visit the exhibition and reinforce connections that had recently been made. The exhibition portrayed how we will always be faced with certain inequalities. Its emphasis on how/if we choose to act out against these injustices had a big impact on all of us. Some of my students reflected on incidents in their own lives where they were faced with making difficult decisions. Others shared personal experiences, as witnesses and victims of racism and discrimination.
Encouraging students to set aside the comfort and familiarity of their traditional texts books and turn instead to the community around them as an interactive textbook may take a bit of work and persuasion, but once you start, there is no turning back. This is what I've discovered again and again with my ABE classes. It's a wonderful way of engaging multilevel classes in meaningful activities while generating authentic questions, ideas and texts. Energy, enthusiasm and confidence increased noticeably as students experimented with new forms, vocabulary, and structures in their writing and in-class discussions. They took greater risks than I'd seen them take before.
Here are some of our students' responses after visiting "Choosing to Participate." I had asked them to choose one of the following writing assignments: 1) You are Elizabeth Eckford in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957. Write a letter to the school board letting them know how you feel about the way you were treated your first two weeks of school. Tell them why you will continue to go to school despite your feelings of fear, isolation and helplessness. 2) It is 1954. You are the lady with the two children, valise and baby in her arm from the New York subway that Jesús Colón wrote about in the story, "Little Things Are Big." Write a letter to Jesús Colón explaining how you would have felt if he had offered you his help that night. --Wendy Hagan
Dear Jesus Colon,
This is the lady with the children and suitcase from the New York subway station who you wrote about in "Little Things Are Big." I am surprised that you wrote about it and am sure that you must be surprised that I write to you.
Today, after I read your letter, "Little Things Are Big," I felt very happy that you wanted to offer me help. However, to be honest, I would have rejected your help as you thought I would. At that time, every woman would have done the same thing. It was because you were a stranger to me and there were also some strong prejudices about Negroes that existed in 1954. Even though I was not as prejudiced as other people, I tried to stay away from trouble no matter what.
Now, I want to tell you that I greatly appreciated your offer. Thank you very much for your kindness. If it is possible for us to encounter on the street again, and if I am luck enough to receive your offering of help again, then I would definitely take this pleasure to receive your offer. Good Luck.
Sincerely,
The White Lady From the Subway
--Maisy Cheng
Hi Sir,
How are you doing? I was a lady with two kids on subway that night.
I was really glad to read your message on newspaper. I understood with your face to face that situation. If I were you, I would be hard to decide that helping because I wouldn't know was it bother me.
In America, many things could happen that would make people concerned before doing something for other people. Here have had discrimination like religion, languages, skins colors, etc. Also you could try the best you would do. It would be against yourself.
However, I and my children would like thankful your offer to help, even you could have change, but we knew.
[signed] The passenger late that night
--Ngoc Le
Jesus Colon,
As you said, it was midnight on the evening of Memorial Day. When I was getting off the subway with my children, it also had long concrete stairs to go off the station. It was okay to me because I was accustomed it. This was not difficult like you thought for me to handle my children get off the station, I even had a baby on my arm. I had done that many times, plus my family were waiting for me outside of station. Your determination was absolute wrong. That was nothing you has worry about.
Of course, if you were tried to come to my side to offer your help, I certainly will cry loud and scream. Imagine about a black stranger came to my side in the midnight of station. I will be scared to death. I could not think what you wanted to do to me. Maybe you wanted to robbery my valise or attack me and you were looking for excuse or reason to closed up me because I was only one young lady in the station. Those happen will be appeared in my mind immediately.
What reasons made me believe in your offer could help? I was not deny your offer was from your warm heart, but how can I trust the black stranger would not done anything wrong to me. I am not appreciate your favor. I always in this situation of the train. I knew how to take care of myself. Once again, there has nothing you could do about it. I did not want to receive your offer. You stayed out of me. I would feel much better and safley. Thank you.
[signed] The Lady in the Subway
An attachment by the same student:
In 1950's there had many many discrimination incident around school, street, workshops, stores and many places in the United States. I was able to understand what Jesus Colon was feeling about helping white people especially lady at night in the subway station. It was blame on segregation to decline his offer. He felt under racist incident. The color made separation between them. The prejudice make her afraid to let him hold her children's hands to got off the subway. The discrimination could not let her receive his help.
What can we do about this? Will it keeping happen on your children and family? Could we stop that? Yes, we can. We can tell the stories about discrimination by warning children of danger of intolerance. History gives no promises, but it can by example of hope. Simple things we can do to make a difference in discrimination: stand up and speak up. Let's work it out together.
--Wai Cheng
Dear Mr. Jesus Colon:
Thanks for remembering me. I just am the lady from the New York subway at that night. My name is Margaret. Your essay was excellent. I am excited by your sincerity. It gives me a heavy shock in my soul. You are a writer who has human's intuitive knowledge. In the essay, you blamed yourself deeply. In fact, that is an accusation to segregation. If everybody can criticize this social injust from him/herself as same as you, this world would be peace a little bit.
Your essay let me recall that night. I remember there was only one black man on the subway's platform beside me and my children. That time I was very tired and looked around just only one black man in the station. He walked in a hurry. He seemed not to see me or insensitive about my situation. I didn't know that was you. I wanted to ask a help, but I thought you might hated a white woman. I feel human's virtue could overcome prejudices. However, I was disappointed. Incredibly. Prejudice can make huge barriers to influence people to be difficult for doing a simple decision. My prejudice tied me. Your hesitancy tied you. Now I don't hat you. The opposition. I admired your courage and spirit of critical thought with this essay. I hate segregation. It can't bring any good thing to our society. It only bring some hatred and some conflictions to us.
Mr. Jesus Colon, your essay, your trembling sound, will call people's intuitive knowledge.
Yours sincerely,
Margaret
--Bing Shu Huang
Mr. Jesus Colon:
I have known you wrote about "Little Things Are Big." I am the woman you met that night at the New York subway station.
If you could offer your help for me, I wouldn't have that hard time in that scarely midnight. I'm glad that you wanted to help me at the biginning, but you finally gave up and went away. I felt so disappointed. It was so difficult for me that night. I looked at the long concrete stairs of the station. I looked at my baby, my suitcase and my two little children. I don't know how to reach the end of the long stairs. It would be so wonderful if you could help me that night.
Now I know what you have been worry about that night. I'm not prejudiced. I think black people are good people just like us. They are kind and friendly.
Anyway, I know you situation at that night.
[signed] The white lady in the subway
--Ping
Department of Central High School,
My name is Elizabeth Eckford. I am a fifteen year old black girl. I live in Little Rock, Arkansas. I wanted to tell you my feelings and the serious problems in the Central High School. The black students need your help to solve this problem of racism between teachers and students.
I knew nothing of the plan. In her haste, Daisy Bates forgot to get word to me. When I reached Central High, I tried to enter the building only to be turned away by soldiers armed with bayonets.
I was sitting down on the bench in front of the school. Thousands of people (adults) yelled at me and said, ''I don't like you, go home, you are a dumb girl.'' I saw a lot of fingers point at me and heard, ''I don't understand how she can learn. She looks dumb and doesn't know how to speak correctly." I think if they had guns at that time, they would shoot me.
I went home and didn't cry. I told myself I must go to school every day. Even though people will give me a hard time. I will keep going until I finish high school.
The second day, a student stole my text book after class. I didn't have my book required to do my homework. The next day, I told my teacher. She said, ''You are just lazy.'' The third day, I sat with the black students in the lunchroom. A student poured hot soup on my dress. Another student poured cool milk from on a black student's head. We all confronted them. They were laughing and none of the students cared, not even the teachers. On the fourth and fifth days, 10 students spat on us and pushed us down. We told our teachers. They didn't believe us and told us not to start trouble.
I was hurt and on the verge of tears. Again I told myself not to give up. I'm not afraid of anything.
Please support us and lend us a big hand. We all live in this community. We want this community to prosper. Otherwise, we will go to our local law makers and ask for help. We need teachers to treat us like the other students. If teachers can't give us confidence, how will we survive in this community?
Thank you for your time. I hope you will pay attention to us.
Sincerely,
Elizabth Eckford
--Kitty Lam
All My Schoolmates,
I am fifteen year old Elizabeth Eckford. Since the way you were treated me first weeks of school, the tears rool down my cheeks everyday, all the time. I am scared. I still remember the large mob surrounded me to spit and scream. I don't know how I can describe sad racist incident again. I feel that I am struck dumb with horror.
I still don't understand what I did wrong to you. There is only one reason. I am black. We are all good kids. We just have different race. I want go school. I want good education. Please let me stay! Please don't hate me again. That will really suffer my rest life.
I beg you! I beg you! I am just little girl.
[signed] Elizabeth
--Qi Zheng
Pre-viewing activities in my class at AACA prior to visiting the exhibit included reading and discussing articles which provided the necessary background knowledge about most of the racial/ethnic conflicts presented in the exhibition. At the same time, my ABE class was also reading books on different immigrant/ethnic groups from the Tana Reiff series, Hopes and Dreams, available at the A.L.R.I. After visiting the exhibit, I asked students to write answers to this question: "What was the most interesting exhibit for you at 'Choosing to Participate'?" These are some of the responses.--Richard Goldberg
I think all four parts I had seen are very interesting, but the most interesting one is the rescuers. Those brave persons hid lots of Jewish people during the Second World War. As we know, Hitler wanted to kill all Jews. Protecting Jews was very dangerous. The rescuers did a great job and helped many Jewish people stay alive. That's the greatest thing in the world. At that time, China was against the Japanese, and my grandfather and grandmother hid in a farmer's family to stay alive because they belonged to the communist party. Lives are beauty. We need peace and progress, not war.--Li Che
The most interesting thing for me is the part, "Little Things Are Big." The black man saw the white woman who was with two children and really needed some help. The black man chose not to help because he was afraid of a lot of things. I think maybe he made the right choice. At that time, white people always discriminated against black people. White people didn't want to approach black people. The black man at the T station was really upset about this just because he was different from white people.--Anna Wang
The Billings, Montana story was most interesting for me because I didn't know that before. I am surprised that people did some terrible things to Jewish and Indian houses. I felt sad about that. However, there were some nice people who painted the house for free, but I am not sure if they are Jewish or not. Anyway, they gave the Jewish people big help. I know more about Jewish people after I saw the exhibition and the read the book about Jewish immigrants.--Christine Chen
Yesterday, we visited "Choosing to Participate" at the Boston Public Library. One thing that made me think was the Jewish people. They didn't have their own country and they lived in many countries with other people. During World War Two, they got inhumane treatment. A lot of Jews died. They didn't do something wrong, It was only because they were Jewish people. That was not fair. A picture showed me a story. A couple of good people saved thirty six Jewish people in their house.--Di Aini Hu
Some days we all need a change of pace. Frequently, the classroom gets a little mundane, and it is time to get "actively educated." This was part of the motivation behind the decision of Project Place's educators to challenge our students to critically and pro-actively look at historical events of the last half a century.
The ten students who attended the "Choosing to Participate" exhibit at the Boston Public Library were variously affected by the exhibit. We all enjoyed the brisk walk to the library and had a great time chatting and debriefing about the exhibit as we returned. We spent about two hours making our way through the exhibit, discussing and evaluating as we went.
When asked which exhibit had the greatest effect on students, one woman said, "I would have to say they all affected me in their own way, but the one that sticks with me the most is the 'Rescuers of the Holocaust.' To me the people that risked their lives and their families' lives to save more lives are heroes. Just imagine what they went through day after day." Several students felt "Crisis in Little Rock" was the most powerful exhibit. "I can't believe that little girl did that everyday!" one woman exclaimed. "I thought they were all very good," one man said about the exhibits.
Following our visit, the students answered some open-ended questions that the teachers had designed before the trip. The questions led to some rich discussion of history and ethics. Students eagerly wrote an essay that night for homework on "What Motivates People to Do Good Things." The class has since been enthusiastically discussing bringing their families/children to the exhibit and hoping to read several of the suggested books related to it.--Melanie Konstandakis