What is this?
Why is this?
How is this?
Sunday, August 19, 2018
Wednesday, August 15, 2018
37 New Hires
All but one are female.
Most are white.
-One looks to be wearing a hajib.
-One looks to be Asian Indian.
This district has this demographic of children:
Here is a new list of questions:
Most are white.
-One looks to be wearing a hajib.
-One looks to be Asian Indian.
This district has this demographic of children:
Here is a new list of questions:
- Where is the one male going?
- Where is the one woman who is not white heading?
- When students draw a "scientist," they usually draw a male. What about when they draw a teacher?
- I know of three males on Twitter that do not have a teaching job yet this year. Do their neighboring districts need male teachers?
- How important is it that we have male teachers at each school? At each grade level?
- Do school districts keep track of how many male and female teachers they hire?
- Do school districts keep track of how many ethnicities they hire?
- I wonder how many people with any type of "disability" teach? (Do corrective lenses or hearing aids count?)
- What other questions should I be asking?
- What am I missing? What am I not noticing?
Thursday, August 9, 2018
Billboards
On the way to Cedar Point (in Sandusky, OH) from our house (west of Chicago), I started noticing the "color," or lack thereof, of the people featured on advertisement billboards. I decided to notice it intentionally on the ride home. I'm becoming more and more upset with my own ignorance...
Here's the line that is representative of where I took notes on billboards I could see heading west:
Given the myriad billboards along this route (they came fast and furious!), I thought I'd organize them here in some fashion... I'm only going to use skin tone. Some last names may give away more of an ethnicity, but I'm only noticing color this time around. I'll start with the most prevalent.
WHITE / Caucasian people in billboards:
Males:
Alvarez (lawyers) - two white males (5 billboards)
NuMale.com - one white male - can only see his hands (4 billboards)
Here's the line that is representative of where I took notes on billboards I could see heading west:
Given the myriad billboards along this route (they came fast and furious!), I thought I'd organize them here in some fashion... I'm only going to use skin tone. Some last names may give away more of an ethnicity, but I'm only noticing color this time around. I'll start with the most prevalent.
WHITE / Caucasian people in billboards:
Males:
Alvarez (lawyers) - two white males (5 billboards)
NuMale.com - one white male - can only see his hands (4 billboards)
Glen Lerner (lawyer) - one white male (3 billboards)
Krazy Kaplan's (fireworks) - one white animated male (3 billboards)
Reef River Waterpark - one white male child (2 billboards)
Ken Allen Law - one white male (2 billboards)
Leona's Law - one white male (2 billboards)
Blackburn & Green - two white males
Shoreline Brewery - one white (older - 80s?) male
Fly South Bend - one white male on a tablet
Sarkisian Assoc. (lawyers) - two white males
Franciscan Health - one white male
Philippe Homes - one white male
Pilot - one white male
Portage Dental - one white male
Purdue - one white male
Langer Law - one white male
Specialty Physicians - one white male
Accelerate - one white boy
One-Hour Tees - one white male
Raging Waters - one white boy
U.S. Waterproofing - one white male
United Home Loans - Einstein
Females:
Franciscan Health - one white female (3 billboards)
St. Mary Cancer Care - one white female doctor and one white female patient
Club 39 - one white (fake blonde) female
Polekatz - one white (fake blonde) female
Dream Girls - one white (fake blonde) female
Serenity Salon - one white female
Mane Image - one white female
Caldwell Banker - one white female
Exact Time (watchmaker) - one white female
Cosmetology - one white female
Webb Ford - one white female ("Even if your credit isn't perfect!")
Mix of genders:
Pintas & Mullins (lawyers) - one white male and one white female (7 billboards)
Pintas & Mullins (lawyers) - two white males (one a doctor) and one white female (7 billboards)
Teeth Tomorrow - one white male and one white female (3 billboards)
Pintas Law - two white males, one white female
Midwest Express Clinic - one white male doctor, one white female child patient
Dark Forest (homes? subdivision?) - one white family
Adopt U.S. Kids - one white male and one white teen female
In the Game - one white female and one white child
Hotels of Oakbrook - two white children
BLACK / African-American people in these billboards:
Males:
Marines - one black male
Gary Community School - one black male
Females:
Webb Hundai - one black female ("Where everyone gets the 'family' treatment!")
Church Girl Closet - one black female
Kali Beauty - one black female
Kreations by Kashell - three black females
Entenmann's Lite Bites - one black female child
Brookfield Zoo - one black female child
UTI.edu - one black female
Mix of genders:
107.5 FM - two black males, one black female (musicians/artists)
MIX of ethnicities in these billboards:
Community Health - three white females, one black male, one white male (2 billboards)
Ken Allen Law - one white male, one black male child, one white female child
Purdue University - two black males, one white female, one I'm not sure of
Summer Learning - mix of young adults
I'M NOT SURE of the ethnicities in these billboards:
These are simply observations of the billboards along this area that had humans in them. Now I know I need to notice more intentionally - more often!
Immediately, I thought of when I was going through my undergrad classes, in Deaf education. One of my friends who is Deaf, mentioned one time that she thought Deaf people died early. She'd never before met any other Deaf person (her parents are hearing) until college. I wondered - where are the advertisements with people with hearing aids? Service dogs? Wheelchairs? This is a whole other avenue that needs to be noticed.
And here are more questions I have now...
What does this say?
What are the demographics of this area?
Who are the billboards appealing to?
Who goes through this area the most?
Do many truckers need lawyers?
Why are there so many billboards for lawyers?
Are most lawyers white?
Are most strippers white?
Are most people who attend strip clubs white?
Should I look next time on our way to Michigan at only the strip club billboards?
Can people tell the ethnicity of babies just by looking at them?
How do people tell the ethnicity of other people? I, obviously, can NOT.
What IS white? Does it include Hispanic? Italian?
What IS black? Does it include Dominican? Brazilian?
Where are the Hispanic, Asian or Indian faces on the billboards?
Are these people on billboards role models?
Where are the doctors and lawyers of color?
How much do they charge for these billboards?
How many billboards is too many in one area?
Do multiple billboards (Pintas & Mullins!) increase business? Or just plant a seed?
Do billboards contribute to accidents?
How many of these billboards are lit up at night?
How can I ask students about their own ethnicity so I make sure to include those characters in the books/stories we read?
If you'd like to contribute to this blog, contact @JoyKirr via Twitter, or add a comment below as to how we can contact you. The more voices, the better - we need to keep having the conversations!
Krazy Kaplan's (fireworks) - one white animated male (3 billboards)
Reef River Waterpark - one white male child (2 billboards)
Ken Allen Law - one white male (2 billboards)
Leona's Law - one white male (2 billboards)
Blackburn & Green - two white males
Shoreline Brewery - one white (older - 80s?) male
Fly South Bend - one white male on a tablet
Sarkisian Assoc. (lawyers) - two white males
Franciscan Health - one white male
Philippe Homes - one white male
Pilot - one white male
Portage Dental - one white male
Purdue - one white male
Langer Law - one white male
Specialty Physicians - one white male
Accelerate - one white boy
One-Hour Tees - one white male
Raging Waters - one white boy
U.S. Waterproofing - one white male
United Home Loans - Einstein
Females:
Franciscan Health - one white female (3 billboards)
St. Mary Cancer Care - one white female doctor and one white female patient
Club 39 - one white (fake blonde) female
Polekatz - one white (fake blonde) female
Dream Girls - one white (fake blonde) female
Serenity Salon - one white female
Mane Image - one white female
Caldwell Banker - one white female
Exact Time (watchmaker) - one white female
Cosmetology - one white female
Webb Ford - one white female ("Even if your credit isn't perfect!")
Mix of genders:
Pintas & Mullins (lawyers) - one white male and one white female (7 billboards)
Pintas & Mullins (lawyers) - two white males (one a doctor) and one white female (7 billboards)
Teeth Tomorrow - one white male and one white female (3 billboards)
Pintas Law - two white males, one white female
Midwest Express Clinic - one white male doctor, one white female child patient
Dark Forest (homes? subdivision?) - one white family
Adopt U.S. Kids - one white male and one white teen female
In the Game - one white female and one white child
Hotels of Oakbrook - two white children
BLACK / African-American people in these billboards:
Males:
Marines - one black male
Gary Community School - one black male
Females:
Webb Hundai - one black female ("Where everyone gets the 'family' treatment!")
Church Girl Closet - one black female
Kali Beauty - one black female
Kreations by Kashell - three black females
Entenmann's Lite Bites - one black female child
Brookfield Zoo - one black female child
UTI.edu - one black female
Mix of genders:
107.5 FM - two black males, one black female (musicians/artists)
MIX of ethnicities in these billboards:
Community Health - three white females, one black male, one white male (2 billboards)
Ken Allen Law - one white male, one black male child, one white female child
Purdue University - two black males, one white female, one I'm not sure of
Summer Learning - mix of young adults
I'M NOT SURE of the ethnicities in these billboards:
Anti-abortion ad - one baby
Don Quixote / Best of Spain - one male
103.5 FM / Fred and Angie - one white male and one female
IKEA - one female
Cabela's - one male silhouette
These are simply observations of the billboards along this area that had humans in them. Now I know I need to notice more intentionally - more often!
Immediately, I thought of when I was going through my undergrad classes, in Deaf education. One of my friends who is Deaf, mentioned one time that she thought Deaf people died early. She'd never before met any other Deaf person (her parents are hearing) until college. I wondered - where are the advertisements with people with hearing aids? Service dogs? Wheelchairs? This is a whole other avenue that needs to be noticed.
And here are more questions I have now...
What does this say?
What are the demographics of this area?
Who are the billboards appealing to?
Who goes through this area the most?
Do many truckers need lawyers?
Why are there so many billboards for lawyers?
Are most lawyers white?
Are most strippers white?
Are most people who attend strip clubs white?
Should I look next time on our way to Michigan at only the strip club billboards?
Can people tell the ethnicity of babies just by looking at them?
How do people tell the ethnicity of other people? I, obviously, can NOT.
What IS white? Does it include Hispanic? Italian?
What IS black? Does it include Dominican? Brazilian?
Where are the Hispanic, Asian or Indian faces on the billboards?
Are these people on billboards role models?
Where are the doctors and lawyers of color?
How much do they charge for these billboards?
How many billboards is too many in one area?
Do multiple billboards (Pintas & Mullins!) increase business? Or just plant a seed?
Do billboards contribute to accidents?
How many of these billboards are lit up at night?
How can I ask students about their own ethnicity so I make sure to include those characters in the books/stories we read?
If you'd like to contribute to this blog, contact @JoyKirr via Twitter, or add a comment below as to how we can contact you. The more voices, the better - we need to keep having the conversations!
Dangerous Discussions...
I just finished reading this piece from Ursula Wolfe-Rocca...
Give it a read!!
If you'd like to contribute to this blog, contact @JoyKirr via Twitter, or add a comment below as to how we can contact you. The more voices, the better - we need to keep having the conversations!
Give it a read!!
If you'd like to contribute to this blog, contact @JoyKirr via Twitter, or add a comment below as to how we can contact you. The more voices, the better - we need to keep having the conversations!
Saturday, August 4, 2018
Assumption or Bias
Thank you Joy for sharing your very personal reflection about biases which lead me to stop and think about my own.
My first thought is, I'm not comfortable with the word -bias. To me, I don't wish to be associated with its negativity, prejudice or inclination against a person or group. I'm not bias or prejudice. Then I thought, why am I being so defensive?
Because it is true. I make assumptions without any facts or proof, which leads to being bias. We recently sold our house and are applying for a rental while our new home is built. I'm avoiding certain parts of town because I'm bias. I assume anyone who lives there is in a lower social economic circumstance, perhaps dysfunctional families and wouldn't make ideal neighbours.
I see very young mothers and couples during the day and assume they are unemployed, unwed and living on welfare and life must be challenging. Again I'm being bias, stereotyping.
Having greater awareness of biases and preconceived ideas can be addressed by knowing and understanding different groups and cultures in my community, country and the world and listening to their story.
I am very conscientious not to show any assumptions or biases, especially in the classroom. It's a priority to know each of my students well, to build a relationship with each. When biases are raised, together we need to arm ourselves with proper knowledge, understanding, and perspective.
This post was written by Catherine Williams.
If you'd like to contribute to this blog, contact @JoyKirr via Twitter, or add a comment below as to how we can contact you. The more voices, the better - we need to keep having the conversations!
My first thought is, I'm not comfortable with the word -bias. To me, I don't wish to be associated with its negativity, prejudice or inclination against a person or group. I'm not bias or prejudice. Then I thought, why am I being so defensive?
Because it is true. I make assumptions without any facts or proof, which leads to being bias. We recently sold our house and are applying for a rental while our new home is built. I'm avoiding certain parts of town because I'm bias. I assume anyone who lives there is in a lower social economic circumstance, perhaps dysfunctional families and wouldn't make ideal neighbours.
I see very young mothers and couples during the day and assume they are unemployed, unwed and living on welfare and life must be challenging. Again I'm being bias, stereotyping.
Having greater awareness of biases and preconceived ideas can be addressed by knowing and understanding different groups and cultures in my community, country and the world and listening to their story.
I am very conscientious not to show any assumptions or biases, especially in the classroom. It's a priority to know each of my students well, to build a relationship with each. When biases are raised, together we need to arm ourselves with proper knowledge, understanding, and perspective.
This post was written by Catherine Williams.
If you'd like to contribute to this blog, contact @JoyKirr via Twitter, or add a comment below as to how we can contact you. The more voices, the better - we need to keep having the conversations!
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