IBé Questions:

1. I felt sickening after reading “Trouble in Mind: To Be Black Is Blue in America” as it shows the underlying racism of some people in the community. When I was 10, I came to the United States for the first time. That’s when I experienced racism but on a small level. I still remember comments that I didn’t really understand what they meant at the time, but looking back at them, I realized that they were racist comments.
2. He is saying that in America, racism exists against black people, even on an unconscious level. If the black community were to look closely at the meaning of comments they receive, they would find ambiguity in them. Did they say that because I’m black, are they being racist, or do they not mean it in that way. Therefore, it is stressful to be a black person in the US.

Microaggressions in a classroom:

1. I have experienced and witnessed many microaggressions in the classroom. For example, “You don’t look like your Arab”,  “Will your parents get mad because you got a B?” to an Asian student, and “I thought you played basketball” to a black student. After hearing such comments, 99% of the time people move on and don’t even address the comments. We have socially normalized it, without thinking of what other students feel.
2. It is very important for students to feel welcomed in a classroom as it will help them learn. If students are feeling some sort of obnoxiousness or anxiousness going into a class, then they can’t cooperate or engage in the classroom. This will affect them mentally and therefore would lead to not learning.

Do Conversations About Race Belong in the Classroom?:

1. Although the majority of my school was white, I would say that it was somewhat diverse. Although Arabs are considered white, they are still considered a minority. Therefore, I can not give you the full experience of what it means to be white in America. I know for sure that it is nothing compared to being black for example.
2. No and yes. No, because I feel it’s ridiculous to teach students that we should not hurt, discriminate, or judge others based on their race. I mean isn’t it obvious to treat all races equally? However, looking at it from another point of view, our society does need to be educated on that topic. Sadly, there is so much ignorance that people carry.