Procrastadabbler

A few weeks ago, there was a small article in the paper about the declining ocean fish population. If the current trend continues, in forty years there will be no more fish in the ocean. We need another Silent Spring. This news has become a code for my husband and me whenever we feel despair about the state of the world or even just frustration with an every day event. One of us will say “Why does it matter, all the fish will be gone in forty years.”

Then yesterday, my students were discussing a text set I constructed to get them thinking about the construction of the other through divisions such as race, social class, gender, and (dis)abilities. This is a class on literacy in the content area, but now toward the end of the semester, I’m trying to pull all the pieces together by having them use some texts to investigate an issue through multiple lenses. I don’t think I’m doing a very good job because I’m still feeling my way through this. I continue to suffer from trying to do it all and end up not doing any of it well. But now and then there are moments that give me hope.

I was talking to a group of students and they were talking about race and ethnicity. They commented that their generation seems to understand the issues of difference more than my generation. And I think they’re right. There is a long way to go, but I think the work of antiracist education is beginning to show hope. I want, I need to believe that. I know we continue to live in a racist society and I do continually experience students who do not see and resist seeing how we are racialized. But I do see hope. There are a handful of students who are more aware, who want to make change. The frustration they voiced to me yesterday is that the speakers they listen to, their professors, etc. all point out what’s wrong, but no one has any solutions. And they feel overwhelmed that the problem is being handed to them to solve. As one remarked, there are a lot of pressures on our generation.”

I agree. But I think they’re up to it. I don’t think my generation failed. I think we fell short of our dreams, but I think we did make some improvements. And that’s why there’s been the conservative backlash. Unfortunately people suffered as a result of that conservative backlash. After yesterday’s conversation, however, I feel as if there is the possiblilty of change.

I have to to think so, because if we can change the current trend, there still will be fish in the sea forty years from now.