Growing up, whether we watched Barney, Sesame Street, or any one of the many Disney Channel shows, we kids were always taught to be nice. Sesame Street even had a song that identified and discouraged bullying. Just a few weeks ago, in our religion class titled “Teaching Tolerance”, we had a similar lesson. Bullying is when someone is being treated poorly but not because of a protected characteristic or activity. Discrimination, on the other hand, is when someone is being treated poorly because of a protected characteristic or activity. During class we learned this, as well as a lot more about discrimination.
“Teaching Tolerance” raises issues like ageism, bullying and music therapy, but a few weeks ago the topic was discrimination. First, we had a worksheet that we read and filled out as a class. The worksheet had scenarios about people that were discriminated against for different reasons. After we read the scenarios, we identified who was being discriminated against and what could be done to resolve the wrongdoing.
In the first scenario, Abby Brammer was going to be hired to work in a restaurant after school, but when the manager saw that she was African-American he changed his mind. After that, people stopped going to the restaurant and peacefully protested outside. Then, Abby sued the restaurant which got the owner to change the restaurant’s hiring procedures.
In another scenario, Rochelle Hamilton began high school but was bullied relentlessly because she was a lesbian. Her mother met with school officials for months but nothing was changed until they turned to a group that helps protect people’s rights. When the group pointed out to the school that doing nothing to stop discrimination is illegal, the school finally agreed to to take action.
After reading these scenarios, the entire class was shocked and angry about these acts of discrimination. So, Mrs.Twomey decided to allow the class to express their frustrations. She wrote “Discrimination” on the board and asked students to go up and write down what they felt about it. People wrote about how discrimination made them feel angry, how it made them feel sad, how unfair these acts were, and one girl even said hearing these stories makes her feel like society is going downhill. Then, Mrs.Twomey had us take all the feelings from the board and channel them into making anti-discrimination posters. The posters are filled with positive messages, encouraging slogans, and colorful drawings. My partner, Charlotte, and I quoted a Black-Eyed Peas song, “Where is the Love?”, that says “to discriminate only generates hate.” Some students came up with their own slogans, rhymes and inspiring sayings while others drew incredible pictures. My friend Klaire, for example, drew people of all different races, religions, genders, and ethnicities holding hands. It was amazing.
I know “Teaching Tolerance” is a class the many students look forward to and, after our class on discrimination, we can’t wait for more lessons just like that one!