I had a very interesting discussion with Cecile Edwards about Mindfulness and Multicultural Education.
This means:
- Bringing a mindfulness lens into multicultural education.
And
- Bringing a multicultural lens into mindfulness teaching.
We discussed:
- understanding how we identify and how that impacts our view of others;
- ways to confront internal biases;
- addressing biases we observe with colleagues; and
- self-reflection as a critical teaching strategy.
- how mindfulness has helped me, both as a teacher and in my personal life;
- my perspective as a WASP (White Anglo Saxon Protestant) on white privilege and white fragility; and
- a couple of cautionary tales about people who thought they knew more than they really did about other cultures. (For the second story, it might be helpful to see maps of West Africa and Botswana, as well as basic information about the Setswana language.)
Many thanks to Cecile Edwards for giving me the opportunity to share my perspective on these issues.
You can listen to the podcast at:
And here are the links to the resources I mentioned, which I've found particularly helpful in expanding my awareness of different perspectives:
- Teaching Tolerance, magazine and website with professional development and classroom resources on diversity, equity, and justice;
- More Than a Month, documentary by Shukree Tilghman about the downside of Black History Month;
- Words I Wheel By, blog by Emily Ladau about disability rights and social justice--and in particular, her post on 'What I Want Future Teachers to Know About Students with Disabilities;
- The Daily Moth, by deaf journalist Alex Abenchuchan, in American Sign Language, with captions and a transcript. And here at Mindful Teachers: Tips for Including Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students in Mindfulness, Meditation, and Yoga Classes; and
- YA novels of Anna-Marie McLemore, who writes magic realism featuring transgender characters. (When the Moon Was Ours, Deep and Darkest Red, Blanca & Roja) As I mentioned in my conversation with Cecile, this is the area I'm finding the most challenging right now. I'm trying to understand the perspective of transgender individuals and at the same time be compassionate toward people who are having a really hard time with acceptance of LGBT for religious reasons.
If you're looking for more resources on multiculturalism and social justice, there are many suggestions in the following recent posts:
- Resources for Teachers on Equality, Diversity, and Civil Rights
- Song Playlist: the Civil Rights Movement and #blacklivesmatter
- Buddhist Perspectives on Diversity, Discrimination, and Social Justice
I'm also working on more content about ADDRESSING diversity, which I'll be posting in the next few weeks.
About the Author
Catharine Hannay is the founder of MindfulTeachers.org and the author of Being You: A Girl’s Guide to Mindfulness, a workbook for teen girls on mindfulness, compassion, and self-acceptance.
catharinehannay.com
