Naive Guard By Natasha Tretheway

Autumn Ivins
Diversity in Literature
Dr. White
27 February 2023
Equity in the Classroom

How educators treat students in the classroom impacts them immensely, “I cried aloud, shaking my head all the while until I felt the cold blades of the scissors against my neck, and heard them gnaw off one of my thick braids. Then I lost my spirit (Long Soldier).” The events that happen in the early years of education affect the development of a person. The government and social system has had flaws ever since it was made. This can be seen from a collection of poems by Natasha Tretheway called “Naive Guard”, highlighting the hardships faced after the civil war regarding “the one drop rule” and other racial issues in America. On the contrary, Artress

Students need to feel accepted for who they are; which includes their culture, skin color, identity, and sexual orientation. Being discriminated against or experiencing bias in the classroom creates a place that is no longer safe for the student. In Layli Long Soldiers article, “Now, You Will Listen '' she tells a story about her daughter standing up and speaking the truth about how her teacher should be more culturally appropriate in the classroom. Layli Long Soldier expresses the heartwarming feeling that she experiences from her daughter's strength to be able to defend and shield a culture that she doesn't even belong to. The courage it takes to be an ally at such a young age should be normalized. She explains how she was not as strong as her daughter at that age, ”I told them that they are speaking up in the ways that we (the older generation) could not. When I was small, I told them, I was so quiet in the classroom. The prevalence of racism was too powerful. I absorbed all that hurtful language, those attitudes toward Native people, the messages I took everything home with me, silently, in my body (Long Soldier).” Layli Long Soldier felt like she did not have a voice because in her generation, racism was extremely dominant. This expresses the issues with racism in American history. There should have never been a time where a student is scared to speak out and protect themselves

“The final performer, a faculty member, proceeded to regale the audience with a piece about growing up in the South, replete with references to his father dressing up in blackface and “Negros” all around, especially his beloved Mammy (White 162).” Artress White explains how the performance was in front of multiple students and teachers who came forward to apologize for their colleagues' behavior. This example is damaging to not only Dr. White, but to the students viewing these behaviors as well. Witnessing blunt racism by individuals who are supposed to be their educators is disgusting and creates a toxic environment for all involved. She goes on to say, “In fact I fear for students of color in the classes of these unsympathetic faculty because of their inability to exercise empathy beyond the terrain of their own racial subject positions. If they cannot display compassion for a colleague, how would they ever be able to mediate for a vulnerable student? (White 164).” This represents the direct concern from an educator that this colleague is not fit to lead the younger generation because of his neglect of compassion towards people of color. Comparing this to Natasha Tretheway poems, a black mother carrying an interracial baby has concerns about how the world will treat her child. The mother was born in Mississippi where interracial marriage