upper middle-class white kids leave their comfort zone

If you didn't know I coordinate a math peer-tutoring program at an inner city (hardly) school. I set struggling freshman up with older students that have had the gift of natural math ability. A very unsettling spectacle has made itself blatantly obvious to onlookers of this environment that I oversee. The tutors are mostly white, privileged and those they are helping are not. I could fill many pages with stories, anecdotes and observances relating to my brief time at this school and I probably will eventually. For now, I would like to introduce to you a certain happening.

A woman that has been placed in our school from Colorado UpLift to teach an elective class based in character, leadership and life skills invited some of her friends from the community to perform spoken word for a group of students. I signed my 8th Period tutors up for this knowing very well none of them would have attended otherwise. I figured that many other teachers in the building would also utilize this unique opportunity to create an environment of integration that is seen sparingly outside of the hallways. Hell, even during passing period when the halls are filled past capacity you can pick out pockets of color and sense an increasing disconnect that exists between adolescents of different ethnic backgrounds.

My decision to sign up for this was questionable in the eyes of my tutors and one young lady was outright defiant. "Why would I want to go to this?" Well that is the point, you wouldn't -- so I am making you go. Once in the gymnasium, it was evident that most of the white folks in the room were going to be my small group of tutors and the principal (there was even less of the hispanic community represented at this event). Noticing the uneasiness in our small group, I all but ignored it until the same young lady who had protested heretofore gave this ultimatum: "If this is a waste of time, I get to leave early on a day of my choosing." I assured her that neither of these would be the case either way and my curiosity being piqued asked what her afternoon would have looked like had I let her go home. As was the case, she would have gotten ready to go skiing the following day. Nothing spells community like a day of skiing, so I apologized.

After some time of waiting around (which even I grew a bit impatient with) the festivities were under way. As a (former/future) performer myself, I was very disappointed with the sound. Somebody please find a competent person who could give free classes to every novice sound guy ever, explaining that if ear drums are bursting, the message you are trying to get across will be slightly distorted. The pain in my ears was however secondary to the power behind the words and the clear talent possessed by these individuals. It did not take much coaxing on my part for the young lady sitting in front of me to admit that this was not only not a waste of her time but worth all of the grueling effort on her part. Anything that sets up a large group of apathetic students wired to have short attention spans to be an engaged audience is applause-worthy and in reality a downright miracle.