Home | How It Works | Stats Login | Register         Case: I Wish I Were Black! As a teacher of 5th grade students, I try to make sure that my students have a good sense of all the people and cultures that make up this country. Last couple weeks, I paid special attention to the African American people who have made significant contributions to the US. We read a book written by Walter Dean Myers. We have studied scientists, writers, and political figures. Students were very engaged and interested in the content. Yesterday something happened that puzzled me. Three of my White students told me that they wished they were Black. This was not my intention when I planned all my lessons on contributions of African Americans. How should I address this issue? Solution: (Rates are posted for this solution!) This is a difficult situation for a teacher to be in. There is so much emphasis on teaching history from multiple perspectives and making sure all cultures are taught about, not just white people in our history. I tell the students that it is wonderful they have found people of a different race to admire, but it does not mean that they have to wish they were a different race. I remind them of contributions that white people have made to our country, and teach them about people of other races and from other cultures that have made significant contributions in our history. Hopefully this will help show them that there are people of many different races in our countries history to admire, but you don't have to wish you were a certain race to admire them.